The concept of globalization is complex to understand and impossible to define in a universally acceptable manner. Nevertheless, the socio-cultural effects of globalization may be readily observed through ethnographic studies and informal observation, both of which provide firsthand insight into the changing cultural mentality of India. The roots of India’s contemporary cultural transformation were conceived in the immediate period following Indian independence, at which point the leaders of the new sovereign nation engaged in far reaching, significant debate over the new identity of India.
At the time of independence, leaders such as Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru differed in the vision that they held for India, with Gandhi advocating a society focused on the village as the fundamental unit of interaction. Nehru, in contrast, envisioned a modern, socialist state in which a powerful central state served as the apparatus for large-scale development initiatives. Though such ideologies are primarily economic, the inherent distinction in viewpoint also had lasting repercussions in the Indian social mentality. The eventual adoption of Nehru’s vision led to India embracing modernization (as defined by Western perspectives) and the movement of central policy to this end was accompanied by a corresponding shift in public perception. Though the drive for modernity was primarily an economic outlook, within one generation removed from Nehru the drive to modernity has become increasingly manifest in that of individual lifestyles. Western soft culture is being proliferated in fashion, entertainment, and the manner of consumption within the contemporary emerging generation of Indian society. Having spoken to numerous individuals regarding such changes, a very clear generational gap between the middle age segment of society and their offspring.
Certain individuals belonging to the former category have emphasized specific cultural practices, such as the exclusive use of the right hand while dining, or the adherence to a strictly vegetarian diet. Additionally, several middle-aged adults have asserted that dating remains uncommon in the youth, and relationships are not displayed in public. Still others have cited Hindu spirituality as a core component of Indian social conduct. Yet in conversations with individual in the young adult category, such practices are regarded as old fashioned. A Pune resident and friend has frequently demonstrated complete disregard for the vegetarian diet, and in her circle of friends a number of romantic relationships are openly discussed. A young journalist responding to questions regarding the place of traditional values in modern society alleged that they were a hindrance to further social development, as they were incompatible with new social values. These few ethnographic observations, combined with additional analysis and insights (of which there are many), have asserted that a growing generational divide is occurring in India, with the emerging generation becoming increasingly adoptive of Western lifestyles and values to the detriment of traditional Indian values.
The changes in the social mentality are further evidenced by the media. Advertisements on TV and billboards now feature lifestyle products such as whitening cream, high definition TVs, and 3G cellular services. Evidence of globalization is even observable in the eateries along the popular avenues to which university students flock between and after lectures. Fast food eateries from the US such as Subway, McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut can all be found along FC road or the nearby JM road, just a few minutes walk from Fergusson College. And the popular coffee house Barista, now under the ownership of the Italian brand LaVazza, is another example of the globalization that is experienced daily in Indian society. The impact of globalization can also be readily observed in newspapers and magazines. The Pune Mirror and the Times of India both frequently feature advertisements for university bound students, offering cultural exchange programs or even direct enrollment into US and European institutions. Globalization is not confined exclusively to products, but also to services, including that of education. Time spent at foreign institutions no doubt reinforces external influences on the individual student’s social mentality, further emphasizing the transition to new values.
From a global perspective, India appears in the midst of the conflicting forces of traditional values and Western influences, with the former losing ground to the latter in the upcoming generation. Yet, to claim that India has become fully socially and culturally globalized amounts to gross oversimplification. The acceptance of such external influences is not universal among the youth of India, but rather the middle to upper class youth. Additionally, it could be argued that this phenomenon is more prevalent in urban areas where such lifestyles may flourish. Furthermore, though there is a presence of globalization in urban daily life, such influences nevertheless themselves are curtailed toward an Indian consumer base. Whitening cream, despite its status as a personal vanity and luxury good, would not be popular in the United States, where tanning salons have been in vogue for decades. And even the fast food eateries have adapted their fares to the local palate, seasoning their recipes with spices to a degree that would be almost overwhelming back in their country of origin.
In addition to the tendency of external influences to adapt to Indian tastes, a further argument could be made that the Western leaning emerging generation, albeit the middle to upper class urban youth, are undergoing a disparity between the image they project and their actual social mentality. Externally they may exhibit Western behavior (consuming non vegetarian dishes, drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking, etc.), but if they engage in this sort of lifestyle with the implicit intention of appearing more Western than they are only masking their more traditional mentality on a superficial level. Such behavior in the West is natural; individuals of all ages may partake in such habits because they are viewed as conventional. But in a society in which such practices are still somewhat discouraged, especially by traditional values, the engagement in such practices may only reflect an artificial projection of Westernization, while the intrinsic truth is exactly the opposite.
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