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I have definitely noticed elements of Western culture has greatly spread through out the world. In fact, many nations aim to westernize in order to improve their country. Often enough, the results are that many tradition of cultures seems to disappear or get marginalized.
Here some of example of what I am talking about:
-Western clothes being worn all over world. Men wear pants/shirts instead of traditional clothes in India, China, African countries etc. Suit/Tie/Tuxedo is considered formal wear for men all over the world. Women also wear western styled dresses/jeans, though some places (like India) they still wear traditional clothes often enough. Japan seems to biggest extreme, everyone seems to wear western clothes and you hardly see any traditional outfits.
-Dating / Relationship / Marriage seems to moved closer present day "love marriage" or even "living together" culture in the West. Previously, this hardly happened in places like India, China, Japan and Africa. Heck, I heard youngsters in Iran were celebrating Valentines Day!
-Another related thing is Marriage Ceremony themselves are Western instead of traditional ones. That's the even case if they aren't Christian, I have hear of tons of "fake" priests Japan performing such marriages.
-Western music/movies seem to popular all over world. American like say Madonna is actually know everywhere in world.
Vice versa, I don't think Western culture assimilates this much at all. Honestly, I predict as world get more connected, key elements of Western culture will become more prevalent. I expect certain traditions from part of world will disappear.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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This has been going on for some time and is a natural consequence of globalisation and the spread of Western culture through European and American cultural colonialism. Although even in many countries that appear outwardly western (dress, popularity of fast food.etc) especially like the Middle East, India, Africa and to an extent even China, they are still socially quite different from Westerners. The gap does appear to be narrowing, especially in the more developed countries.
They may take some values e.g clothes but they don't take on cultural values like language or religion. So you may say that places like Hong Kong are losing their culture. But in actual reality they aren't, they are just modernising. The culture still exists and thrives and will continue to do so. The culture of those countries is definitely not western.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by owenc
They may take some values e.g clothes but they don't take on cultural values like language or religion. So you may say that places like Hong Kong are losing their culture. But in actual reality they aren't, they are just modernising. The culture still exists and thrives and will continue to do so. The culture of those countries is definitely not western.
I will say though that in HK it's more of a fusion of east and west and even much of China these days. Western style weddings, for instance, are one example.
Because of the proliferation of the internet, satellite tv, magazines, music, movies all from the west. Plus you have McDonald's, KFC and Walmart in China, selling "the west". Cultures are becoming blended I think. Personally, I say hang on to your culture and heritage, it's something to be proud of no matter where you're from.
I think it's becoming more and more a two way street. While the West has had a dominate 200 years influence on the East now the East is beginning to have a strong influence on the West and that influence is growing rapidly over the past few decades.
They may take some values e.g clothes but they don't take on cultural values like language or religion. So you may say that places like Hong Kong are losing their culture. But in actual reality they aren't, they are just modernising. The culture still exists and thrives and will continue to do so. The culture of those countries is definitely not western.
What exactly is 'modernizing' ? From first glance it seems as if it means to becomes more western considering the examples agreed upon are being accepted by so many that previously had no idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom9
I think it's becoming more and more a two way street. While the West has had a dominate 200 years influence on the East now the East is beginning to have a strong influence on the West and that influence is growing rapidly over the past few decades.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,054,732 times
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Food is the most obvious influence, Asian food is getting really popular. Everything from buddha statues/eastern philosophy to feng shui, it seems we're getting more familiar with Asian culture.
I have definitely noticed elements of Western culture has greatly spread through out the world. In fact, many nations aim to westernize in order to improve their country. Often enough, the results are that many tradition of cultures seems to disappear or get marginalized.
Here some of example of what I am talking about:
-Western clothes being worn all over world. Men wear pants/shirts instead of traditional clothes in India, China, African countries etc. Suit/Tie/Tuxedo is considered formal wear for men all over the world. Women also wear western styled dresses/jeans, though some places (like India) they still wear traditional clothes often enough. Japan seems to biggest extreme, everyone seems to wear western clothes and you hardly see any traditional outfits.
-Dating / Relationship / Marriage seems to moved closer present day "love marriage" or even "living together" culture in the West. Previously, this hardly happened in places like India, China, Japan and Africa. Heck, I heard youngsters in Iran were celebrating Valentines Day!
-Another related thing is Marriage Ceremony themselves are Western instead of traditional ones. That's the even case if they aren't Christian, I have hear of tons of "fake" priests Japan performing such marriages.
-Western music/movies seem to popular all over world. American like say Madonna is actually know everywhere in world.
Vice versa, I don't think Western culture assimilates this much at all. Honestly, I predict as world get more connected, key elements of Western culture will become more prevalent. I expect certain traditions from part of world will disappear.
I think it's working both ways. Visit any one of the 5 largest urban conglomerations in the U.S. and you will see quite a diversity of cultures from around the world. The U.S. is actually becoming less western in a sense.
The common mis-conception in the world is that the world is living to the values of ones particular area, I think in reality the way the world is now has been 'morphed' by cultures from all over the world already, for example politically a lot of nations are still using the Ancient Greek system, also you find that people seem to 'assume' that the more modern inventions are wholly Western when the reality is inventions are usually made of the back of 'older' inventions, ultimately all of the world has some fingers in the pie regarding the way the world is now functioning
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