Convergence of Two Cultures in the Digital Age
NDR Chandra
A drastic transformation of culture has
occurred in the twenty-fist century. There are two things, which are quite
obvious; first; the old myth that ‘East is East and West is West, never the
twain shall meet’ has been belied. Secondly; the culture of Humanities and
Culture of Science will never be one; has also been proved futile today. There
has been convergence of these two cultures and for which the USA, unchallenged
superpower of today plays dominant role in postmodern, post-industrial digital
age. However, India’s role can not
be ignored as Eran Fisher rightly puts up the matter;
“globalization, the new economy, Google, outsourcing, ‘just-in-time’
production, the rise of India” are the key factors besides the role of technology. As a
result of changing world, there has been proximity between the U.S.; the leader of
the west and India; the leader of
the East. Hence, there is, and there will be cultural convergence between the
two great nations of the world in the digital age. “The East can offer age-old
wisdom and values, while the West can provide modern medicine, technology to
eradicate the baneful diseases that plague the Third World. Together the
inhabitants of planet earth can face the world’s festering challenges
of…poverty, prejudice, illiteracy, hunger and malnutrition. ” (Hassan, 3) In this way, the West meets the East and here lies the idea
of global village and global family in the Digital age.
It is pertinent to refer President Barack
Obama’s excerpts of speech delivered in the Indian parliament on 8th November 2010 who said; “For
in Asia and around the
world, India is not simply
emerging; India has already
emerged. And it is my firm belief that the relationship between the United States and India - bound by our
shared interests and values - will be one of the defining partnerships of the
21st century. This is the partnership I have come here to build. This is the
vision that our nations can realize together. My confidence in our shared future
is grounded in my respect for India's treasured
past -- a civilization that has been shaping the world for thousands of years.
Indians unlocked the intricacies of the human body and the vastness of our
universe. And it is no exaggeration to say that our information age is rooted
in Indian innovations -- including the number zero. ”
He added that the “ two global leaders,
the United States and India can partner for global security -- especially as
India serves on the Security Council over the next two years. ” He announced
that major areas of collaboration besides others could be in the field of i. global partner ii. High-tech like defence and civil space iii. Reforms in controls of
exports and iv. Joint research.
He believes in world order and peace considering the world as a global family
and concludes his address; “if we pursue the vision -- a global partnership to
meet global challenges -- then I have no doubt that future generations --
Indians and Americans - will live in a world that is more prosperous, more
secure, and more just because of the bonds that our generation forged today. ”
The Centre for a New American Security in
its bulletin entitled “Natural Allies: A Blueprint for the Future of U.S.-India
Relations” released in October 2010 already identifies the areas in which both
can have relationship. These include: i. Ensuring a
stable Asian and global balance of power. ii. Strengthening an open global
trading system. iii. Protecting and preserving access to the global commons
(air, sea, space, and cyber realm). iv. Counter terrorism and violent extremism
v. Ensuring access to secure global energy resources. iv. Bolstering the
International non-proliferation regime. vii. Promoting democracy and human
rights viii. Fostering greater stability, security and
economic prosperity in South Asia,
including Pakistan,
Afghanistan,
Nepal,
Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka. The Centre
believed that the recommendations in this report are based on the belief that
“the US has an
interest in working more closely with India and in
assisting its further emergence as one of the world’s great powers. This will
require policy changes by both the US and India….We urge
American and Indian leaders to seize it. ”
I would also like to refer “The Two
Cultures” (1959) a lecture by British scientist and novelist C.P. Snow. He
declared that the breakdown of dialogue between the Culture of science and the
culture of humanities is an obstacle for solving the world problems. It is an
auspicious occasion that in the twenty-fist century, there is a meaningful
discourse and dialogue between the two and therefore new frontiers of knowledge
are emerging in the West as well in the East. The fusion between the two
cultures yields fruitful results for intellectual growth, firmament to wipe out
the sufferings of humanities as new and hybrid branches of knowledge and
activism are coming forward with their constructive ideas and actions.
America and India are the
greatest democracies of the world; one the oldest and other the largest. Both
are multicultural countries also having different races, and ethnic groups and
they must advance fast valuing democracy and human rights and having respect
for each other. The mutual relationship in different field
like travel and tourism, communication and technological transfer, Higher
education and research that would strengthen the bond between the two.
It is worthwhile to mention that Indians have got proficiency in English
language and that becomes the wealth of the two as the language is widely used
in different sectors like science, technology, library, higher education,
communication, travel and Internet etc.
The Digital age, which began in 1980s, is
also bridging the gap between the two cultures. It has also narrowed down time
and space and it is defining identity, subjectivity and relationship in a new
way. The internet access (broadband) in the USA is very high
(60% people) as compared to India (7.1%).
However, India
ranks 4th in the world (after China,
USA
and Japan)
so far as internet accessibility is concerned. It is remarkable here that India exports
technocrats and professionals to the US in large
numbers. Besides these, USA’s
multinational companies are also running their business successfully in Indian
soil. USA and India can easily
develop relationship to partner in the filed of higher education, agriculture
and several other fields extending the scope to civil society and rural parts
of both the countries. The internet and new media, websites, film and TV etc.
are also helping to improve the relationship between the two. Now we believe in
the dictum “India is in America and America is in India.
”
This has been possible because of digital and cyber revolution, which brought
constant connectivity, change and transformation in almost all spheres of our
life.
