Cultural Expression in Modern Asia - Essay Example

Cultural Expression in Modern Asia （China, Indonesia and Japan) Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Discuss some of the ways Western cultural elements have been incorporated into the popular cultures of China, Indonesia and Japan. How do these elements interact with Asian cultures? Do Asians accept Western cultural elements without criticism or opposition?  Introduction The conceptualization of the terms culture has become central in the recent decades in the realms of social-sciences as well as social policy which are aimed at addressing matters among individual and collective diversity in regard to performance as well as psychological processes.In a generic sense, culture has been broadly been defined as customs and values at the societal level which is transferred in a non-genetic manner from one individual to another, and is shared within a group (or a population) and persists from one generation to the other (Kashima & Gelfand, 2011). Most commentators have pointed to the fact that western culture has immensely influenced and become incorporated in the popular cultures of Asian countries in diverse realms of life. In this regard, this paper will explore some of the ways in which the Western cultural elements have been incorporated into the popular cultures of case study countries of China, Indonesia and Japan. It will also analyze how these elements interact with Asian cultures and assess whether Asians accept Western cultural elements without criticism or opposition. This discourse will commence on influence of western culture on the popular culture of China. China The influence of the western culture on the Chinese cultural set-up has been extensive, more so in the recent decades which has evolved into becoming an interesting area of study. Several of the areas in the Chinese popular culture which have been influenced are analyzed below. Firstly, the western perception on education has tended to influence the education system in China in different aspects. It is worth noting that the Chines education was predominantly founded on the Confucian tradition which has influenced the Chinese educational system for more than 2000 years. Perhaps one of the most notable areas of influence in education system is based on the role of the teacher. In the Chinese popular culture, the learning process was hierarchical whereby the teacher was perceived to be all knowing and the learners were perceived as the direct consumers of this knowledge. Thus, this education system placed heightened emphasis on group identity, stability and continuity and the teachers’ wisdom and knowledge was unquestioned (Wang, 2007). Nonetheless, there has been a gradual paradigm shift in this popular educational culture in China towards a more egalitarian educational system which views the learners as being in the process of creatively molding their knowledge capacity through activity, autonomous thinking and participation. This latter educational culture is predominant among the western countries and has greatly impacted on the popular Chinese educational culture (Wang, 2007). Another aspect of the Chinese popular culture which has been extensively been influenced by the western culture is on the niche of women in the society. This is whereby the Chinese women had traditionally been confined at the bottom of the societal echelons of power, mostly in accordance with the prevailing Confucian ideals mentioned above. Nonetheless, the reforms in the 1980s which mostly derived their influence from the western culture on gender equity played a key role in re-shaping the aspects of gender roles in the Chinese society more than ever before (Ho, 2006). In regard to music, the western musical aspects have influenced in the Chinese aspects in diverse ways, for instance, in terms of notes used, dance and instruments among other aspects. Brace (1992) noted that profound aesthetic western philosophies, for instance Romanticism and Expressionism which were predominant in the 19th and 20th century has greatly influenced on the popular musical thought in China. Moreover, the Chinese people have increasingly embraced the musical instruments from the western countries like the Piano which were not predominant in the past Chinese music. On the other hand, some commentators have pointed out that the music composition process in China which was primarily founded on 5 notes has also been influenced by the western musical culture based on 7 notes. In addition, the dancing styles from the west, mostly as developed by popular music icons have been incorporated in the Chinese dancing styles in the recent decades, mostly among the youths. The development of the Chinese political set-up has also not been divorced from the western influence. This is whereby leadership in the popular Chinese culture was based on an authoritarian approach. Until recently, China had been dominated by the socialist approach to governance, since the Chinese Communist Party took over political leadership in 1949. Nonetheless, recent decades have seen a gradual shift from the basic ideals of socialism as underpinned in the Marxism and Maoism philosophies, mostly after the collapse of the USSR in 1992. In this regard, the Chinese government has embraced the ideals respect of individual freedoms, liberalization of the market and freedom of the media, most of which are embedded in the western political cultures. All the above tenets among others epitomize the extent to which the western culture has impacted on the popular culture in China. Japan Just like China, the popular culture in Japan has also been greatly influenced by the western culture in different aspects. According to Li et. al (2008), the Tokugawa government in Japan was effective in closing down the country from the influence of western countries in 1639. This phenomenon continued until 1853 when Japan was obliged to open up its ports. In the subsequent years, there have been extensive efforts by members of the Japanese population to imitate the western clothing, appearance as well as hairstyles. Some of the aspects of western influence on the Japanese culture are explored below. In regard to the dressing code, the members of the Japanese population had traditionally embraced a popular dressing code which entirely consisted of diverse variety of kimono, which had no gender distinction. This dressing code was thus chiefly embedded in the Japanese popular culture, and diverse dresses under this category were chosen for different occasions, for instance, wedding, funerals as well as religious rituals. However, the epoch after 1853 above saw the diffusion of western clothing in the Japanese territory, with majority of men and women eager to emulate them, based on their presumed convenience and fashion. Today, the relevance of the kimono is slowly becoming eroded with most people preferring the western attires, which are extensively in everyday life while the traditional Japanese attire has been reserved for ceremonious purposes. In regard to religion, it is worth noting that the Japanese popular religious culture was previously founded on Sinbutsu Shugo, which is still practiced today among people in Japan. In this regard, Shinto and Japanese Buddhism have been extensively embraced in recent times after the Shinto and Buddhism separation order of 1886 which marked the decline of Sinbutsu Shugo in the country. Nonetheless, the increased religious freedom in Japan has seen increased diffusion of western religious culture in the Japanese population, mostly the Christian ideals. These have tended to influence on the manner in which people conduct themselves, the Christian painting and the development of Christian churches modeled in the western fashion which has impacted on architectural development in the country (Miki, 1964). Just like the Chinese case discussed above, the popular musical culture of the Japanese people has also been greatly by the western culture. This is whereby the traditional music in Japan has experienced immense influence from the western music in terms of performance, dance as well as the Japanese genres like kabuki and Gagaku which have embraced some concepts of ‘modernization’ derived from the western musical culture. In regard to the economic systems, Japan was predominantly entrenched in the basic aspects of feudalism which molded the socio-economic relations in the country. Nonetheless, the instigation of western capitalism has seen a change of the Japanese socio-economic culture which has shifted the economic trends to increased market liberalization as entrenched in the western culture. Lastly, sports are another aspect of the Japanese popular culture which has been influenced from the west. This is best epitomized by the diffusion of popular western sports like football among the Japanese people. