QUESTION
Discuss the ways in which western and eastern attitudes vary in regards to gender equity, marriage, divorce and raising children.
Your answer should be supported with referenced examples from western and eastern cultures.
SOLUTION
Western and Eastern attitudes – a Comparison
In western culture, marriage is an individual affair and outsiders are not supposed to step in between the husband and wife. In west, if a couple think that their marriage is not working anymore and to get separate is the only way out, then they will not hesitate to get divorced and live their own life. In their eyes, forcing two people who do not love each other is fiendish. They believe that it is their right to live with the person they favour. On the other hand, in eastern countries, husband and wife cannot leave each other unless they are dead after marriage. They commit themselves to stay with each other for the entire span of their life. Any horrendous or apocalyptic tyranny by one partner may deter them from that commitment. They are extremely true hearted towards their partner. The idea of collectivity has been highlighted from ancient times in eastern culture. It is expected from every husband and wife that they should stick together with each other in every even and odd of their life. Thus in eastern culture, choosing partner is a very discreet exercise. Numerous factors like family background, educational background, professional background, health and character etc. all are given substantial importance while choosing a match. In the western culture falling in love is a general phenomenon, and western people do not even hesitate to accept their love bravely and openly. In contrast, in the eastern part of the world, people are fearful of the impacts that love can bring in their life as well as lives of people associated with them. For example, arranged marriage are still very popular in eastern countries and they are actually feel very proud of the fact that their marriages are more successful and long lasting in comparison to divorce rate of 50% in western countries. But the westerns argue that these marriages are not about love. In few cases couples do not even meet each other and their marriage is fixed. In western culture, love is the most important inspiration behind marriage and they believe the practise of arrange marriage censurable.
Today, the development of the human society is in highest stage, the notion of contemporaneousness has lead to an environment of relatively better social justice and apparent for every human. Social harmony, equal opportunities to all, sincere competition, equal development etc. all are part of such society. However, it is not necessary that every good thing that a society thinks about turns into reality also. Gender inequality is one of them which is present in every part of the world; be it western or eastern (Brainerd, 2000). For example, you go to any school in any part of the world; you will find that the number of male students is far more than the female students. In every company, male candidates are preferred over female candidates. In fact, a man is generally paid more than a female even if they are at the same position in an organisation and this type of inequality is found in every corner of the world; whether in the eastern countries where patriarchal ideology is very serious, or in modern western countries, gender inequalities remain exist ( Brown & Micklewright, 2004). A recent study show, the wage which Chinese female workers’ get is just 79% of what a Chinese male worker gets. In Japan, female workers’ get only 50% what male workers get. Though the ratio is not very affirmative in western countries, 68% in the Britain, and 71% in the United States weak side, but still inequality exist in these countries as well. In every country, men are of the belief that their panache is above the women. More of young Japanese males think that they are superior to women than the old Japanese men and in China; it is the elderly men who are of this notion. . From the achieved factors’ point of view, people who have high level of education tend to believe in gender equality, which is supported by the data from China and Japan. But in United States, neither the age factor nor the education level, both of them does not contribute to the belief that every gender is equal. Thus these are three different countries with three different cultures. In China, gender inequality is maximum and least in United States and Japan falls between China and America ( Wright & John, 1991).
Parents in western countries are concerned about their children’s’ self-esteem exorbitantly (Chua, 2011). They are very anxious about their child’s failure and perpetually try to assure them that they are very good. They are extremely bothered about the psyches of their child (Chua, 2011). On the other hand, eastern parents behave in a very different manner. For them, their child should be strong not fragile. For example, Western parents will appreciate their child even if he/ she will get A-minus in a test. Few may show their disapproval but in that case also they will be extremely careful and will make sure that they do not make their child feel worthless or vulnerable. Privately, the Western parents may worry that their child does not test well or have aptitude in the subject or that there is something wrong with the curriculum and possibly the whole school. If the child’s grades do not improve, they may eventually schedule a meeting with the school principal to challenge the way the subject is being taught or to call into question the teacher’s credentials. If a Chinese child gets a B—which would never happen—there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. On the other hand, perfect grades are expected from eastern children and in case a child is not able to get that eastern parents will definitely put the blame on the child saying that he must have not put in appropriate efforts and hard work to study for the test. The devastated Chinese mother would then get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get the grade up to an A. In western countries, parents are chiefly responsible for rising up a child. The role of grandparents is very minor or negligible in the day-to-day life of a child. They meet them formally over a weekend or in holidays. On the other hand, in eastern countries, is it parents or grandparents both are equally involved in bringing up a child. Sometimes, grandparents in western countries give tremendous regards to their grandchildren.
Eastern children are raised with the belief that to enjoy something one should gain perfection in that thing. The importance of hard work, extra efforts and going beyond limits is very well explained to them in childhood only. The development of this personality trait requires parents to be firm and rigor. Eastern parent follow this attitude till they are sure that their child has achieved what was expected from him/ her. Western parent can not follow this hard attitude for long and generally give up midway. Third, Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children’s own desires and preferences. Western parents try to respect their children’s individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.
The divorce rates in eastern countries are very low in comparison to western countries. In case of western culture, love and sex are the two major components which comprise a marriage; on the other hand, for eastern people marriage is a harmonious relation which is lifelong and never ending. In western world, romance, passion and expression of feelings between the spouses have become the centre point of marriage but in case of western couples, making marriage a happy and cheerful relation is the key objective. Western marriages are based on love and affection while eastern marriages are based on the feeling of togetherness. In western countries couples are considered a separated family while in eastern countries they are considered an extension to the existing family. The main emphasis in western countries is on fulfilment of personal. A western partner who feels that his/ her spouse is not able to fulfil hi/ her emotional or personal needs, they will start looking somewhere else to fulfil that need. While a western couple, will support and encourage each other during rough times to achieve a common goal.
Independence and individualism are the two important personality traits which drive the emotions and actions of western people. On the other hand community and society is the key driver of actions of eastern people. Western thinks of themselves and their family only where as eastern people think about society at large.
References
E. Brainerd (2000), ‘Women in Transition: Changes in Gender Wage Differentials in Eastern
Europe and the Former Soviet Union’ , Industrial and Labour Relations Review, 54 (1), 138-
162.
G. Brown and J. Micklewright (2004), ‘Using International Surveys of Achievement and
Literacy: A View from the Outside’ , UNESCO Institute for Statistics working paper,
Montreal, forthcoming.
Robert E. Wright and John F. Ermisch，Gender Discrimination in the British Labour Market: A Reassessment，The Economic Journal ， Vol. 101, No. 406, May, 1991 .
Mary C. Brinton，Women and the economic miracle: gender and work in postwar Japan，University of California Press，1994.
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