10 Differences Between Indian

and Western Culture

Article by sneha pujani, December 16, 2013

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The two cultures which are poles apart in every count, two proud and rich heritages are
fascinated by each other. They look at each other, observe each other and try to imitate each
other in few adorable ways. The lives of the two are now overlapping and this brings all of our
differences in focus. We are tending to be global citizens and today the differences have to be out
and in open. We need to get to the bottom of it all and understand why we do what we do, in
either of the hemispheres. So this article is taking the easiest differences, the quirky ones, the fun
ones. Each side gets a chance to chuckle at the other. So here it goes differences of the two proud
cultures, from a point of view of a global citizen.

10. Sweet sixteen!

So in USA, sixteen is taken as the age when you grow-up. Historically marked so by gifting of
a car, it shows the trust of the family on the child or the young adult. Indians on the other hand,
have no such age. This age is different for every kid in every family of every culture in every
religion. The sweet 16th is a big deal with in the west for life there is more dependent on cars
than India is. Indians on the other hand celebrate it like a normal birthday of a child, a treat at
Mc-D maybe, for the kid is not even 18 right! She/he still has some growing up to do.

9. Divorce

The average rate of divorce in west is 40% approximately and in India is 8 in every 1000
weddings. The number says it all or maybe it doesnt. The freedom and independence of the west
makes it possible for them to stand up for their rights or maybe they do not stick around and
tough it out. The point here is that the west gets more divorces, period.

8. Any job Lifestyle.

The people of west are open to the idea of working at any level to earn their livelihood or
improve it. We have waitresses who work to pay their way through college; we have students
working at malls for the pocket money or for the car. Life in west is open to the idea of toughing
it out. The self-respect is so high in the west that any menial job fails to bring them down. The
mentality is coming to India but slowly. The society frowns when you take a job beneath you.
The ostracized feeling is extended to the family and this pressurizes the person. The fight here is
not between the level of work and the person, the fight is between the person and the mentality
of the society. When actress Sonam Kapoor studied outside India, she worked as a waitress. So
its a question of time when India becomes free-er.

7. 18 and out.

So Indians live in joint families, lived is a better word for its changing. Indian parents pay for
their kids till the kid gets a 9-5 job. They pay for everything. In west when the kids turn 18, they
are on their own. They leave house and are on their own. This is one difference we have to know
for a common man in India takes it on himself to get his child through the graduation and its his
and his responsibility alone. In west the parent is as responsible but the college is not what most
kids opt for. Indians know this to be the only way to live; the west seems to have found many
other options.

6. Magic Words?

The west is polite in their own way. They are polite in their behavior and everyday actions. When
you walk along and catch someones eyes, you smile. When you pass some-one on the road you
nod. The words like please and sorry and thank-you are among the most used words in their day.
When you want to cross the roads, cars stops to give you a way, they nod and smile and let you
go. Driving is easy and not a squeeze-in when/where you can. India on the other hand is caught
up in a never ending circle, we let people go first and chase them down. We do not say the
magic words out aloud and keep the swear-words to ourselves; we do it the other way round.
Maybe this generation will do better.

5. Gays, caste, race and riots.

Indians are greatly popular in the world. For right reasons and sometimes for the wrong reasons
as well. Indians judge and they do it for many reasons. Its maybe the culture or the way of life
but we perceive and on the perception we judge. On the basis of caste, creed, color, gender and
the sexual orientation. The society is not free yet and neither are the people. This causes riots
and tension. So yeah, Indians are all still learning to be wise and west is almost there.

4. Cricket vs Basketball.

The men of the world need their passion and their hobbies, apart from the fairer sex, kidding.
Jokes apart, men have always been known to be obsessed with competition. This obsession
ranges from war to sports. USA has basketball, India, England has cricket. The difference many
not seem much but an Indian man talks to another man about their sport, and when the our
sport is not common, the companionship is in danger.

3. Dressing Tolerances.

So west has skirts and one-pieces, Indians have salwar Kameez. When they cross-match the
dresses with the country, the reaction of the society is monumental. Indians are not as accepting
of the western culture as the west in of India. The freedom to be is watched over by moral police
in India and this creates tension.

