Quote:Modernisation is different from Westernisation. It's not a matter of semantics. There is a difference. True, the issue gets somewhat sketchy when it comes to cultural matters... I readily admit there are grey areas, in fact, those grey areas are part of the problem. I'll get to that in a bit.
That is a matter of semantics. Can you define the difference or are they to remain Gloobleflargs here? For instance, is opening a Victoria Secret Modernization or Westernization?
But firstly ... on a most basic level, industralisation and technological advancement are part of modernisation. So is building up a country's economy. At least, that's the way I define it - I admit your milage may differ. But assuming that economic and technical infrastructure is part of modernisation...well, you can make advancements in that area without adopting Western ideas.
Mind...historically speaking, building up a country's economy and industrial base has gone hand in hand with adopting Western culture and practices. That's true, and there are many examples. The idea was that ... to become as successful as the West, we must become more like the West. In the 20th century...a lot of the early - call them first generation - modernisers from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East were educated and trained in the West. These are bright folks who went to college in Europe and the US, then came home to lead their countries. So a generation ago, most of the educated elites were people who studied overseas in the West. Today? There are a hell of a lot of good schools and universities in most countries, outside the West. Especially in the case of India and China. Most intellectual talent's being turned out within their borders - and these people think differently.
Increasingly, there's this idea that... a country can be strong and successful not because it is like the West, but because it is different from the West. Take the economic power of China or India, for instance. Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia have pretty strong economies as well. And none of these countries really run on Western capitalism. Sure, it's capitalism, but it's capitalism of a distinctly Asian flavour, with a lot less transparency and freedom in the market. Still works, and until the slump back in 1997, many argued that the Asian model was better than the Western one. Some still argue this today.
Japan is another example. It's almost universally considered a modern society, part of the developed world. But it isn't culturally Western, it's a very distinct civilisation of its own. So it's modern...without being Western. I'd say an increasing number of countries are heading in that general direction.
Historically? The Soviet Union and its various satellite states are actually another example. Communism was a way of becoming modern without being like the West. It failed, but the concept remains. And in the wake of the Cold War, we're seeing a greater resurgence of cultural identity among developed or developing nations outside the West.
True, distinguishing between 'Modernisation' and 'Westernisation' is difficult. In part, that's because the two things have been intertwined for so long. The whole issue of dress and fashion is part of that. I don't really consider myself Western, but right now? I'm typing this in English, and I'm wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Go figure. But then...I also know that back home, Chinese is becoming more popular - I've done a little bit in helping my mother set up a new Chinese Studies diploma course for her school, with links to universities in China.
Many countries want to become more modern, without becoming more Western. Are they likely to succeed? Difficult to say. But consider, many countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East...are becoming real economic powers, and gaining increasing clout, while successfully rebuffing Western attempts to make them play by the rules. What rules? Western ideals of human rights, for example.
We're talking about China's entry to the WTO, Turkey's efforts to join the EU... this stuff is happening. But these countries have terrible human rights records. But only by Western standards, as both countries would be quick to point out. And nobody's paying that a huge amount of attention.
I'm Singaporean, myself. Now...Singapore is America's 12th largest trading partner and America's second largest investor from Asia. Our human rights record is also ridiculous. We don't kill people - but we do have very real political prisoners, and we're only now starting to get freedom of speech. And even that freedom is viewed...merely as something to be tolerated, not promoted. Our democracy is a joke. From the Western perspective, at least.
Personally, it doesn't bother me much. I don't like it, but I understand it. Bugs a lot of people in the West, tho, especially when I try to explain why the Singaporean way of doing things is really quite reasonable.
That's the thing. You can have a modern, industralised, and very rich society...without it being Western, at the core. There might be a thin veneer of Western practices, but once you scratch below the surface, you'll find a national character that's very different.
Some would argue that the spread of capitalism and forces of globalisation will eventually result in a world culture. Perhaps. Or maybe it'll just make cultural differences deeper and more evident. In any case, even if every nation in the world becomes modern and developed, it doesn't mean they'll have anything in common. Consider, say, Feudal France and Feudal Japan. Similar technological level, maybe even some similar practices - but in the final estimate, still vastly different.
And if you believe Samuel P. Huntington and his "Clash of Civilizations" theory, different civilisations inevitably will clash, and struggle for dominance. Basic 'us' against 'them' thing, because people always define themselves against the 'other'. If we accept Huntington's thesis, then yes, Islam is a threat to the West - but not just because the religion promotes a hostile attitude, but simply because it is a competing civilisation. China's another competitor, so is India...
And likewise, the West is also a threat to all those countries and civilisations. Simply by existing, and asserting its dominance.
-- Acyl