Cultural Syncretism

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Cultural Syncretism

Cultural syncretism is the interaction of two or more different cultures with different beliefs that occur out of people from different cultures with different beliefs and values migrating or interacting with people from another culture (Walker, 2001). Cultural syncretism is all over the world today, and no country or culture can claim not to have had external influence from a different culture (Twiss & Dawson, 2000). However, some countries have had cultural syncretism more than others, or to a bigger extent than others have such as Africa and America, that embraced the western culture faster than other countries such as China and India that resisted cultural syncretism. India and China resisted cultural syncretism since they had strong cultural beliefs, which they considered superior to others, a fact that has had a significant impact in relation to the current world, on issues such as politics and governance. Had these two countries adopted syncretism, they could be different from what they are today.
Syncretism happened through exploration of the world and during colonization by the western countries such as English, French, Spain and Portugal among others that entered other countries and influenced the cultures they found there (Twiss & Dawson, 2000). Comparing syncretism in Africa and America to China and India, it is evident that the later two still have many different cultures from the former two. The former two regions America and Africa have cultures with the western elements, where must African countries have cultural diversities that are closely related with the western culture. On the other hand, in China and India, many different cultures without any western cultures still exist.

Some of the syncretism that can be seen in many countries is such as education systems. In Africa, culture dictated the passing of education through apprenticeship. Here, people learnt through observation. However, after syncretism, they adopted the formal education systems of western culture. In addition, their cultural governments were through elders in a village. Today, they have adopted the western culture where governing is done through chiefs, district officers among other positions elected democratically. In addition, they adopted political ideologies of the west, where they practice democracy through electing leaders. Through this interaction, African and American cultures adopted the ways of the western culture that have continued to shape these countries. On the other hand, the resistance in China and India led to holding of their culture and blocked interaction with the western culture (Das, 2004). This had a serious impact considering china and India have been different from other countries in terms of democracy, religion and social issues.

If America had not embraced syncretism, it would be very different from today, and the most democratic country we know may not even be the near democracy. America was divided into many culturally diversified groups before the entry of the Europeans, and was habited by many Indians, who were at constant fights with them. When they embraced the western culture, due to oppression from all benefits going to the Europeans, they had to unite to fight for democracy (Twiss & Dawson, 2000). In addition, this opened up America to the rest of the world, where they were able to engage in trading. More so, they got new methods of farming that started building their economy. The most significant was the embracing of democracy and the western type of government, and created a federal constitution that united the whole of America. Had syncretism not happened in America, probably even today they would still be divided into states.

On the other hand, had it been the opposite for China, it could probably be the opposite, with China the most powerful country in the world. Considering China was opened up to public in 1979 when it was still struggling economically, it has undergone tremendous growth after allowing some syncretism. Currently, has the second biggest gross domestic product after United States. This means that it has grown at an alarming rate, and might overtake America to become the leading in terms of GDP. The same way, India has started to embrace cultural syncretism, and its economy is growing at an alarming rate like China. Had these two countries embraced syncretism in the early encounters, they would probably be in the position of United States, in terms of economic development and democracy (Twiss & Dawson, 2000). China is not fully democratic yet, while Indians still practice some of their cultural systems such as the caste systems.

References

Twiss, R. & Dawson, J. (2000). One Church, Many Tribes. New York, NY: Gospel Light Publications

Walker, S.S. (2001). African Roots/American Cultures: Africa in the Creation of the Americas. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield