Understand India’s Cultural
Strengths
As Indians, one of our greatest strength is our
culture. Many of the educated people tend to either ignore it as irrelevant in
the modern context or dismiss it as a burden of the past. Hence much of the
thought process of our elite and the establishment continues to be dominated by
the alien mindset.
Visionaries such as Swami Vivekananda emphasized the
role of culture in the Indian lives. Several intellectuals from across the
world have been insisting on the relevance of Indian culture, not just for the future of our nation, but for
the entire world. The well-known British Orientalist Sir John Woodroffe noted
about a century earlier: “The question
of the value of Indian culture is not merely an academic one. It has present
bearing on the future of India and the world.”
In spite of the good counsels, we have failed to understand the significance of
culture in our lives. In this
connection, the modern education plays a critical role to create contempt for
the traditional strengths of India. But the contemporary developments at the
global level have made the experts from the western world to recognize and understand
the role of culture in different national contexts.
For every human being, the families and the societies
around him/her are the two basic institutions of life. They play the most crucial
roles in shaping the lives of people. In the case of both the institutions, culture
has a larger influence than the other factors.
The purpose of human birth is to lead a useful life.
Peace of mind at the family and social levels is required for everyone to lead productive
lives. Peace is largely the product of culture. Families and societies strive to develop themselves
materially and otherwise. They take the required steps consciously and work
hard to achieve their aims.
The role of culture in the human lives is important.
It plays a major role in shaping their thoughts, behavior, world views,
approaches and functioning. It has a huge impact on the families, societies and
the nation as well.
After subjugating the local systems in different parts
of the world, the thoughts and practices of the Europeans came to dominate the
rest of the world during the earlier centuries. The writings of their
sociologists and economists began to define the social and economic studies of
the rest of the world as well. As a result the local cultures of different
nations remained out of purview and viewed as a hindrance.
The subsequent developments clearly proved that the
western systems and approaches have serious limitations. Different countries in
the world have unique systems of their own. One of the major reasons for such
uniqueness is the cultural dimensions of different societies. The impact of cultural factors from the
individual to the national levels is very significant. The way one thinks and
behaves at the individual level impacts not just the family but also the
society and the nation.
Recently a British diplomat highlighted the difference
between the Indians and the westerners, in the context of education of children.
It reveals the role of culture in shaping the approaches and lifestyles of
people living in different countries. To quote his speech: “I would not
sacrifice buying a car to educate my child but an Indian would do so. Such is
the parental care and affection in building the future of the child. …. Family
is everything here. While Indians earn and save money for their family,
westerners hardly do so.”
These words show as to how Indians regard their family
and children above everything else in this world. This is in stark contrast to
their western counterparts. The foreign official is further reported to have
noted that “parental affection is the key element of education in India and
this is the only country where fathers dedicate their entire life for their
children.” (The New Indian Express)
A very wrong notion seems to prevail that cultural
influences revolve around the household and religious
matters only. In reality however, they play a bigger role in various aspects
concerning all the activities of human life. But their importance in the
functioning of societies, business, management and economy are being realized only
slowly.
Studies reveal their deep influence even in fields
such as modern business and corporate organizations. Pioneering studies
undertaken by the Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede and his team for over more
than four decades in different countries reveal that culture at the national
and regional levels play a major role in influencing the behavior and approach
of employees in organizations.
The following table shows as to how two major human
attributes namely individualism and long term orientation vary among the Indians,
Americans and the British. The scores used by Hofstede and team are presented
to explain the significance of culture on these attributes in these countries.
Organizational
Culture in India, US and UK -Scores
|
|
Individualism
|
Long term orientation
|
|
India
|
48
|
61
|
|
US
|
91
|
29
|
|
UK
|
89
|
25
|
Individualism indicates the degree of interdependence
among the members in the society. The scores show that the people of the United
States are highly individualistic. Individualistic tendencies are very high in
countries such as the US and the UK, while it is less India due to the family
base and society orientation.
India scores high in long term orientation as Indians have
a futuristic view of life. But the western countries such as the US and the UK
are short term oriented. The studies
reveal as to how the attitudes of citizens get reflected in the functioning of
the organizations.
Hence the role of culture is much higher than what we
generally assume. It enables shaping the
behavior and approaches of people at different levels of life. The functioning
and progress of organizations, societies and the economies are influenced by
factors related to culture.
The superior culture of India enabled her to progress and
perform well since the ancient times. It is said that whenever India was
culturally strong, the society was functioning better and the economy showed a higher
performance. Studies prove that India’s recent performance at the economic and
social levels have been due to her inherent cultural strengths.
Hence we have to realize the importance of culture in
India and her functioning systems. After
studying the history of different civilizations across the world, the noted
American philosopher Will Durant underlined the basic nature of the Indian approach
in the following words: “India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of
mature mind, understanding spirit and a unifying, pacifying love for all human
beings.”
The higher qualities of India and her cultural
backgrounds have always made experts from different parts of world to look to
our nation for guidance. In the current context of globalization there has been
a renewed expectation for the emergence of India and her role at the global
level. While welcoming the rise of India, the management expert Jean-Pierre
Lehmann notes: “Perhaps the most encouraging development in this early 21st
century is the emergence of India as an increasingly global force,
economically, politically and culturally.”
Such expectations from scholars belonging to diverse
fields over different time periods are due to the superior nature of Indian
culture. It is not just a guiding philosophy for the higher spiritual aspects
of life; it has a huge impact on the functioning of families, societies,
economies and other aspects connected to the lives of people.
Rebuilding India requires a proper understanding of
the time-tested culture of our country and its impact on various aspects of
life. One cannot expect the desired results when plans are made without realizing
the underlying strengths of this ancient
nation.
References:
John Woodroffe, Is
India Civilized: Essays on Indian Culture, Ganesh and Co., Madras, 1922
Geert Hofstede and others, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Third Edition,
2010
Mike Nithavrianakis quoted in “British Diplomat All
Praise for Indian Parents”, The New
Indian Express, Coimbatore, 15 June, 2013
Will Durant, The
Case for India, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1930
Jean-Pierre Lehmann, “The Dangers of Monotheism in the
Age of Globalization”, The Globalist,
March 30, 2006
( Yuva Bharati,
Oct 2013)
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