[Essay]Impact of Modernization and Westernization on Indian society

Indian society is very old and surviving even after many ups and down and social issues. This article involves a brief about the Indian society and impact of the social process of modernization and westernization on it. How the Indian society has implemented these both processes and to what extent.

Society is a platform that gives a shape to the people's livings, demands, aspirations, needs and all kinds of growths. When numerous people having diverse mindsets, aspirations and demands yet live together for a common cause is what we understand by the society. A society may either include people of the same interests or people of diverse interests but there always lies a commonality among all the people who composite the society.


A society can be symbolized as a human body that composites of various organ parts (eyes, ears, mouth, kidney, lever etc) but they all work together for a common cause and that is the living of the being. Similarly the society has different institutions as its parts such as family system, education system, organizing system and administration system those all work together for the common causes that are the livelihood and all kinds of satisfaction of the individuals. Society has many forms and aspects. There are various types of societies depending upon the interests of the individuals like; civilized society, modern society, class society, western society and so on. Each society runs for common causes of the individuals living into that society.

Here, in this space and time let's talk about the Indian society. Indian society can be understood as a pool of various people belonging to different cultures, backgrounds, status, families and demands. Indian society has been a great symbol of unity in diversity. It is a big example of acceptance, service and growth. The composition of the Indian society is itself a surprising fact. People of diverse cultures, families, status, classes are living together and yet very efficiently fulfilling their needs, demands and livelihoods. May it be the natives or the migrated families and individuals; Indian society has accepted each and every person, class and origins very well. families of different culture like; Hindus, Punjabis, Gujratis, Christians, Tamils, Sikhs, Momdans, Telgus and so many others are living under one roof while making the base of the Indian society stronger than before.

Indian society has always strengthened its basic institutions devoid of all the discriminations, racism, and differences. At the same time I do not deny the fact that the Indian society has had gone through many upheavals of racism, un-touchability and castism, but it is still very commendable on its part that those all turbulences did not let the Indian society to a break down. Every society goes through a sequence of modifications, changes and alterations and these all changes give rise to the social issues in a society. Indian society has gone and still going through various changes, modifications and stratifications. There are many existing social issues in Indian society that surely need a kind attention. There are social issues like castism, ethnicity, class stratification, deprivation of rights etc which have taken over the form of being; silent but progressing gradually.

Discussion of these issues would divert the concept line of the article so let's go back again to the topic. We have discussed that every society is bound to go through many changes and even many advancements, so as with the Indian society. No society can remain static. Society is a dynamic entity. Changes and modification done into the lives of the people directly bring the changes within the society. Because it is the people only who composite the society so, any change into the life styles, attitudes, thinking and working patterns of people would automatically bring a change within the society.

There are two broad perspectives, implementation of which has changed and modified the lives of Indian people and particularly of the individuals. These are modernization and westernization. Modernization symbolizes the Advancement. Advancement simply means the betterment and to move forward in a positive sense. Hence, modernization follows to move forward and to get better in terms of many aspects of life. There are many aspects of life where modernization takes place such as, living standards, working styles, behavioral pattern (values, morals and principles) technology, education, inter and intra relationships, cultural patterns and so on. When the people of the society get better and advanced in the all aspects related to their lives, institutions, thinking, attitudes and relationships then that society is said to be modernized.

In modernization the society tries to innovate and utilize its present and old knowledge, patterns, techniques and resources. Modernization makes a society more confident, independent, versatile and moreover self-sufficient. It makes the society realized of its uniqueness that can be made better and advanced than before. Modernization inspires the society to come out of the shell of backwardness and to construct healthy relationships with different societies and countries that may help the society to achieve a better condition and an advanced global position. Modernization in case of Indian society has played a vital role in bringing up its status in the globally recognized societies.

Modernization has led to the betterment in the utilization of the manpower, resources and techniques pre-existing into the Indian society.
Indian society is getting advanced and better in every aspect of life. People are using better ways in technology, education, life styles and in establishing advanced networking. Life has become new, interesting, globalized, approachable and easy for the people. Majorly in terms of attitudes and thinking people are trying out new definitions of values, cultural dimensions and new working principles that all together making the lives and standard more high.

Now, westernization is also a change that has taken place in Indian society to have major extent. Westernization follows the adoption of the different life styles, cultural ways, working styles, organizing styles and even the behavioral pattern of the western countries particularly. When people adopt the patterns and ways of the western countries and follow them in their working, thinking, living and approaching various situations is known as westernization in simple words. In westernization there is no newness and innovation because the individuals only tend to follow the ways or patterns that are already prescribed by a western culture. Indian society has gained a rapid pace in westernization. Majority of families, individuals and youth are showing a keen interests in western life styles (dressing, housing, outings and partying etc) and attitudes (professionalism and individualism).

People most of the times tend to believe modernization and westernization as synonymous of each other. But in reality they are not so. Both of the process are totally different and play a different role in people's lives respectively. In the previous one the society tries to get betterment and advancement by the utilization of its own resources, opportunities and manpower. This process makes the society self-sufficient, healthy and confident. In this process the society looks towards the present and existing treasures in one's own culture, civilization and social patterns. In the later the society just blindly adopts the western patterns, processes, techniques and life styles without looking towards the betterment of their own opportunities.

Today in Indian society most of the people wear western outfits that is not wrong but it would not either make the society as modern. People are moving away from Indian cultural values, life styles and pattern which are making them western but not modern. Only the intentions of making one's society better and advanced by own efforts would make the society modern and that is a need of Indian society in present scenario.

Though the western countries are already modernized and advanced so there is no such harm in adoption of western patterns. But it is really harmful when in the shade of adoption we start condemning our own great culture, patterns and resources. Without trying out for any betterment of our own opportunities, if we simply assert the western patterns and opportunities as the best advanced; is somewhere a loss at our part. Along with the adoption there should not be any demoralization of our own culture and civilization. In Indian society we today see a gradual increase in westernization as compared to modernization.

It is the choice of the individuals that do they want a betterment of their own opportunities or simply want to become a follower? Any society must give the full respect to its own culture and civilization first. Following and adopting something good from other cultures and life styles should not be done at the cost of dignity of own culture. Indian society needs to become more modern in terms of its own values, resources and opportunities. It is first good to make the society modern and then move towards any new adoption. Adoption of any western pattern and opportunity is not wrong when firstly a society becomes self sufficient and better in itself.