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Japan has also extensively influenced the evolution process of western art, mostly with the entrenchment of Japanese model of art in western paintings. Indonesia This is the last case study which will be explored in this analysis. The western culture has extensively impacted on the Indonesian popular culture in different realms, for instance, socio-cultural as well as political levels. It is imperative to note that the mare socio-cultural existence in Indonesia was predominantly founded on morality which was based on a rigid system which defined gender relations in the society. Diverse norms and values defined the context of sexual relations, mostly among the youth as well as governing social institutions like the family. Nonetheless, in entrenchment of western culture into the Indonesian society, mostly through the mass media has caused great havoc to the continuity of these morals. This fact is best exemplified by Harding (2008) who cited that the instigation of western culture has caused both attitudinal as well as behavior change among the Indonesian youth which has heightened the instances of pre-marital sex in this society. The detrimental of this moral decay is evidenced by the elevated prevalence of early pregnancies and heightened spread of sexually transmitted diseases among the Indonesian adolescents. This has resulted in extensive ‘moral panic’ among the religious groups in the country as well as cultural preservationists who are wary of the moral obliteration among the youths in Indonesia (Harding, 2008). On the other hand, the nutritional culture from the western country has also impacted on the popular cultural eating habits in the country, which has mostly been tied to the establishment of popular western fast-food firms like McDonalds in various Indonesian cities. The dressing code as entrenched in Indonesian popular culture has also not been spared from western influence with majority of the people tending to embrace western attires. Interaction of these elements with Asian culture From the preceding discourse, it is apparent that the western culture has greatly impacted on the popular cultures among diverse countries in Asia. The question of how the western elements have interacted with the Asian culture can be analyzed in three levels. On a very basic level, the nature of the interaction of the Asian culture with the western elements aforementioned has been in an alienating perspective as pointed out by various scholars, which has culminated to absolute cultural assimilation. This is whereby some of the people in the Asian countries have tended to lose their cultural identity as they try to embrace the western elements. In this particular instance, the Asian cultural orientation, mostly among the youth has been completely ‘swallowed’ by the western culture (Rusen, 2011). On the other hand, the interaction can be perceived to be partial whereby majority of the people from the Asian countries have tended to partially embrace the western elements. This has been through a selective approach whereby they select only the positive elements in the western culture which can positively impact on their lives and discard the rest. On the last level of interaction, some people have completely refused to absorb any aspects of the western culture, perceiving them as alienating and only destined to negatively affect the society. This category mostly comprise of cultural preservationists who are determined to uphold the culture of the Asian people amid the turbulent intrusion of the western culture in their region. Do Asians accept Western cultural elements without criticism or opposition? Most of the response of the Asians to the intrusion of western culture in the Asian socio-cultural, political and religious orientations has been oppositional. This is whereby most the people have criticized the aspects of western culture being entrenched in Asian cultures. This is best exemplified in China whereby the government has taken swift action to curtail these trends of cultural infusion. The above phenomenon is epitomized whereby the Chinese government formulated and implemented stringent policies on the importation of cultural goods into the country. In addition, January, 3, 2012 saw the current Chinese president, Hu Jintao publishing an astounding essay in the popular magazine ‘Seeking the Truth’ where he robustly voiced his disapproval of the influence of the western elements mentioned above in shaping the ideological and cultural orientation which he perceived as a strategic plot to divide the Chinese people. Similar oppositions have been evident in other countries, for instance, television censorship and stringent anti-pornography laws in Indonesia which are aimed at curtailing the entry of western culture into the Indonesian society. Conclusion From the above discourse, it is evident that western culture has to a great extent influenced the popular cultures among Asian countries as exemplified in the analyzed cases of China, Japan and Indonesia whereby this interaction of the western elements and the Asian culture has been at three levels. However, there has been fierce opposition to these trends in different countries which is evidenced by the implemented laws as well as the criticism raised by diverse scholars. References Brace, T.L. (1992). Modernization and music in contemporary China:Crisis, identity, and the politics of style. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. Harding, C. (2008). The Influence of the ‘Decadent West’: Discourses of the mass media on the Youth Sexuality in Indonesia. Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, 18, Retrieved September 13, 2012, fromhttp://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue18/harding.htm Ho, S. (2006).Women in China: Interpreting the Influences. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.andover.edu/academics/bracecenterforgenderstudies/documents/women_in_china.pdf. Kashima, Y. & Gelfand, M. (2011). A History of Culture in Psychology. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.bsos.umd.edu/psyc/gelfand/KashimaGelfandHistory.pdf Li, E., et. al (2008). Skin Lightening and Beauty in Four Asian Cultures. Advances in Consumer Research, 35, 444-449. Miki, T. (1964). The influence of Western Culture on Japanese Art. Monumenta Nipponica, 19 (3/4), 380-401. Rusen, J. (2011).Basic Issues of Cultural Interaction:A European Perspective. Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia, 2, 5-14. Wang, T. (2007) Understand Chinese culture and learning. Proceedings of 2006 Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE ) Conference, 27- 30 November, 2006, Adelaide, Australia. Read More

