Sustainable development... the wave for the future... what it is, and how to get there...
Sustainable development means providing opportunity for simultaneous and continuous economic, environmental and cultural development over generations.
while consumer spending is good, too much credit purchase may not be the best thing, especially without much in savings!!! irresponsibility seems to be on the rise, and that seems to be the cultural divide between generations... is this modernization or westernization in the name of modernization??? confused priorities and confused value systems... certainly causing a confused culture... is this the lost generation of india???
The main points in the article as I understand and analyze it:
1. The Rise of Consumerism
The explosive growth of IT/ITeS/BPO sector for the last decade and half has brought in immense wealth in the country. This coupled with the exposure to the 'modern thought' from the mid 90's has led to material possessions becoming the index to measure prosperity. Thus the propensity to spend their way towards increasing their social standing. This leads to the second point on the changing cultural and social norms and values.
2. Changing Social and Cultural attitudes
As stated earlier, the increase in disposable incomes has led us - the current generation - to spend more unlike our parents. The easy availability of credit, on the spot personal cash loans and buy today,pay tomorrow schemes have led to impulsive spending. Unlike paying hard cash or writing a cheque, it is very easy and 'painless' to swipe your credit card. Given that banks are falling over themselves to offer credit to just about every Tom, Dick and Harry is only accelerating this phenomenon. Credit limit rather than savings account balance is becoming the indicator of one's status.
This is pretty much the same as previous poster commented on.
My point is the role of the media, primarily English Language Media (ELM), in propagating this idea of 'modernization == westernization'. A cursory look at any print or electronic source is enough to get the picture - shopping in one of the umpteen malls sprouting all over the place, hanging out at coffee shops/bars/lounges, wearing branded clothes and accessories, eating out in restaurants, serial dating and casual hookups etc are the primary, if not the only, way to 'enjoy' life. This is not surprising, given that most of these ELM are funded/backed by large business groups and FI's. The need for a captive market for their products and ideas has led to 'condition' the masses through media on the ways of 'living and enjoying' life to the fullest. Thus 'conditioning' tells us that the social and cultural values and norms of our parent's generation held them back from 'enjoying' life and that we should not repeat their 'mistakes' and become 'modern', 'cultured' and civilized'.
My question to these jokers - Who decided that Western culture is indeed 'modern' and 'civilized' or that it is the only one to be so? Why does our way of life have to be benchmarked and evaluated against the Western way of life? I worry that all this 'conditioning' is going to create a generation of drifters - 'modern' people lacking a distinct and unique identity, with no mooring in any particular value system and pretty loose moral values. Interesting times lie ahead...
2 comments:
while consumer spending is good, too much credit purchase may not be the best thing, especially without much in savings!!! irresponsibility seems to be on the rise, and that seems to be the cultural divide between generations... is this modernization or westernization in the name of modernization???
confused priorities and confused value systems... certainly causing a confused culture... is this the lost generation of india???
The main points in the article as I understand and analyze it:
1. The Rise of Consumerism
The explosive growth of IT/ITeS/BPO sector for the last decade and half has brought in immense wealth in the country. This coupled with the exposure to the 'modern thought' from the mid 90's has led to material possessions becoming the index to measure prosperity. Thus the propensity to spend their way towards increasing their social standing. This leads to the second point on the changing cultural and social norms and values.
2. Changing Social and Cultural attitudes
As stated earlier, the increase in disposable incomes has led us - the current generation - to spend more unlike our parents. The easy availability of credit, on the spot personal cash loans and buy today,pay tomorrow schemes have led to impulsive spending. Unlike paying hard cash or writing a cheque, it is very easy and 'painless' to swipe your credit card. Given that banks are falling over themselves to offer credit to just about every Tom, Dick and Harry is only accelerating this phenomenon. Credit limit rather than savings account balance is becoming the indicator of one's status.
This is pretty much the same as previous poster commented on.
My point is the role of the media, primarily English Language Media (ELM), in propagating this idea of 'modernization == westernization'. A cursory look at any print or electronic source is enough to get the picture - shopping in one of the umpteen malls sprouting all over the place, hanging out at coffee shops/bars/lounges, wearing branded clothes and accessories, eating out in restaurants, serial dating and casual hookups etc are the primary, if not the only, way to 'enjoy' life. This is not surprising, given that most of these ELM are funded/backed by large business groups and FI's. The need for a captive market for their products and ideas has led to 'condition' the masses through media on the ways of 'living and enjoying' life to the fullest.
Thus 'conditioning' tells us that the social and cultural values and norms of our parent's generation held them back from 'enjoying' life and that we should not repeat their 'mistakes' and become 'modern', 'cultured' and civilized'.
My question to these jokers - Who decided that Western culture is indeed 'modern' and 'civilized' or that it is the only one to be so? Why does our way of life have to be benchmarked and evaluated against the Western way of life?
I worry that all this 'conditioning' is going to create a generation of drifters - 'modern' people lacking a distinct and unique identity, with no mooring in any particular value system and pretty loose moral values.
Interesting times lie ahead...
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