Reproduction of The Western Culture and The Assimilation of The Orient, a superficial study

Reproduction of The Western Culture and The Assimilation of The Orient, a superficial study

 

·      A brief terminology/chronology of the western culture

Western culture/ western civilization or the European culture broadly stands for any cultural aspect, ethics, moral values, believes, traditions, customs that are associated with European/northern American culture. It has started with the very beginning of the ancient Greece and the Roman civilization, afterward.

In the medieval epoch the western culture emerged toward a radical development and reforms initiated by the renaissance, enlightenment era, Industrial revolution and the geo-discoveries. The amendments and the formation have been so pivotal connecting Europe with other nations and spreading the culture of Europe, therefore an ultimate impact on other nations.

·      The prevalence of Western culture in the world.

All the major reformations that Europe have witnessed between 16th and 19th century has uplifted, what we consider now, "the modern European" culture, a “sophisticated” and “advanced” culture in all levels of sciences, industry and humanities.  The geo-discoveries settled the European boats in different areas all over the world, mainly South/North America and Australia, bringing migrants with all the patterns of European life.

·      The prevalence from the colonial/post-colonial perspective.

As a result, western countries colonized the east countries under the umbrella that “we bring sophistication and modernization”. This method is vehemently a tricky stratagem by the westerns so as to monopoly the wealth of the targets, “We bring you clothes, life style, food, cetera” that a human should live/be like. The process of spreading this culture has been described by Edward as following, the westerns used Knowledge such as anthropology, geography, literature…to describe the stat of people in the East by such making a stereotype/negative depiction of those countries. This process, moreover, is based on a process of Othering in which “We” and “Them” are different generating an inferior image about the orient.

·      The 20th/21th century method of spreading western culture (Neo-colonialism)

In the post modern society the dissemination of the western culture took another form. It is the geo-political practices employing globalization as a flag of cultural imperialism instead of military or political control (direct control).

The appearance of the neo-influencers blossomed with the rise of capitalism and the new world order after the fall of the Soviet Union in the World War Two. The collapse of Berlin wall resulted the germination of U.S as a world power considering globalization and world hegemony.

Globalization is not only about economy but also about culture, to advancing the world toward cultural standardization. The capitalists and its patrons have encouraged globalization by merely elevating the sense of cultural diversity, cultural tolerance and cultural co-existence. In contrast, Francis Fukuyama claims in his book “The End of History And The Last Man” that globalization is the exclusivity of power and the dominance of technological means by US. He explains the influence of USA has over pop-culture and other domains through functioning technological means, in other words, the Americanization of cultures.

In same framework, Edward Said examines globalization -from the perspective of post-colonial theory in his book “Orientalism”-, has shaped to restructuring and having authority over the orients.

Needless to say, through cultural industries (the tools, apparatuses of relocating cultures such as Mass Media, Literature, Festivals, paints, Cinema, etc.) the cultures currently are speedily exchanged, influenced and influencing. Every body has got a Facebook or a Twitter or at least watching TV or listening to Radio. Those canals strongly promote cultural production/reproduction of western civilization toward the East. The technological means, furthermore, have been playing an outstanding role to brightening the depiction of the WC.

·      The assimilation of the East

The WC has become a station of admiration for people as a protocol of “modernity”. Most of the living standards have been altered; etiquettes and relationships can shape an adequate example. Why?

Ibn Khaldoon stressed on that the defeater permanently pursues the defeater, psychologically, when you admire something you endeavor to imitate it. Coupled with, the vigorous monopolization of Western Culture of all domains, like education whereby the East becomes to adopt and apply upon their particularities. The infestation of Western Culture is more touchable, nowadays, in all aspects of life!

written by: Ilyass Ainanass