indo islamic culture advantages and disadvantage for debate
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Answer:
Being a believer in mostly Indian culture, I am more likely to see its pros. But I am sure I can justify myself for appreciating the Western Culture as well.
I like how Indian culture teaches us to respect every individual. Elders in the family, neighborhood, etc, are greeted with utmost regard. Hence we have the two different words ‘Tum’ and ‘Aap ’ in our Dictionary, unlike English which has only ‘YOU’.
‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (Our Guests are Equivalent to the God).
The Joint Family System imbibes a culture of Sharing and Adjusting with each other’s preferences. We learn how to sort our differences easily without making a fuss of every second thing in the household.
The Rites and Rituals (be it for Naamkaran, Wedding, God Bharai or Antim sanskar), all have a meaning. They may seem prolonged but each Sanskrit Shlok behind them have some essence and purpose.
The best part is - Our Indian Culture is highly aligned with Science. Putting Vermilion, mangal sutra and toe rings, Touching the elders’ feet, eating with hands, even defecating in Indian Style has a scientific explanation. I wonder how smart were our ancestors to have know so much about Human Body Ages ago.
As far as Western Culture is concerned, I really appreciate the level of respect one has in their society for Individual’s Privacy. You would never find relatives and neighbors nagging in your personal matters. Here in India, people take our issues too seriously to debate over them and come up with 101 different solutions/advises.
“Advice only when asked for” is one of the Unspoken Western Culture Rule.
It is absolutely normal for a teen (roughly above 18) to move out of his parental house, get a small job, bear his own expenses and live comfortably in a separate apartment. Here the Indian Parents would have a major heart-break if their son leaves their house to settle down elsewhere. Even married couples are sometimes bound to live with the parents, since it is considered an act of Breaking the Household into 2, walking away with your wife, leaving your parents behind (A big Drawback of our society). A couple hardly has its own space and privacy in this set-up and this often leads to severe frustration and fights in the family. But there is no escape. Particularly for the Daughter-in-law, how much you dislike your in-laws, or how much they hate you, you will have to stay together.
A major disadvantage of Indian Culture is Patriarchy. Men seldom allow the women/daughters of the family to work and earn. In a patriarchal culture, men do not want to live on the earning of the women, they feel they are not man enough to make the women step out of the house and work. This Taboo still persists in rural areas and Tier 3 Indian cities.
Well ! In Western culture, children do tend to disrespect their parents, meet them rarely and ignore them, whereas, Indian children are more attached and extremely emotional about their parents, do think of their health, food, finances, etc.
The ‘Baby Sitter’ culture from the West is again a con. Here, an Indian mother, no matter how modern or liberated woman she is, would do everything to be with her child for a substantial period after its birth. I have seen so many women in Indian Corporate extending their 6 months Maternity leave, just because at a point of time, her child is much more important than her career and her salary. Unlike the West, no mother is willing to leave her tiny one in a creche or with the Baby-Sitter too soon.
To sum up, Indian culture may not be as liberated as the West, but it has its own values, which somehow still stand true, irrespective of the era. Western culture is more ‘Comfort-oriented’ and makes an individual feel FREE.
We as Indians, have a choice. We can adapt the best of both and blend it to our advantage. A spoonful of Tradition with a pinch of Globalization would be the best dose to survive.