This is whereby the Chinese women had traditionally been confined at the bottom of the societal echelons of power, mostly in accordance with the prevailing Confucian ideals mentioned above. Nonetheless, the reforms in the 1980s which mostly derived their influence from the western culture on gender equity played a key role in re-shaping the aspects of gender roles in the Chinese society more than ever before (Ho, 2006). In regard to music, the western musical aspects have influenced in the Chinese aspects in diverse ways, for instance, in terms of notes used, dance and instruments among other aspects.

Brace (1992) noted that profound aesthetic western philosophies, for instance Romanticism and Expressionism which were predominant in the 19th and 20th century has greatly influenced on the popular musical thought in China. Moreover, the Chinese people have increasingly embraced the musical instruments from the western countries like the Piano which were not predominant in the past Chinese music. On the other hand, some commentators have pointed out that the music composition process in China which was primarily founded on 5 notes has also been influenced by the western musical culture based on 7 notes.

In addition, the dancing styles from the west, mostly as developed by popular music icons have been incorporated in the Chinese dancing styles in the recent decades, mostly among the youths. The development of the Chinese political set-up has also not been divorced from the western influence. This is whereby leadership in the popular Chinese culture was based on an authoritarian approach. Until recently, China had been dominated by the socialist approach to governance, since the Chinese Communist Party took over political leadership in 1949.

Nonetheless, recent decades have seen a gradual shift from the basic ideals of socialism as underpinned in the Marxism and Maoism philosophies, mostly after the collapse of the USSR in 1992. In this regard, the Chinese government has embraced the ideals respect of individual freedoms, liberalization of the market and freedom of the media, most of which are embedded in the western political cultures. All the above tenets among others epitomize the extent to which the western culture has impacted on the popular culture in China.

Japan Just like China, the popular culture in Japan has also been greatly influenced by the western culture in different aspects. According to Li et. al (2008), the Tokugawa government in Japan was effective in closing down the country from the influence of western countries in 1639. This phenomenon continued until 1853 when Japan was obliged to open up its ports. In the subsequent years, there have been extensive efforts by members of the Japanese population to imitate the western clothing, appearance as well as hairstyles.

Some of the aspects of western influence on the Japanese culture are explored below. In regard to the dressing code, the members of the Japanese population had traditionally embraced a popular dressing code which entirely consisted of diverse variety of kimono, which had no gender distinction. This dressing code was thus chiefly embedded in the Japanese popular culture, and diverse dresses under this category were chosen for different occasions, for instance, wedding, funerals as well as religious rituals.

However, the epoch after 1853 above saw the diffusion of western clothing in the Japanese territory, with majority of men and women eager to emulate them, based on their presumed convenience and fashion. Today, the relevance of the kimono is slowly becoming eroded with most people preferring the western attires, which are extensively in everyday life while the traditional Japanese attire has been reserved for ceremonious purposes. In regard to religion, it is worth noting that the Japanese popular religious culture was previously founded on Sinbutsu Shugo, which is still practiced today among people in Japan.

In this regard, Shinto and Japanese Buddhism have been extensively embraced in recent times after the Shinto and Buddhism separation order of 1886 which marked the decline of Sinbutsu Shugo in the country.

Read More