Culture of Indian Civilization - Essay Example

The term culture refers to a of intellectual development or manners. The social and political forces that influence the growth of a human beingare defined as culture. It refers to the collective historical patterns, values, societal arrangements, manners, ideas, and ways of living that people have used to order their society. It is comprised of all those things we learn as part of growing up including language, religion, beliefs about economic and social relations, political organization and legitimacy, and the thousands of "Do's and Don'ts" society deems important that we know to become a functioning member of that group. With nearly 1 billion citizens, India is the second most populous nation in the world. It is impossible to speak of any one Indian culture; although there are deep cultural continuities that tie its people together .Few countries in the world have such an ancient and diverse culture as India's. Stretching back in an unbroken sweep over 5000 years, India's culture has been enriched by successive waves of migration which were absorbed into the Indian way of life. Its physical, religious and racial variety is as immense as its linguistic diversity. This diversity stems from the uniqueness of our vastly complex society is the end product of the eagerness of our ancestors to learn more and live better. Our values are an intricate infusion of principles from outsiders - be they traders, explorers or even colonists. Underneath this diversity lies the continuity of Indian civilization and social structure from the very earliest times until the present day. Modern India presents a picture of unity in diversity to which history provides no parallel. Ruben and Stewart opine that the psychological effects of "rapid social change" partially refers to the change in the rekation of feeling and lack of clarityabout what the rule actually is, owing to conflicts and contradictions between contending rules and between rules and feelings. Religion: In India, religion is a way of life. It is an integral part of the entire Indian tradition. For the majority of Indians, religion permeates every aspect of life, from common-place daily chores to education and politics. Secular India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other innumerable religious traditions. Each has its own pilgrimage sites, heroes, legends and even culinary specialties, mingling in a unique diversity that is the very pulse of society. Hinduism is the dominant faith, practiced by over 80% of the population. Each faith- in family and marketplace, brings with it different implications for emotional management. Each is also under guided by the mistaken assumption that family and markets are separate cultural spheres (Hoschild). Language: India's official language is Hindi in the Devnagri script. However, English is the major language of trade and politics, but there are fourteen official languages in all. There are twenty-four languages that are spoken by a million people or more, and countless other dialects. India has seven major religions and many minor ones, six main ethnic groups, and countless holidays. Some Indian languages have evolved from the Indo-European group of languages and these were the languages of the Aryans who invaded India. This set is known as the Indic group of languages. The other set of languages are Dravidian and are native to South India, though a distinct influence of Sanskrit and Hindi is evident in these languages. Attire: one of the powerful attractions in India is the colorful and diversified attire of its people. The silk saris, brightly mirrored cholis, colorful lehangas and the traditional salwar-kameez have fascinated many a outsider over the centuries. The sari is a supremely graceful attire can also be worn in several ways and its manner of wearing as well as its color and texture are indicative of the status, age, occupation, region and religion of a woman. Though the majority of Indian women wear traditional costumes, the men in India can be found in more conventional western clothing.. However, men in villages are still more comfortable in traditional attire like kurtas, lungis, dhotis and pyjamas. Food: The food available in India is as diverse as its culture, its racial structure, its geography and its climate. The essence of good Indian cooking revolves around the appropriate use of aromatic spices. Besides spices, the other main ingredients of Indian cooking and Indian meals are milk products like ghee (used as a cooking medium) and curd or dahi. The Portuguese, the Persians and the British made important contributions to the Indian culinary scene. Tea or chai the favorite drink of most Indians was introduced to India by the British. Traditions and customs: manners and way of communicating with one another, etc are one of the important components of Indian culture. Even though modern means of living are largely accepted, inherent values and beliefs still remain unchanged. Indian culture treats guests as god and serves them and takes care of them as if they are a part and parcel of the family itself. The mildness of Indians has continued till date, despite the aggressiveness of the Muslim conquerors and the reforming zeal of the British, the Portuguese and the Dutch. The Indians are noted for their humanness and calm nature without any harshness in their principles and ideals. Workers are often urged to identify with their clients in a kinship idiom, treating them "just like family," which in business-speak means avoiding the frankness, arguments, and emotional intensity that characterize most real families (Hoschild 1985). India is a conglomeration of men and women of various castes and creed. It is a fusion of old traditional values and the modern principles, thus satisfying all the three generations in the present India. The Indian Social System is mostly based on the Joint family System, but for some of the recently cropped nuclear families. The families are closely knit with Grandfathers, fathers, sons and grandsons sharing the same spirit, tradition and property. Most communities in India are patriarchal in nature with a few exceptions like the Khasi tribe from the north east states. The nature of the society closely fits into Hoschilds theory of "Commodity Frontier". With increased amount of outsourcing from families, there has been a shift from an artisanal family to a post production family and this shift has brought along monetization and even impersonalisation of personal tasks, especially those performed by women. Although liberation of women has come a long way, it still has a long way to go. In rural settings, females are not encouraged to work, venture out or make their own decisions and are even denied the right to primary education. Female infanticide, although condemned by law is still practices among some sects. In the last few years, the numbers of working women have gone up dramatically. The fact that women are working outside the home, has barely affected men's share of the family work (Hoschild, 1989; Thompson and Walker, 1989) Women have fewer options than men for achievement and find them selves at the mercy of their social circumstances. These views are mirrored by sociologists like David Reisman (The lonely crowd), William Whyte (The organization Man ) and Arnie Hoschild (The Managed Heart) Hoschild opines that in order to start a gender revolution, we need a "light" culture that gives women cultural room to move around, but in order to complete that revolution , we need to draw on the "heavier" culture of which social support is made. Ethnicity: India's one billion people have descended from a variety of races. The oldest ones are the Negroid aboriginals called the Adivasis or First settlers. Then there are the Dravidians, The Aryans, the Mongols, The Semites and innumerable inter-mixtures of one with the other. Read More