Impact of Western Culture on Indian Culture

Westernization of Indian Culture

The roots of westernization started in Great Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries, and later on, the process began in America, France, and Japan, as a pattern of social change which has influenced each and every sphere of life over human beings. Westernization is defined as the combination of the customs, values, and culture of the west into our culture. Western culture greatly effected our traditions, customs, and our lifestyle. The major transformation of lifestyle and living standard of people not changed only in India but the interchange of world views and ideas has resulted in major change globally. In the process of transformation, Indian culture has no bar. Our deep-rooted traditions and customs have loosened up their hold with the emergence of westernization. India has a rich cultural background and the pride of its culture is famous throughout the world. In every segment of society, westernization came with changes. It has both positive and negative impacts on Indian society. 

Families: the concept of joint families is decreasing, Indians who are living in metropolitan cities in the small flat culture for them the joint families have become a strange surprise. Everyone wants to remain aloof from others and give rise to single families. Today people easily lost their patience to get adjusted into the joint family, imbibing the values of the elders and getting the young ones brought up under the shadow of their grandparents. Children have started treating their grandparents like guests or visitors, which is the main reason for increasing old age homes. Because the upbringing of children was like that they consider their own parents as a burden in their state of adulthood. Social Values: our culture treats guests as God as "Athithi Devo Bhava". Elders have the incorporated values of treating the guests as God, warm-hearted welcoming, greeting elders with due respect. The celebration of every small festival with togetherness and lots of enjoyment, such a wide gathering with full hue and light can hardly be seen today. People lost the value of festivals and the cheerful blessing of togetherness. The interaction in the present generation is highly diplomatic considering the financial status and wealth. The present generation celebrates Valentine’s Day happier rather than Holi and Diwali. Indian culture teaches us to be a part of each other Joys and Sorrows to celebrate the moments together and share the grief together. But slowly all our values for which India has the pride is vanishing & western culture is taking its place.

Marriage Values: Similarly, marriages have also lost their values. Marriages are fatly breaking & our tolerance and patience have given the answer. It is very much evident from the increasing number of divorce cases and the extra-marital affairs reported every day and then. Marriage used to be considered as bonding of the souls which will be linked even after the death, but today marriage is like a professional bond or a so-called commitment to share life without compromising their self-interests. The most affected are our new blooms, which have sprouted they find themselves stressed and isolated in this new atmosphere as there is no one to take care of them. The ego factor in the Indian youth is again a product of westernization.

Food and Clothing: In India, different states have their own tradition in which food and clothes show various variety and importance. The food varies in its taste, but the importance of its own nutrient value and every region is specified and rich in its medicinal preparations with the home remedies. But still, the popularity of junk food are too high which cause health disorder in the country. On the other side the variety of beautiful clothes which varies in different states and is very much particular in maintaining the dignity of woman. On another side, dressing like the suits for the males is an inappropriate match for the Indian type of climate.

Language: Indian youth consider it shameful to bespeak in their national and local languages. Even the Indians are not very much in favor of promoting their mother tongue or our national language and the way the foreign languages are getting prevalent in India like the French, German and Spanish, right from the school level, is an example of how much Indian provide importance to Indian languages in comparison to the foreign ones.