Westernisation is often just about adoption of western attire and life style. Are there other aspects to being westernised? Or is that about modernisation? Discuss.
According to M N Srinivas, westernisation is the changes brought in Indian society and culture as a result of British rule of more than 150 years. It includes the changes at different levels in technology, institution, ideology and values.
Westernisation was of different kinds
a) Emergence of westernised subcultural pattern
b) A small sector of India came into contact with western culture at first and not only adopted its cognitive patterns but also supported its expansion.
c) The characteristics of western culture have also been general spread and the people started using new technology, dressing style, food habits, etc.
d) However there were some people who imitated the western culture but could not develop the westernise thought. So it does not mean that the people also adopted the modern values of democracy and equality.
e) The westernisation among middle class created generation gap and made it more complex.
Modernisation is about improvement in technology and production process it is a wider than westernization.
Therefore, most of the time westernisation is just about adoption of western attire and life style and not about western thoughts or about modernisation.