Globalization of culture: Impact on Indian psyche

Industrialization, urbanization, modernization, and globalization have contributed to significant changes in the culture of the world, more in the non-Western third world since the end of the colonial period, and the Second World War, contributing to some progressive, undesired changes. Some of the major changes include weakening of extended family, nuclearization of family, two parents working family, changing roles of women and men, increased immigration, Westernization of arts, music, day-to-day living, changing child-rearing practices, globalization of language, and influence of multimedia. As a result of many of these changes, social psychology, family psychology, and family relationships drastically transformed the family and individual psychology. Before these mega changes, family and individual psychology were shaped by extended family, traditional Indian value system, and child-rearing practices. With the radical changes in the socioeconomic structures, the traditional “we self and familial self” is evolving into more a Western “I self,” and a “multinational/global self”. Women are enjoying an increased sense of independent self and work-related self esteem. Traditional Indian developmental stages may be yielding to more Western individualistic social structures. In additon, we are too forced give up some of the traditional, cherished values and relational patterns. Reshaping the development of a new self (bicultural and multicultural self), a new sense of autonomy, and newer sense of individuation. All these, in turn, are contributing to development of an evolving new culture, with hope of preparing us better for a new, better world