C K Naga
Research Writer
We may often stumble across the term ‘westernization’ as a transforming culture of western Aryan origin, diluting ethnic barriers across human civilizations. However, the real implication is quite contrary to our limited information of the highly sprung expansive ever accelerating progressing dynamic chain of factors i.e. westernization. It is a process where societies adapt aspects of western characteristics like industries, law, politics, economics, literature, alphabet, values etc. while Western societies are themselves affected by this process and interaction with non-Western groups. Westernization traces its roots back to Ancient Greece. Later, the Roman Empire would take on the first process of Westernization as it was heavily influenced by Greece and created a new culture based on the principles and values of the Ancient Greek society. The phenomenon of Westernization does not follow any one specific pattern across societies as the degree of adaption and fusion with Western customs will occur at varying magnitudes within different communities.
The significance of western process of production (also relevant to other advanced cultures) is that it is logic derived – hence the pace of progress is remarkably rapid, achieving and self-correcting. In modern contemporary context, western culture does not limit itself to flourish under the aegis of its sub-roots and origin. It is open and explorative, which usurps and adopt rich and sublime features of other cultures, and embrace, cherishes and finds joy in one’s own way of interacting with things that are of value.
America alone has a rich diverse composition of cultures and mixed-cultures that either has affliction with original roots or blended and enhanced by interaction with parallel cultures that inhabits within the community. Western culture has a vast index of elements that structure and establishes their perception, growth, interest and exploration of future. Feng shui, hibachi chain, shiatsu and Thai massage, manga comics, judo etc. are just few among many of foreign substance that has become integral trends among western communities. Lulu, a Naga of Kabui tribe from Manipur (north-east India), owns a food truck in Belgium and she quotes, “People here are very open-minded and keen on trying new things.”
When it comes to preservation of culture and heritage, the modern western folks are pretty attached and engrossed in contextualizing the rich and colorful textures of their inheritance during parades, festivals and seasons even in modern times, almost akin to the way their ancestors practiced and lived by. With access to modern probes to facilitate for the equipments, the ancient legacies are often depicted, enacted and portrayed in TV shows, movies, dramas, theatres and real life events across various platforms.
Japan has a rich intrinsic culture and traditions like calligraphy, philosophy, performing arts, music, cuisine, literature, architecture etc., that originated from Jomon period and are evident till today, but after the Meiji era, Japan moved from being an isolated feudal society to its modern form. It was during this era, the Meiji leaders continued to modernize the nation through government-sponsored telegraph cable links to all major Japanese cities and the Asian mainland, along with the inception of western based education system for all the young people.
Nagas also have a rich culture, heritage, tradition and natural environment that are still prevalent in its primary figure. Of our present reality, the major public section of the people is poor… deprived of facility to harness and extradite our human resources and potential into surplus economy; we could exploit our traditional crafts of resources and generate revenue for the people. We can implant modern methods through systematic observation of our environment and how it could sustain and source out generation of employment and economy. With the world riddled with plastic and other non-biodegradable wastes, areca (betel nut) leaf plate available in resourceful and our handicrafts—are some eco-friendly ways we could explore not just to cultivate sustenance and generate for ourselves, but to share and promote environmental friendly movement with human creed of the planet.
And we could achieve manifestation of such prospects with our realistic creative imagination that has real implication in reality and the environment. Even if we are to finish our race against freedom and rights, we are still fetus as compared to the infancy of the human race civilization, we could learn from people about how exploration does not threaten our culture, identity, heritage, symbol, historical records, legacy etc. and be open to changes and environment.
