Westernization Process and Influence:
– Definition: Adoption of Western culture in various aspects such as industry, technology, education, and politics.
– Spread: Traces roots back to Ancient Greece and Roman Empire, with a growing influence globally in recent centuries.
– Notable Examples:
– Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cape Verde, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Israel: Examples of countries influenced by Westernization through various historical and cultural ties.
– Japan, South Korea, Taiwan: Geographically in East Asia but have adopted Western democratic forms of government and free-market economic systems.
– Impact on Countries in the Americas: Descended from Europeans, operate in a highly Westernized way with strong economic ties to Western nations.
Westernization in Specific Countries:
– Lebanon: Most Westernized country in the Arab world with a historical French mandate and strong ties to Western culture.
– Philippines: Heavy influences of European and American cultures with a significant Christian population.
– Thailand: Influenced by Western modernization without direct colonization, strong ties to the United States.
– Turkey: Considered one of the most Westernized Turkic countries with economic systems similar to the West and aspirations for European Union membership.
– Vietnam: Influence of French rule and Catholicism, a member of the Organization of la Francophonie.
Historical Context of Westernization:
– Colonization and Europeanization (1400s–1970s): Spread of Western culture through colonization, examples from Asia and attempts at Westernization in countries like Afghanistan and Iran.
– Process: Europeanization and colonialism spread gradually from the 1400s onward, with decolonization post-World War II leading to autonomy for most colonies.
– Globalization (1970s–present): Westernization as part of the ongoing globalization process, with influences on economic and political democratization.
Consequences and Linguistic Influence of Westernization:
– Consequences: Impact of Westernization on the cultural, ethnic, and linguistic landscapes, including demographic changes in settler colonies and marginalization of indigenous populations.
– Linguistic Influence: Dominance of Indo-European languages due to colonization, risk of extinction for many indigenous languages, and preservation efforts in some regions.
Social and Cultural Aspects of Westernization:
– Sports Importance: Role of sports in spreading Westernization, cultural imperialism through Western sports, and the influence of sports on values and culture.
– Impact of Social Media: Role of social media in Westernization, political motives underlying resistance to Westernization in some countries, and the spread of Western ideals through platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
– Comparison with Globalization: Debate on Westernization as a form of globalization, examples of Westernization in democracy, fast food, and pop culture, and the influence of Westernization in various spheres including food and social media.
Westernization (or Westernisation, see spelling differences), also Europeanisation or occidentalization (from the Occident), is a process whereby societies come under or adopt what is considered to be Western culture, in areas such as industry, technology, science, education, politics, economics, lifestyle, law, norms, mores, customs, traditions, values, mentality, perceptions, diet, clothing, language, writing system, religion, and philosophy. During colonialism it often involved the spread of Christianity.
Westernization has been a growing influence across the world in the last few centuries, with some thinkers assuming Westernization to be the equivalent of modernization, a way of thought that is often debated. The overall process of Westernization is often two-sided in that Western influences and interests themselves are joined with parts of the affected society, at minimum, to become a more Westernized society, with the putative goal of attaining a Western life or some aspects of it, while Western societies are themselves affected by this process and interaction with non-Western groups.
Westernization traces its roots back to Ancient Greece.[citation needed] Later, the Roman Empire took on the first process of Westernization as it was heavily influenced by Greece and created a new culture based on the principles and values of the Ancient Greek society. The Romans emerged with a culture that grew into a new Western identity based on the Greco-Roman society.
Westernization can also be compared to acculturation and enculturation. Acculturation is "the process of cultural and psychological change that takes place as a result of contact between cultural groups and their individual members." After contact, changes in cultural patterns are evident within one or both cultures. Specific to Westernization and the non-Western culture, foreign societies tend to adopt changes in their social systems relative to Western ideology, lifestyle, and physical appearance, along with numerous other aspects, and shifts in culture patterns can be seen to take root as a community becomes acculturated to Western customs and characteristics – in other words, Westernized.
The phenomenon of Westernization does not follow any one specific pattern across societies as the degree of adaption and fusion with Western customs will occur at varying magnitudes within different communities. Specifically, the extent to which domination, destruction, resistance, survival, adaptation, or modification affect a native culture may differ following inter-ethnic contact.