To put the matter simply, there are Call centres and Cyber cities, which are mushrooming in both the
countries. Business, Commerce, Industry and service sectors are flourishing due
to ICT revolution, expansion of information and Digital technology. The US and India are the
partners in these fields and they are forging and strengthening the bond
because of their mutual interests. On the one hand, city like Bangalore and Hyderabad have become
hub of the call centres and high-tech. On the other, USA as a whole is
good recipient of the technocrats and professionals. The communication and
interaction between the two great nations have become easier because of
expansion of digital technology and Internet and new media. There has been a
kind of overhauling in relationship between the two. In Obama’s administration,
there is a kind of ideological shift in the attitude of the USA towards India. This has
become inevitable for both the nations. The role of new media has been
significant in this aspect. In a nut shell, the Digital technology, new media
and Internet have brought change in socio-political and socio-economy lives of
the people of both the countries.
There have been
proliferation of Multinational companies in India having their
Roots in the USA. The companies
like Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, AM’way
etc. are progressing very fast in developing countries like India. On the other
hand, India is
establishing its own mega plants and industries. Hence there has been free flow
and exchange of thoughts in commerce, industry and business sectors. They are
also supplying the necessary commodities and productions to each other
countries. Here also the role of ICTs are very
important as Fisher says; “Network technology (primarily the Internet), the
lean and decentralized corporation, and flexible modes of employment and
production are all conceived in the discourse on network technology during
post-Fordism (i.e., the digital discourse) as
technologies that respond to concerns put forth by the humanist critique, such
as individual empowerment, authenticity, and creativity—that is, those geared
toward mitigating alienation. ” (p.4)
One the other hand, organizations like
Fulbright, Ford Foundation and Clinton’s Foundation
etc. are enriching and enhancing the mutual relationship at all levels.
Fulbright is not only the academicians, professionals, scientist and
technocrats but also they are cultural ambassadors. The exchange of scholars
between the two has given rise to the cultural understanding as Senator J.
William Fulbright rightly enumerates ‘what it means to be a ‘Fulbright;’
“Fostering these-leadership, learning, and empathy between cultures –was and
remains the purpose of the international scholarship program… It is a modest
program with an immodest aim-- the achievement in international affairs of a
regime more civilized rational and humane than the empty system of power of the
past….” The idea is that a Fulbright is not only specializing in the field of
genetics, nanotechnology, or digital humanities or cyber or space technology
but he/she has to inculcate a world culture and imbibe it for the greater use
of humanity at large. They are the harbinger of peace and harmony and they
should work to lessen the sufferings of the humanity through their expertise
and approach.
It is worthwhile to assert here that the U.S.A. connotes
cultural and political entity hence emerged as leader of the West particularly,
Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the other
hand, India has been
considered as an emerging leader of the East (competing with China.) East refers
to geographical location as well as it has cultural connotation too. It has
become apparent to quote the full stanza of “The Ballad of the East and West”
(1889) by Rudyard Kipling as it has always been partly misquoted for his
attitudes to race and empire.
Oh,
East is East and West is West and never the twin shall
meet,
Till
Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great judgment Seat;
But
there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Bread, nor Birth
When
two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!
In the wake of globalization, expansion
of ICT, Digital and cyber revolution in the twenty first century, these lines
can beautifully be interpreted; When two strong men (the USA & India) meet,
the accidents of birth, whether geographical boundary, nationality, race,
upbringing or family or colour do not matter at all—
West and East are equals and they meet harmoniously like a chemical compound.
The love of chemistry between the two today is the demand of the age where
there is a threat of war, terror and ongoing discrimination at all levels. In
the present context, we can beautifully visualize the convergence of two
cultures that narrows down and bridges the cultural gap between the West and
the East and disciplinary gap between the humanities and sciences. The
Westerner must come forward to accept the divergence, dissonance and multi-vocality and polyphony of the East. At the same time, the
East should also be ready to embrace the culture of scientific temperament,
rule of law, objectivity, straight-forwardness, independency, freedom and
autonomy of the West. The West should also welcome the warmth of hospitality,
accommodative attitude, austerity, interrelationship ,
theory of Karma and wealth of wisdom inscribed in religious scripture and
philosophy. There should be free and frank exchange of thoughts. Let science,
technology and innovations should travel from the West to the East and
religion, Ayurveda, Yoga and spirituality flow from
the East to the West. It’s high time to sing a song of unity bridging the gulf
of misunderstanding for the betterment of the world of humanity at large so
that we can realize the whole world is not only a small village in the twenty
first century but it’s a small family and hence we have to be interdependent (‘Vasudhaiva Kautumbkam‘). I would
like to conclude the discourse
with the following lines;
We
are neither the East nor the West
Now,
we mingle comfortably with the rest.
No
Science, no Art, no Humanities, but the next,
We
lead a joyful life embracing the best.
There
has been a new relationship between the two countries and that signifies the
emergence of third culture; a kind of world-culture and a revolution that will
take the centre-stage in post-industrial society. The whole world is going to
be not only a small village but also a small family because of digital
revolution, globalization and other cultural, ecological and posthuman conditionshuman condition,human condition
. It will be my endeavour to
explore the dimensions of divergence between the USA and India in my next article.
References
Armitage, Richard, R. Nicholas. 2010. “Natural Allies: A Blueprint
of U.S.-India Relations.” Washington, DC:Center for a New American Security, pp.1-12.
“Nissim Hassan’s View” accessed from
http://www.chowk.com/Views/Society/East-and-West on 5th March, 2011.
Fisher, Eran. 2010. New Media in the Digital Age: The Sprit of Net work.New York: Palgrve & Macmillan.
Obama,
Barack,.2010.Address to Indian Parliament (Full Text) on Nov 8, accessed from
Google website on 7th March 2011, pp.1-5.
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N.D.R. Chandra is a
Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellow-2010-11 at Program in Literary Arts, Brown University, Providence, RI. He edits the Journal of
Literature, Culture & Media Studies: Website:
http://www.inflibnet.ojs/JLCMS Email: chandra592001@yahoo.com/chandralcms