This past week, I spent some time talking to my friend Sandeep Venkata from Delhi, India about the cultural differences between the American culture which Puerto Rico follows and India. One of the differences we discussed was family relations. One of the major differences that can be seen between American and Indian culture is in family relations. While the Indians are very much family oriented, the Americans are individual oriented. In Indian culture, the family values are given more prominence than the individual values. Indians respect family values. On the other hand, in American culture, the individual values have more prominence than the family values. Indians are more committed to their family and family traditions whereas the Americans are more committed to their own individual goals.
In another sense, it can be said that the American culture is more goal oriented and the Indian culture is more people or family oriented. Indians may even forsake their individual wishes and happiness for the sake of their families. But in American culture, this trend is uncommon for an individual.
Unlike the Indians, the Americans plan things ahead. The Americans believe in dominating nature and controlling the environment around them. On the contrary, Indians believe in harmony with nature. Sandeep and I noticed how in the American culture, people like more, distance, more space, between each other. In Puerto Rico and Indian, there are more personal and physical interactions between people in casual settings.
Another difference that can be seen between Indian culture and American culture is that the Indians love stability whereas the Americans love mobility. In American culture, one can see that society promotes individuals to have the qualities of self-reliance and independent. On the other hand, Indians are more dependent on others.
There is a difference in the transition from childhood to adulthood. The difference between familial decisions and an individual’s decision. While the children in the US are brought up to live an independent life, the children in India are not brought up in the same way. In the U.S. once a child reaches adulthood, they must find a path for themselves to achieve their preferred careers, marriage, and life goals. Every individual makes their own decisions. In Indian culture, when a kid becomes an adult, the whole family sits down with the child and together they decide the child’s career, who they are going to marry and other life goals. Elders have a great influence on the decisions.
Respect for elders is an important social norm in Indian. Sandeep discussed how especially in someone’s own family the elders in your own family are highly respected. He told me how young people must touch his or her elders’ feet as a traditional gesture of respect toward elders.
There is the difference between love marriage and arranged marriage which is still the most popular form of marriage in Indian. An arranged marriage is a marriage which is arranged by persons other than those who are getting married, usually by the couple’s parents. On the other hand, love marriage is a marriage which is arranged by the partners themselves. Sandeep’s parents are in an arranged marriage, but Sandeep has no interest in an arranged marriage for himself. It is interesting to notice the differences in the mentalities between Sandeep and me because of the culture we were raised in.
Coming from an indian family myself I see these differences between american and indian family dynamics. When I go to India, we have so many relatives that we naturally become family oriented. But due to the fact that we have limited relatives here in the states, we become more individualistic. It’s an interesting transition that you pointed out that makes us wonder if that is because of our countries ideals.
I found it interesting how your friend saw the pros and cons of both cultures. For instance how Sandeep does not want an arranged marriage like his parents, but also sees how India is more cohesive and less self-centered than America. I also really like how you not only focused on how India is more family focused than America, but also how America cherishes mobility while most of the world cherishes stability.
It’s really cool that you get to have these interactions with people from cultures and customs! Your blog is so educational and will be great to read throughout the semester. The classes I’m taking currently aren’t really going to cover stuff like this.