In the age of globalization, it seems that materialism and competitive nature of the West knows no bounds. The working population in rural China has even abandoned centuries of reverence for their elders in hopes of striking it rich in the allusive cities.
Over the next few weeks, I will blog about articles and books concerning the work ethic and values of different generations in two cultures.
I find the influence of the West on Eastern cultures very fascinating; what makes the lure of the sophisticated West so appealing? I want to understand how children from two cultures view their parents and work/school, and vice versa. How do ethnic values and practices shape one's work ethic? What happens to a recent immigrant who is absorbing values from their heritage as well as from their new society? Will they absorb values from both societies and develop a melting-pot outlook on life?
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ReplyDeleteI think your idea about a "melting-pot outlook" is really intriguing. When focusing on America as a whole, I would think that Americans' view on ethics, attitudes, and everything in-between has crossed all lines and blended into this "melting pot." America is so diverse in so many ways; it seems almost contradictory that so many factions could unite to form a solid "Western" or "American" culture. What age groups, genders, or aspects of our culture would you particularly wish to research? I feel as though this concentration could be taken in so many directions... It's truly an engaging topic.
ReplyDeleteI had also originally planned to focus on the different attitudes on age and aging in the east and west. I had hoped to research why the west places such a high premium on youth while the east seems to revere age and experience more. I then wanted to see how these differing values manifest in eastern versus western culture, spending habits, economic development, etc. When I took to Google to see what info I could cull together, however, I kept coming upon articles with headlines like "China spending more money than ever on plastic surgery". It made me realize how much the west's value of youth has permeated into eastern culture. As you mentioned above, I think it could be very interesting to focus on what ways the west has influenced the east, and what has remained distinct between the two cultures, while focusing on why certain ideas and values have taken hold and others have not. I'd be excited to see what you come up with...
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered how and why Eastern cultures are trying to emulate the West! If anything, I really think we should be trying on Eastern culture - it might cool us down some.
ReplyDeleteWhat is kind of weird, though, is that I'm sure the West has been influenced by Eastern culture as well. How do you know which parts of a culture are borrowed from another? What makes Western culture distinct from Eastern and where do you draw the line? Just some topicality.
I'd definitely be interested in first-hand accounts of this phenomenon since we have a lot in common with this topic. I'm really excited for your topic Cheryl!