Ever since I have joined this forum, I am reading a lot from different people that its hard for a westernized cultured people to mix up with easternized culture. I don’t understand one thing, As long as you are on your religion then this culture thing really matter? .. why people bargain about it ??? And if you are not on your religious values then .. umm .. its another topic; forget it!
Lets get on some specific example. I have seen girls saying here “we are westernized” and its hard for guys from pakistan to blend with us .. .. I don’t know what they mean by “westernization” ..
If its about their dressing then it does not matter they wear jeans or what, as long as its okay with religious values, then its fine. Which does not mean wearing abaya over jeans/shirt - you know what dressing i am talkign about
If its about girls doing jobs then i guess most of the people are okay with it, rather some guys prefer a career orient girls rather those “star plus” girls.
If its about girls “individuality” then again - a well educated man will definitely treat a girl as an individual with respect rather than taking her for granted or a slave
What exactly that westernized culture is which make people think that its hard for people from “east” to blend with. You or your parents were also one of those some years ago, right?
From my personal point of view it is simply the inability to enjoy the diversity of life by categorizing everything into neat little boxes that make no sense.
Now what is westernized culture? It is the concept that the individuals views are paramount over the collective. Consider it the federation vs the Borg. Eastern Culture is very much the Borg. In that regard western culture places importance on various activities that can be considered more hedonistic than say eastern culture.
The more glaring features of a western culture are as follows:
The breakdown of the family unit.
More emphasis placed on individual needs and gains. Be it a job or dancing at a club. Its more on the individuals desires and actions.
A substantive support for women empowerment and women's rights.
Respect for greater ethnic diversity and fundemental human rights.
Since we are limiting it to the social context that is all I will mention.
^ @CM: Fine but again, whatever these rights are .. whatever this empowerments are .. would anyone would love to enjoy those empowerments if those are out of religious boundary?
I have seen 100s of people who don’t drink alcohol just 'caz its not permitted in religion though they are “so called westernized”.
If it comes to women empowerment, her rights then i guess from religious point of view there are women rights which are overlooked by our easter culture.
My only question is .. no matter for how long you have been living here, no matter what culture you follow, no matter whats your personal life is, no matter if you are influenced by western media and ask for “personal space” - if everything is well under the boundary set by religion then why we even cry for that “Western” and “Eastern” culture???
The one who wears revealing clothes: wearing jeans doesn't make you western. its the butt popping, cleavage, chooti choot shirt that makes you look vulgar, hence you are tagged as western. even in Shalwar Kameez you will see women wear deep neck, long slits, capris unveiling their ankle, or see-through light coloured clothes.
so in a way you can say usually people denote vulgarity with westernness'.
@zobia: i know what you are saying thats why i din generalized the dressing in my original post. What i quoted that as long as your dressing is okay with religious values. it could be jeans/shirts/trousers/shalwar kameez/ watever .. ..
anyho, what i have seen pakistani people usually say is "We are not that Muslim" (but i never heard anyone saying "Oh, we are westernized." but their actions speaks loudly of them being burger.)
i think in the past we do had threads on coconuts.
Ah that is just thinking their are special snowflakes. I have noticed in most socially underdeveloped societies like Pakistan, Afghanistan - most of the muslim world infact - there are those who believe western culture is infact superior to their own.
It is a desire to be special. To be better. It smacks of an inferiority complex. If you spend enough time on this forum you will realize that men and women use the term “western” with the connotation that it makes them in fact better. Which is sadly not the case.
On the other hand the Chinese and Indians have discovered that you can only respect yourself when you respect your roots and your background, your history your culture. It will take Pakistan another 30 years before we reach that stage of social and cultural maturity.
Short answer: People are insecure and want to be special little snowflakes.
Long answer: Our society be ****ed up man.
Who says 'we are westernized'...??? i have never heard anyone say that about themselves before..??
The term is usually used to refer to desis back home who are slowly departing from their culture because they have some inbuilt idea of how people in the west behave/dress and they want to mimck them - even then its a derogratory term!!
I actulally find it quite offensive if someone called me westernized, its not an easy job trying to retain ur desiness whilst growing up in a western society - i for one am extremely proud of every desi who grows up in the west & still has their desi identity intact!
Its actually more to do with respecting ur culture, & identity whoever respects another they have no problem mixing with easternized people
As CM mentioned its all about individualism . Easiest way to say ''I don't care , you have your life , and I have my own and I'll live it the way I want it to be '' .
From my personal point of view it is simply the inability to enjoy the diversity of life by categorizing everything into neat little boxes that make no sense.
Now what is westernized culture? It is the concept that the individuals views are paramount over the collective. Consider it the federation vs the Borg. Eastern Culture is very much the Borg. In that regard western culture places importance on various activities that can be considered more hedonistic than say eastern culture.
The more glaring features of a western culture are as follows:
The breakdown of the family unit.
More emphasis placed on individual needs and gains. Be it a job or dancing at a club. Its more on the individuals desires and actions.
A substantive support for women empowerment and women's rights.
Respect for greater ethnic diversity and fundemental human rights.
Since we are limiting it to the social context that is all I will mention.
"Most communication resembles a Ping-Pong game in which people are merely preparing to slam their next point across; but pausing to understand differing points of view and associated feelings can turn apparent opponents into true members of the same team."