INDIAN CULTURE VS

WESTERN CULTURE

SUYASH KEJRIWAL3MBA ‘C’

A Popular View of Culture

OCulture is all about food, language, dress, customs, holidays, etc.

The Western View of Culture

O Cultures differ in language, cuisine, etiquette, etc.

O But we are all basically the same inside.

O Apparent differences are due to levels of development.O There is a single path of

development toward a rational lifestyle.

O The West is obviously ahead, whence the distinction of “developed” and “developing” countries.

Cultural Iceberg

OCulture determines our deepest assumptions, most of which we not even aware.O Like an iceberg, culture lies mostly

beneath the surface.

The World is Westernizing?

OCapitalist market economies are spreading, and culture is profoundly shaped by how people make a living.

Shanghai London Riyadh

The World is Westernizing?

O The historical wealth and power of the West attracts elites around the world.O They speak English, adopt Western

ways, send children to Western schools, cultivate Western connections, etc.

The World is Westernizing?

O Global market and communications homogenize the world.

The World is Westernizing?

OYouth culture is the same everywhere (movies, music, sneakers, etc.).

The World is Westernizing?

OThe world looks more and more Western O Skyscrapers, traffic jams,

high tech O Surfeit of consumer goods O Pollution, overconsumption

of resources.

Teipei 101 Tower

Not so Western After All

ONon-Western cultures are resisting Western cultural hegemony.O China.O Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore (Harry Lee at

Cambridge).O Islamic world.

Not so Western After All

OPeople want the baubles and bangles of the West but may not want the culture.

Just to clarify…OTo describe a culture is not to

stereotype the individuals in it.O Every culture has the full range

of personality types.O They differ in how personalities

fit into a system.OAlthough most cultures are

influenced by the West…O … not as much as people say.O … and not in the ways most people think.O I focus on what is indigenous about a

culture, not what is Western about it.

Just to clarify…O I make no judgments about which cultures

are “better.”

Cultural ClassificationO One introduction to cultural difference is

through classification of cultures.O There are at least 5000 cultures in the

world.O Each has a logic its own.O Cultural classification doesn’t capture this.O But it is a start.O Lets, look at the greater picture about the

thoughts of both Indian and western culture.

INDIAN SAYSLIVE IN TIME

WESTERN SAYSLIVE IN SPACE

INDIAN SAYSBE CONTEMPLATIVE

WESTERN SAYSBE PROFESSIONALS

INDIAN SAYSACCEPT WHAT IT IS

WESTERN SAYSSEEK CHANGE

INDIAN SAYSLIVE IN NATURE

WESTERN SAYSLIVE WITH NATURE

INDIAN SAYSKNOW THE MEANING

WESTERN SAYSKNOW HOW IT WORKS

INDIAN SAYSMEDITATION IS IMPORTANT

WESTERN SAYSARTICULATION IS IMPORTANT

INDIAN SAYSFOCUS ON OTHER’S FEELINGS

WESTERN SAYSFOCUS ON SELF NEEDS

INDIAN SAYSLEARN TO LIVE WITH LESS ASSETS

WESTERN SAYSATTEMPTS TO GET MORE

INDIAN SAYSIDEAL LIFE IS LONG

WESTERN SAYSIDEAL LIFE IS BEING SUCCESSFUL

INDIAN SAYSHONOR AUSTERITY

WESTERN SAYSHONOR ACHIEVEMENT

INDIAN SAYSWEALTH/POVERTY RESULTS OF

FORTUNE

WESTERN SAYSWEALTH/POVERTY RESULTS OF

ENTERPRISE

INDIAN SAYSTRUTH IS GIVEN IT DOSEN’T HAVE TO

BE PROVED

WESTERN SAYSTRUTH HAS TO BE PROVED AGAIN AND

AGAIN

INDIAN SAYSIMPROVEMENT IS AN ONGOING CYCLE

WESTERN SAYSIMPROVEMENT ENDS WHEN A PERSON

REACHES ITS GOAL

CONCLUSIONO MODERNISATION AND

WETSERNIZATION ARE GETTING SYNONYMOUS

O INDIA DESPITE HAVING A HIGH GDP IS STILL A DEVELOPING NATION AND ASPIRERS TO BE A DEVELOPED NATION

O VALUES ASSOSCIATED WITH BOTH THE CULTURES HAVE CERTAIN PROS AND CONS, WITH ONLY THE POSITIVES MUST BE IMBIBED.

O ITS TIME TO GROW…..O WITH ALL THE HARDSHIPS, WITH ALL THE

CUSTOMS OR TRADITIONS PRACTISED….O THE BEST ARE TO BE IMBIBED….O AND THE COUNTRY HAS TO RISE….O FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMANS AND

ITS RACE….O TO SURVIVE AND TO SUSTAIN WITH THE

BEST POSSIBLE CULTURE….“ ALL CULTURE SPEAKS HOW A PERSON

SHOULD USE ITS KNOWLEDGE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMAN RACE. SO, ITS HUMANS ABOVE ALL THE CULTURES.”