"GOD'S DUST: A MODERN ASIAN JOURNEY" (IAN BURUMA).   Term Paper ID:21063 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Critical review of work exploring effects of Westernization and development on eight Asian nations & difference between the village & the city.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Critical review of work exploring effects of Westernization and development on eight Asian nations & difference between the village & the city. Paper Introduction: Ian Buruma's God's Dust: A Modern Asian Journey is an exploration of the effects of Westernization and development on eight nations of Asia. Buruma uses the differences between "the village" and "the city" to symbolize the effects of Western development and progress (mainly in the city) on the native culture (mainly represented by the village). The basic question of the book is "What happens to people when the loyalties and traditions of the village break down and are replaced by the complexities of the modern world [as symbolized by the City]"? (xii). In general, Buruma believes that development, progress, and political change (especially change leading toward democracy) have had balanced results in these Asian nations. He writes of the despair of one Thai woman with respect to Westernization and the resultant "loss of traditional values, the destruction of the Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. But this is not enough todraw much criticism from the all-accepting Buruma. . God's Dust. The City is corrupt and as poverty-riddenas the Village, and there is little sign that the Americans staying orgoing will change any of that. . "Oh, no. self-respect" of the Thais: This is their most attractive quality and it seems indestructible, in the villages, but also in the cities, among students, merchants, politicians, and peasants, and, yes, even among "the chicks of Fun City," the dancing girls of Patpong (61). Malaysiaremains more grounded in the traditional ways that, say, Singapore, whichis as economically successful as Japan, but is politically oppressive.Thailand is probably the second most successful, with its politicaltransformation ahead of its economic modernization. Burma is certainly not one of the more successful nations in dealingwith the clash of the Village and the City. "The main theme of contemporary Asia" is "how to be modern withoutlosing your cultural sense of self" (x). The greatest difference is Korea's nationalism,which gives it an identity Taiwan does not have. The people sought to sharein the liberalization of politics which has taken place world-wide, but themilitary had enough power to stay in control. "They say the money is better here. Korea ismore politically oppressed than Taiwan, and its reaction to the outsideworld has been much more insulated.Korea is struggling to move into a more democratic political reality, butthe oppressive practices of the past are hard to break. He says that"Japan looks the most modern society in Asia, politically, culturally,aesthetically. . Japan is the most economically successful in dealing with the shiftfrom traditional life to the modern world, or from the Village to the City.The village in reality more than in any other of the eight Asian nationshas disappeared, but Buruma says that this is deceptive. More and more, it is decided by debate, choice, politics. The Philippines have not recovered from the longexploitation by the U.S.-supported Marcos, and the City and Village are inpoverty and chaos. He puts many of his mostpolitically conservative thoughts in the mouth of his "devil's advocate,"but when he speaks for himself it is clear that he is intent on living andletting live, no matter what the nation or its circumstances. The Village is always there for the Thai who wants to be enrichedspiritually: "Turning to the Village, as opposed to the confusing, amoralCity, is a way of re-defining his Thai-ness. Again, although he does deal with specific political changes in thesenations, in general he sees politics in Asia as evolving toward democracy,which is very good and which overshadows any negative effects ofWesternization on politics. Heacknowledges that Burma is backward, that its military dictatorship hascrushed pro-democratic protests, and that development symbolized by theCity has not occurred, but it is fine with him: Does the city really count in a country where 85 percent of the people live in villages. The assassinationof Ninoy Aquino, the overthrow of Marcos, the election of Cory Aquino, andno let-up in the chaos, poverty and corruption in the country have leftmany Filipinos with little hope. Withrespect to the question of the contrast between the Village and the City,Buruma is generally saying that the Village has not been as damaged ascritics of development claim, and neither has the City been as completelyWesternized as those critics claim. Similarly, the City-Village conflict in Thailand isdescribed by Buruma as something which is good for all. .are quickly swept out of sight. To Buruma, the only people having trouble areWesterners themselves, who fear that the East is being swallowed by theWest. . To Buruma, then, as long as apeople maintains this cultural sense of self, all is well, or as well ascan be expected or hoped for in the real world. Buruma feels about Japan as he feels about every one of the eightnations---something has been won by modernization, something has been lost,but all in all it is a good thing and, in any case, inevitable. Both nations are thoroughly industrialized,and both tend toward the City over the Village. As one Korean studentdeclared, nationalism is even strong enough to reconcile the clashingeconomic and political systems of South and North Korea. To Buruma the culture of a nation is bound up not ininstitutions or in politics but in people, in the "sense of self" of thosepeople. The Philippines seem tobe almost hopelessly mired in chaos, poverty corruption, in large partbecause of American domination and support of Marcos. What Buruma means by this is that Japan has not fullycommitted to the City, to the Westernization, but at the same time it haslost contact with the old ways, the Village. New York: Noonday Press, 1989.