I realize that a lot of my posts have focussed on my own culture. I've had opportunity to experience a few different cultures in my life so far, and that allows me the luxury of having a third person's view point of my own culture (while also belonging to it, atleast in part). It's deep psych shit, don't question it :)
Anyway so this brings me to the Indian mythos. On the surface, we are supposed to be a land of Yogis, of deep philosophical ideas, and a land that has put spirituality at the forefront of its psyche. A society that has put family before wealth.We are the first to judge western concepts of materialism, and individualism.
But take the modern day Indian man in his twenties. There are the following financial pressures on him :
1. To earn as much money as possible so he can be eligible in the marriage market/convince his gfs dad of his credit worthiness
2. Buy a house to get on the property ladder, and mainly satisfy the mom's need to show the family in favorable standing in the society
3. Get married as soon as possible, and have kids immediately after
In a society that hails family above all else, how many marriages do we personally know where the husband, wife or both need to go and work abroad to afford the mortage ? Many couples are separated this way soon after marriage. And because of mortage pressures, it sometimes means that even couples who stay in the same country need to live and work in different cities for long periods of time to make ends meet. Now if you add babies to the picture, you can very easily see how the whole fabric of family is under peril.
Are we really any less materialistic than the western world ?
Anyway so this brings me to the Indian mythos. On the surface, we are supposed to be a land of Yogis, of deep philosophical ideas, and a land that has put spirituality at the forefront of its psyche. A society that has put family before wealth.We are the first to judge western concepts of materialism, and individualism.
But take the modern day Indian man in his twenties. There are the following financial pressures on him :
1. To earn as much money as possible so he can be eligible in the marriage market/convince his gfs dad of his credit worthiness
2. Buy a house to get on the property ladder, and mainly satisfy the mom's need to show the family in favorable standing in the society
3. Get married as soon as possible, and have kids immediately after
In a society that hails family above all else, how many marriages do we personally know where the husband, wife or both need to go and work abroad to afford the mortage ? Many couples are separated this way soon after marriage. And because of mortage pressures, it sometimes means that even couples who stay in the same country need to live and work in different cities for long periods of time to make ends meet. Now if you add babies to the picture, you can very easily see how the whole fabric of family is under peril.
Are we really any less materialistic than the western world ?
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