Topics in cultural studies - Essay Example

This was especially evident in the strong resistance that missionaries had to face, as well as the general attitude that greatly condemned adapting to the western religion or culture significantly. The reason for this might perhaps be that India and China were far more developed than Africa. They had stronger roots within their own society and they had a strong sense of identity and development, both cultural and otherwise. Africa on the other hand was relatively more primitive than these countries and there were also fewer people.

Furthermore, Africa experienced a considerable amount of syncretism owing to the interconnections and interactions that arose during the slave trade movement (Curto & Soulodre-La France, 2005). That's why when the encountered western culture, they were far more ready to adopt it, and had far fewer reasons to resist it. India and China had their own cultures and religions and they had developed them over hundreds of years, and so they did not take to adapting to foreign cultures that easily. What legacies have the differences in types of encounters and degrees of cultural change left today?

The effects of the different sort of reactions syncretism faced in Africa and China and India have left a significant impact on them even today. China and India are both highly integrated nations, because they have a strong sense of self-identity and a unique cultural integrity, on which they can build their basis of individuality and take their stand of independence on. Neither is easily influenced by outside factors, and each has a distinct sense of common identity among its people, giving rise to a sense of unity and oneness of thinking, evident in the harmony the people of each country have with each other.

Africa on the other hand doesn't seem to have such a strong sense of self-identity and legacy. Although on a very small scale, various communities have managed to retain a unique cultural identity, by and large, African culture has adapted various elements of American syncretism particularly in terms of religious dominance. This is also true when viewed inversely, that is African syncretism in America, as African culture has also left a significant impact on American culture, but when viewing Africa itself, it seems fairly evident that Africa considerably lost its own unique sense of identity when undertaking American influence.

Of course now that Africa is again regaining some sense of identity, this unique sense of culture also seems to be returning, with the Africans referring to their own ancient uniqueness more and more, but the religious dominance and syncretism is still evident and has left its on mark on African culture (Greenfield, Droogers & Droogers, 2001) by breaking the strong foundation that a region's cultural identity provides it, which can be observed in culturally strong nations such as India and China.

Had syncretism not occurred in the Americas, how might modern culture be different? North America has experienced more syncretism than perhaps any other prominent society of the modern day era. This is in terms of religion as well as culture syncretism. When colonists from all over the world arrived in America, they laid down their roots and foundations, each setting up