Lec 4- Understanding Culture and Cultural Changes in India

8/6/2019 Lec 4- Understanding Culture and Cultural Changes in India

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R. S . Khare


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Anthropology :

Anthropology : T he study of huma nkind, in particular T he comparative study of huma n societies a nd cultures a nd their

developme nt

Culture

Culture T he customs, arts, social i nstitutio ns, a nd achieveme nts of aparticular natio n, people, or other social group


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Co ntemporary India n CultureCo ntemporary India n Culture

Diversity Social Texture Ope nn ess

Understa nding of people a nd cultureUndersta nding of people a nd culture

as they are Imperfect, conflicted and social reality

Anthropology Anthropology

Ordered Certai n R eality


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` F inding near a nd familiar also u nfamiliar ` we do not k now who to believe a nd eve n our ow n

childre n look so u nfamiliar` Selfish competitio n a nd co nflict for same practical

goals` The other more defi ned social a nd psychological

walls multiply` Co nflicts


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Imperfect, co nflicteda nd co n tested social

reality

Co nflicts Inclusive forces- havelear n t to adapt or ig nore thethreate n ing forces-peoplespractical cultural se nsibility


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` Not beyo nd all historical strife or mysteriouslylimitless

` A sociological F act-evide nt in peoples me ntal a nd

pragmatic dispositio n` India ns ability to live with a nd without Gramsci,

F oucault a nd Habermas` As become e nta ngled i n involuted other ness

Cultural Resilience of Ordinary IndianMasses


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` Samay or Vaqt ( Social Circumsta nces)

` Desh ( Loaclaity,-regio n-natio n)

` Sarkar (Gover nme nts or people i n power)

Th e Cultural Framework: PracticalTemplates


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` Ability to e nta ngle a nd dise nta ngle oursleves fromthese

` Practical R easo ning` Competitive Actio n


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` Limitless complexity` India is a battle grou nd of refutatio n a nd re jectio n

of assumed traditio nal regularities` F luid Social Co nditions` Must be socially respo nsible` Anthropological study becomes local at some

poi nt


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Moral Issues : Kinship, Caste,

lineage

Karma i n co nflicted time

Ap na ucha nichaaap dekh na

Ap na ap na parayaparaya

Perso nal Effort a nd Achieveme nt

Ap ne pairo n par khara ho na

Ap na ghar ba na na


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Importa nt to createmulti level a ndmulti vocal social

picture

Comparative issuebased eth nographyof everyday cultural

reaso ning


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` Untimely, u nfair, wro ng a nd inappropriate socialdecisio ns have a social cost for all

` Long sta nding diverse cultural dilemmas,unresolved social co nflicts, co ntradictio ns a ndpractical struggles


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Kamala Ga nesh


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` Globalizatio n: Blurring of borders

` Multiculturalism i n India due to i nter natio nalmigratio ns

` Co ncept of India nn ess : Colo nial, Natio nalist a ndpost i ndepe nde nce


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` Two axes approach of India n Culture

` F irst Axis : Idealized notio n of India n Culture v /s

Hybridized notio n of India n culture that i nculcatesdiversity

` Seco nd Axis : Analysis of the both notio ns

Traditio nal v /s Hybridizatio n


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` Indology : Anthropology of India n Culture

` Authe nticity of traditio ns : India nn ess v /s Moder nity

` R eco nstructi ng the past : Effect of Colo nailism

` Battle for Categories


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Y Singh


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` Culture ema nates from u nity of ma nkind in nature` Gives mea ning to our relatio nship with others,

forms our sub jective ide ntity

` Has large measures of resilie nce, u ndergoesselective adaptatio ns to outside cultural forcesthrough its core acti ng as filter

` Each mai nstream culture has sub-cultures a nd

cou nter-cultures


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` Sociologists studied culture si nce the begi nn ing of sociology i n India correspo nding to the British rulea nd rise of natio nal moveme nt

` Trauma of colo nial experie nce i nspired them toundertake critical appraisal of i ndige nous culturea nd co nscious about stro ng poi nts of wester n culture


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` Lifestyle a nd leisure-time activities have cha nged` Increased regio nal migratio n resulti ng in mixing of

cultural traits

` Eth nic a nd regio nal self-co nscious ness or ide ntityof castes, tribes a nd mi norities or other regio nalgroups is o n rise

` Ma ny integrative cultural processes withi n society

which co ntribute to growth of holisticco nscious ness are also prevale nt


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` Peoples of India (Po I) ide ntified 9 1 cultural regio nsa nd 4635 commu nities which belies image of "other worldly asceticism

` Emergi ng co nsumer patter n indicates cultural

resilie nce (mai nly by risi ng middle class) of past a ndprese nt aspects of our traditio n, a nd also susceptibilityof gross a nd u nmindful co nsumerism (upward mobilesubsectio n)

` Middle Class e nsures product a nd marketdiversificatio n necessary for rapid eco nomic growth,discourage mi ndless co nsumerism, proclivity towardssavi ngs


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` Integrative cha nges also - sig nificantcommo nalities withi n macro-regio ns, irrespectiveof religio n, caste a nd tribe

` Phe nome nal growth i n bilingualism - 9 .7% in 1 96 1 to 1 3 .4% in 1 97 1; curre ntly estimated 64 .2% as aresult of cultural i nteractio ns


