Will You Choose Practices From Other Cultures Leaving Your Own?

You write the meaning, I will come and give input later!

 

I am anyway living in a mixed cultural environment. Born in Sri Lanka, brought up in Canada, studied in France, worked all over the Africa and east Asia, and married to an Indian. Now that I am settled back in Sri Lanka.
I have a lot of cultural influence, but I chose what is best for the humanity and my own sanity.

I am not particular about any culture, and I would not hesitate to speak up if my own culture is doing any harm to any one in the name of tradition or custom.

Further I am not proud about my own culture either. It has its own pluses and minuses as well. Same goes with other cultures too.

It looks awkward for me to wear a Bindi and Thaali when I am expected to address in a meeting held in Bangkok. I would rather prefer to be in my official attire, and look western in it. I don't think I do anything injustice to my culture, which expect a married woman to have these both, regardless of the circumstance. I don't think it is a crime. If my culture thinks so, I am not proud about it.

At the same time, I can't drink and dance in the pubs or roam on the street as half naked or pose for pics as topless and say it is all okay, since I grew up in a country where these things are just fine. Here, I respect my culture and the boundaries which taught me. I identify myself with my culture to stay away from such requests.

 

Culture of the country I was born and living now. My culture means the culture I am expected to follow by default.

 

That is the definition given by Google Uncle. So who am I to question it? I accept that definition whole - heartedly.

Ideas, customs and social behaviour of a society are subject to change. Culture is therefore temporary. So when I talk of Indian culture, it is the culture prevalent today which is different from what was prevalent in my parents' generation.

What influences cultural changes? Exchange of ideas, acceptance of other practices, giving up whatever is unsuitable for the current time etc. Where do the new practices come from? From observation of other cultures and practices. Why do we give up some of our own practices? Because we don't find them suitable or we cannot relate to them. It is just happening all the time.

Is my culture the best? There is nothing such as 'best' or 'worst'. There are cultures and then there are other cultures. They differ from each other. Each culture has some really good values, some are just practices and others are best thrown out. Would I adopt values from other cultures? Of course. If they are good, I will. I am equally sure that people from other cultures would accept some of the practices in my culture that they find good. This question reminds me of a quote of Mahatma Gandhi which is my all time favourite:

 

for me culture is your way of living ,customs and traditions , how you dress, what you eat, how various roles are defined in social and family setup, how festivities takes place, how and what ceremonies are performed..
i believe culture is ever evolving thing....at any given point of time culture cant have solid dimensions, its always merging with other influences.
i dont believe in following things blindly just because its our culture. i believe culture is for structuring human lives, human lives are not for structuring/protecting a specific culture.
if i think some practice is good in some other culture than certainly i will try to adopt it if its possible. but i will not name it as leaving my culture, its just changing my culture for better.

 

No. I do not think one culture is superior to any other. I follow anything that suits my fancy. And dump it as easily if it felt boring.

Even while growing up in India I wasn't much into religion or tradition. That follows to this day. Parents and husband veer towards Indian food and music so there is a lot of Indianess at home. My child enjoys listening to Carnatic music as much as she enjoys listening to Western classical or the opera.

I pick up stuff from other cultures which suit me. Nothing is particularly off limits because my culture forbids it or anything. At the same time I feel comfortable about where I'm from.

It annoys me when people behave like custodians of any culture and become jingoistic about it as though culture is static. I'm happy for others to do and follow what they choose to as long as it doesn't infringe upon my space. And I'd like them to accord me the same courtesy. That's all.