2. Family Holds on.

The say the position which Indian mums and the in-laws have in the persons life is huge. The
common fights of a mother-in-law and the bride form the crux of many a T.V serials. The
balancing act between the maternal and paternal family is what occupies most mens time and
energy. This is freer in west where traditionally the man moves out of house and starts his own
family. The way of life thus becomes different. Many Indians often think of this as their own
brand of nirvana.

1. Fascination, Ruler and Ruled.

Perhaps the most obvious difference between the two cultures is the difference is the
superiority/inferiority assumption. The fair skinned lady, blue eyed lady of west is seen as having
more impact than the darker haired Indian counterpart. The memory of being ruled hovers
somewhere and that causes the dis-balance. Indians are over 200 years behind the west in terms
of democracy and independence. The other differences will fade away in time if we can
overcome the fascination and replace it with admiration.

What Can We Learn from Western Culture?

June 4, 2013

by Ramandeep Kaur
We live in a closed society. Every now and then we find someone condemning western culture for
being too open, flashy and modern in a way that is disturbing our society and the present day
generation. Most of us believe that western culture is weakening our own value system and with time
our culture will disappear.
But do you think it right to put blame on others for all your wrong actions? What is happening in our
society is because of us, not because of any other person or society. Is wearing modern clothes, using
mobile phones, eating fast food what westernization means to us? The fact is, we are in a dilemma.
We do want to stay where we were and, at the same time, want to fly high up in the sky. But flying
high when you are deeply rooted to the ground wont let you fall in any case.
Moreover, every society whether western or eastern has both positive as well as negative sides. It
depends upon the person: whether he or she wants to imbibe a positive or negative aspect of the
same.
At present, a majority of us are blindly running after modernization and have started believing that
western culture is doing only wrong. But this is not right, as western countries are developing at a
much faster pace than us. Crime rate in some western countries is far less than what India has at
present. Their cities come in the list of the most preferred destinations to live in the world because of
low crime rate, and high standards of living. So, we must learn good things from everyone leaving
aside the wrong.
What can we adopt from western culture?

Society and community value system

Deep-rooted family values are part of the Indian culture. Parents perform their duties to raise their
kids, kids once grown up take care of the elders in the family and marriage is the most sacred union in
Indian culture, and so on. But when it comes to society or community, we show an altogether different
attitude. For any terrible situation, we think it is not our responsibility but that of someone else.
However, the same responsibility towards community is well understood in the West. Western people
show their concern for society and make sacrifices, if required.
Habit of Cleanliness
Most of us have the habit of throwing garbage here and there instead of putting it in its proper place.
But, if you have been to any western country, then you might have observed a big difference in
cleanliness. They keep their surroundings absolutely clean and do not throw even a single bit of paper
on the road, in parks or at public places. Everything is well maintained.
In some western countries, different types of garbage like plastic, kitchen waste, etc are required to
be put in separate garbage bags. These are then kept outside the home to be collected by respective
garbage collectors. But in India, throwing garbage in empty plots is a common scene. So, we must
learn a sense of cleanliness from them.
Traffic Rules
How many of you have seen someone or the other breaking traffic rules in India? I have seen this
many a times. But westerners follow all the traffic rules very strictly, even if there is no traffic
policeman around.
Transportation
Transportation system in western countries is much better than in India. A friend of mine once went to
England. She was travelling by bus. The bus stopped at its scheduled stop and there was a
handicapped person waiting for the bus. This bus had that space occupied, so the driver of the bus
deboarded. He contacted another bus driver driving the bus on the same route and confirmed the
space for handicapped person and his wheelchair. The driver then waited for that bus. He left the place
only after boarding the handicapped passenger in the right bus. Bus drivers can communicate with
passengers whenever required and they speak very politely. Such types of incidents are absolutely
hard to find in India.
Accountability
Sense of accountability is great in western culture and we must learn this attribute from them. We
must be answerable to what we do. However, in India, generally important people are less answerable
than commoners.
Professionalism
Be professional like people in the West who do not allow their personal feelings, problems and dealings
to interfere in their professional lives. Along with this we must be punctual and respect the other
persons time.
Therefore, going ahead by preserving our values and culture is not wrong. Also, we should change
with time for good as everything in this world is changing. We must adopt good values of western
culture to our value system for betterment, growth and development.