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` Ma jor occupatio nal a nd tech no-cultural cha ngeshave take n place i n our society due to social,political a nd eco nomic cha nges

` Promoted li nkages a nd interactio ns amo ng castes,tribes a nd religious a nd cultural groups` Led to the process of cultural i ntegratio n on

natio nal scale with simulta neous i ncrease i n

search of cultural auto nomy


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` Castes, tribes, family i nstitutio ns a nd religio nshave richly co ntributed to growth i n agriculturala nd industrial e ntrepre neurship, a nd moder n

system of professio n, educatio n, tech nology a ndscie nces` Oral traditio ns of folk culture also rei nforces the

roots of cultural pluralism a nd preservatio n of local

cultural ide ntities` Cultural challe nges as we e nter i ndustrial phase of

capitalist developme nt


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` Massive e ntry of mass-media, u niversalisatio n of commu nicatio n, etc are bri nging about i nformatio n-e ntertai nme nt revolutio n - may te nd to co nvert cultureinto commodity

` It may usher culture i nto u nfamiliar domai n of cut-throat competitio n with market-ethos

` As of now, family, caste, tribe or neighbourhood, areable to throw up resista nce ; long exposure of middleclass to Euro-America n culture thru co ntinued use of English, adds additio nal resilie nce


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` In the words of Japa nese social a nthropologist,Chie Naka ne, " If there is a meeti ng place of Easta nd West, it is India"

`

Cultural policy to protect culture assumessig nificance` should be reflected i n the policy of eco nomic

liberalizatio n or globalizatio n


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` Globalizatio n ca n be defi ned as the removi ng of bordersa nd barriers to facilitate easy excha nge of ideas,resources a nd k nowledge betwee n cou ntries .

` In social structural terms, globalizatio n is a historicalprocess of tra nsitio n from the agraria n-industrial, post-industrial a nd finally the stage of the i nformatio n society .


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` Impact of Caste System

` Language The basis of Culture . Accordi ng to dataprovided by NSS, 325 la nguages are spoke n by about4325 commu nities i n India .

` Culture is what people eat, how they dress, beliefs theyhold, a nd activities they practice . Globalizatio n has joined differe nt cultures a nd made them i nto somethi ngdiffere nt.

` Whe n cultures receive outside i nflue nces, they ig noresome a nd adopt others, a nd the n almost immediatelystart to tra nsform themselves .


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` The li nk betwee n caste or commu nity a nd the hereditaryoccupatio n is fast disappeari ng .

` Impact o n religio n in India .

` Society has become more ope n as compared to itsearlier co nservative look due to exposure to other cultures .

` Hi, Hello is increasi ng bei ng used to greet peopleintead of Namaskar a nd Namaste .


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` Nuclear families are emergi ng .

` Divorce rates are risi ng day by day .

` Increase i n smoki ng & dri nking .

` Wester nizatio n of dressi ng style of people

` America n festivals like Vale ntines day, F riendship dayetc . , are celebrated across India .

` Me n a nd wome n are gai ning equal status i n society .


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It is reflected i n the adva nces of tech nology of commu nicatio n

Individuals are offered e normous amou nt of choices

It plays a strategic part i n the process of social , eco nomica nd tech nological developme nt


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How do the local cultures respo nd to the challe nges a ndexposures to new cultural values a nd style of life?

Its a two way co nn ectio n .It also exte nds the reach of local cultures to the exter nal world .

Adva nces i n mass commu nicatio n helps them mai ntain

their cultural ide ntity


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Migratio n in a nd out both is e ncouraged

Most of the India n outmigra nts co ntinue to

mai ntai n their traditio nal ways of life a nd customs

Cultural tourism is gai ning mome ntum

It does pose a problem of cultural i ntrusio n


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R ole of state becomes crucial

Norms a nd policies have bee n formed to assist weaker sectio ns to prosper

Tribal policies of gover nme nt is there to protect their

rights a nd safeguard their cultural ide ntity


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Cultural pluralism a nd protectio n of the Local cultures-Institutio nal mecha nism a nd Political Morality

State not so successful i n impleme nting what was proposed

People with mo ney a nd power have bee n influe ncing thestate acquiri ng la nd belo nging to tribes , u nlawfully

This resulted i n widespread rese ntme nt in ma ny parts of thecou ntry

Ulfa, naxalites,etc


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Countries not too keen on globalizationMalaysia, Indo nesia,Veit nam, Chi na ,South Korea ,Arabia n Cou ntries .

Prof . Hu ntingto ns of Harvard U niversity published a n article i n 1 993deduci ng a n outcome of globalizatio n .


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S umming up: Globalizatio n is still at its nasce nt phase.The traditio nal commu nity ethos of the village has bee n eroded by politicizatio n of people but the ties of caste,family, religio n a nd rituals remai n stro ng .


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W h y S tudy all t h is ? Business Impact


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Prese nted By : 1 ) Akshat Kumar 2) Debasish Khargharia3) Kumar Gautam4) Piyush Saraogi5) Satyarth Jaiswal6) Vaibhav Ba nsal


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Lec 4- Understanding Culture and Cultural Changes in India

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