Individualism in India

Term Paper # 99442

Anthropology > Cultural
Asian Studies > East Asian Cultures
Ethnic Studies

An analysis of the rising influence of individualism in India.

1,056 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the concept of individualism within a society and how it differs between countries. Next, the paper examines the culture in India and focuses on describing the lack of individualism that appears to be in their culture. It then shows how there is, however, a rising culture of individualism in India through the influence of individual mobility and information access.

From the Paper:

"Some ways that we could expect to see the rising influence of individualism in India are in individual mobility and information access. Access to information separate from the influence of the extended family network--such as through digital networks--undermines the authority of the group by placing unprecedented power to make informed decisions in the hands of the individual. The spread of information access and usage throughout India could well be indicative of a new trend toward individualist values. Similarly, personal mobility, both the freedom to do so as well as the willingness, will be affected by individualist values. Greater mobility means more freedom of movement and a greater need to take personal responsibility for personal and professional decision that cannot always include the social group or extended family. Information access and mobility represent two of the ways in which individualist values could be asserting themselves in India."

Sample of Sources Used:

Dahl, S. (2004). Intercultural research: the current state of knowledge. Middlesex University. Retrieved September 19, 2006, from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=658202
Gwalini, G. (2006). Global mobility, the Indian perspective. Expatica. Retrieved September 19, 2006, from http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=157&story_id=28787
Harris, I. (1993). Individualism in its Indian context. Diskus, 1(2), pp. 31-54.
Hofstede, G. (2003). Cultural dimensions. ITIM International. Retrieved September 20, 2006, from http://www.geert-hofstede.com/geert_hofstede_resources.shtml
Tracinski, R. (2005, December). What is "globalization" globalizing? Global capitalism's engine of cultural progress. The Intellectual Activist. Retrieved September 20, 2006, from http://tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=1065