----------------------- 9 Japan is'Westernized,' yet, somehow, the country in East Asia least touched by theWest" (228). Singapore, on the other hand, appears to be very successful in itsWesternization and turn toward the City and away from the Village.Singapore, says Buruma "is in many ways an ideal society, promisingprosperity for all, a perfect suburban paradise, whose imperfections . The City/Village conflict is resolved infavor of the City in Singapore, and in favor of the Village in Malaysia.Buruma says Malaysians go to Singapore to work but they wouldn't want tolive there: Ghita explained they were Malaysians working in Singapore. . Both are leaning towardmore democratic politics. The mountains of Khao Kor have no trees, but the political destiny of Thailand is no longer decided by gunfire in the mountains. It is also a city of fear" (141).Social and political impression abound in Singapore. Buruma sees this rise of the city anddiminishment---or transformation---of the village to be both positiveoverall as well as utterly inevitable. . The "chicks of Fun City" have their self-respect, andthat is what matters. Burma is the least successful, because itstransformation has been crushed by the military dictatorship. Where Taiwan struggles for its own identity amid American, ChineseMainland, and Japanese influences, Korea is marked by nationalism. . They say there are too many rules in Singapore. Did they prefer to live in Singapore? . In place of suchcriticism, Buruma argues that all change brings some negative effect, thatoverall the effect has been positive, that the culture generally prevailsin the attitudes of the people, and that, in any case, development andWesternization are inevitable, so we had better make the best of it. In general, Burumabelieves that development, progress, and political change (especiallychange leading toward democracy) have had balanced results in these Asiannations. Wealth may flow tothe City, but "people in rural villages . Why? Buruma's main argument in all this isthat the Asian people themselves---in villages and in cities alike---aregetting along just fine in the midst of this turbulent clash of traditionaland Western elements. BibliographyBuruma, Ian. It is their country. Buruma's attitude is one of acceptance of what has happened to thesenations. But they have managed to retain the thing that is most precious to them, their self- respect (6 ). . His book is only political in passing, for he argues that politicsand politicians "come and go" (xi). Taiwan can be seen as either an example of successful "culturalsynthesis" (164) or as a country almost schizophrenic in its blending ofdisparate political and cultural elements, "a capitalist society ruled by apolitical party which is organized along Leninist lines but prides itselfon its Confucian heritage" (167). Is the modern city really worth knowing about? . Japan isclearly the most economically and politically successful in navigating theCity/Village conflict, but in the process the City has utterly dominatedand the Village has been lost. But Buruma says this is a negative simplification of what has actuallyhappened: For every image of loss can be countered with an example of gain. The othernations are navigating as well as they can, not always gracefully. The Village is pure Thai, theCity, dominated by Chinese businessmen, is alien" (44). He writes of the despair of one Thai woman with respect toWesternization and the resultant "loss of traditional values, thedestruction of the Village, the emptiness of capitalist development" (6 ),etc. They can wear nice clothes and have more fun." The boys giggled. One man says Japan has lostsomething: "Exactly what is lost remains vague, something to do with'sincerity,' 'spirit,' a 'pure' Japan without foreigners, in short, apristine Japanese identity" (229). The environment may bedestroyed, the institutions may be changed to the point ofunrecognizability, but as long as the people have their sense of self,their "self-respect," then all is relatively well. Taiwan is certainly a nation in which theCity has dominated the struggle with the Village, so much so that visitorsare a shown a "fake traditional village" (163). . There is an unpleasanttone of cultural condescension in Buruma's conclusion about Thailand andthe "precious . They say Malaysia is much better. . The military has crushed a popular uprisingseeking more democratic political institutions. One cab driver expressed the views of many.He "was disgusted, with the politicians' quarreling, the crime, the murderrate, the coup attempts, the communists, the lack of any change in thecountry" (1 7). (xii). (23). If Burma has crushed change and Thailand has adopted a strict splitbetween the Village and the City, then the Philippines have reacted withcorruption, chaos, revolution, and a dependence on the U.S. Malaysia and Singapore stand in stark distinction to one another interms of their adaptation to Westernization and development. They are quite content, Malays don't care about material things. The same prostitution which Buruma is thankful has not come tovillage-dominated, dictatorship-ruled Burma, Buruma celebrates in city-dominated Thailand. The picture drawn byBuruma is meant to be a positive, realistic portrait of eight East Asiannations, most still in turmoil and transformation from the past to themodern world. . . Whether they like itor not, the government has decided for Singaporeans that they want"orderliness [and] a decent living" rather than "free speech" and publicdiscussion of political, racial and other troublesome issues. It is also among the most archaic. Both Taiwan and(South) Korea are defined in large part by their relation to another nation---to China and to North Korea. He means to counter the argument that Westernization anddevelopment have thoroughly corrupted Asia, changing everything for theworse, destroying the native culture (the Village) and supplanting it withWestern values, products, ideals and politics (the City). were spiritually richer"(43). . andspecifically the American military bases in that nation. Politically, for the most part, there isgreater freedom of choice, greater rights, greater responsibility, and thatis also a very good thing. The basicquestion of the book is "What happens to people when the loyalties andtraditions of the village break down and are replaced by the complexitiesof the modern world [as symbolized by the City]"? Roughlyspeaking, Malaysia is more backward and poorer, but more free socially andpolitically; Singapore is much more developed, much more wealthy, but muchmore strictly run politically. is it worth developing the City if it destabilizes the countryside, resulting in slums and prostitution? . . . Ian Buruma's God's Dust: A Modern Asian Journey is an exploration ofthe effects of Westernization and development on eight nations of Asia.Buruma uses the differences between "the village" and "the city" tosymbolize the effects of Western development and progress (mainly in thecity) on the native culture (mainly represented by the village). They are happy to relax" (1 9).As in other Asian nations dominated by poor masses living in villages---whether "happy" or "relaxed" or not---Malaysia is run and exploited by "theWesternized elite," by "the corrupt Malay politician, living in hisgrotesquely palatial home, driving expensive cars" (11 ). But when Buruma considers Thailand, he takes a completely oppositepoint of view. The "Village" is Burma isessentially the military dictatorship which refuses to allow political orany other form of freedom. Politically, this shift in therelationship between the Village and the City is found to be favorable toBuruma. Thais have lost something in their quest for material well-being. . . ? If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.