Synopsis

Our culture is not constant; it is the manifestation of the collective psyche, and it changes as the world changes.

It may be true, in the area of engineering and electronics, that the developed world embraces modernism with enthusiasm. However, societally, the evidence suggests that it is much more conservative with regards to the attitudes, feelings and beliefs which constitute culture. And the developing world often sees modernism as just another step along the road to Western domination. This culturally inspired thinking has led to a fear of globalisation on all fronts, sometimes bordering on paranoia.

In order to evaluate their compatibility the opposing cultures of East and West are held up as mirrors to one another in this book. The results show strengths and weaknesses in both societies, which suggests that a judicious merging could benefit us all; as globalisation is proving to be irresistible.

For those who reasonably consider the dilution of a country’s culture to be undesirable, there is an attempt here to define culture. The customs and traditions from our past identify who we are, they are valuable and they are worth preserving. Outside these customs and traditions, too often the word culture is a euphemism for racial prejudice, tribalism and religious bigotry; and the jingoism, narrow mindedness and hatred that always accompanies these things.

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