Tribal Cultures, Colonialism & Orientalism Essay

January 20, 2022 by Essay Writer

The role of tradition and culture in contemporary society has been the subject of extensive academic scrutiny. Scholars have consistently emphasized cultural importance as a pervasive theme of modern life. There have been controversies and debates over “Asian values” concerning the region’s political discourse.

This was after the Senior Minister of Singapore Lee Yuan Yew opposed the stand of the Eurocentric universalistic. It had demonstrated that the democratic undertakings in the Western version are ideal and practical to the rest of the world. However, probably no absolute Asian can represent the cultural values of all Asians. Although Asian intellectuals may perceive it as awkward and barbaric, preservation of ethnic cultural traditions will be beneficial to the ethnic groups in the long term.

Culture preservation enhances mental strength and Asians will find joy in life in familiar landscapes. Asians should recognize the value of the culture to their future generation. Indeed, the cultural values of Asians poise a sense of identity. The community will gain personality and character of its own.

As culture is shared among the inhabitants of the region, preserving it will involve passing it to the new generation. Effective transfer of culture involves the use of symbols when translating. The common symbols used in Asia include art, religion, and language.

Culture bonds individuals in the society. Preservation of the culture will enhance unification in Asian traditions. The traditions and customs of the Asian community include celebration of annual festivals, designing a unique clothing, eating food, and the imminent cultural values.

These cultural practices have unified the community, and they have experienced a peaceful co-existence in the region. In addition, preservation of Asian culture will impose a sense of social control in which the Asians will be able to shape their behavior and standards. These cultural values are the base for an individual principle in life.

In the ancient times, orientalism was used to describe the attitudes of Europeans toward Asian societies. However, orientalism can also be seen on the way Asians view themselves. This accounts for tendencies to self-orientalization that would become an integral part of the history of orientalism.

This phenomenon is still a factor in the current society. Ideally, ‘Orientalising’ of Asian cultures closely reflects the broader paradigm that is characterized by seductiveness, immorality, and immaturity among others. In essence, orientalism has demonized the Asian culture by depicting it as primitive, immature, irrational, subjective, and backward. On the other hand, it portrays Western laws as modern and advanced, developed, rational, and objective. This is the ideal situation in the current society.

Orientalism affects an individual travel fantasies and the preservation of ethnic culture amongst the Asians. The need to be civilized and modernized in the society will mean that the ethnic culture of the Asians become extinct as it is replaced with the westernized culture. Tourists’ travels to Asia learn about their cultures. In addition, where they would have resort to westernization cultures, the tourist’s travel fantasies would have been impeded.

As such, it will cause a negative impact on the economy of Asia. Though not much success was achieved in spreading the colonial socio-culture, education policies that were accompanied by the westernized culture opened the minds of the youth to political ideas in the West. Indeed, preservation of the community’s culture will enhance tourism, and provide uniqueness in the societal activities. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve it.

Read more