Encroachment of Foreign Culture in Nepal

Encroachment of Foreign Culture in Nepal

We all are somehow a part of the western culture now. How? We all love going to parties, dressing up cool, enjoy listening to English songs, watching Hollywood movies and all, don’t we? Of course. Well, where do you think all of that came from? They’re from “The West” or more like from the foreign culture. Western culture has both positive and negative impact on our lives. The impact has been so deep that you don’t have to go far to find it in Nepal. Each and every home and every sphere of life have been influenced by western culture. From our education system to food and food habits, from our music taste to our lifestyle, they all carry a western pattern somehow. Nepal has become more westernized in the last decade. Not every change is bad though, but it’s not inaccurate to say we’ve somewhat lost our Nepaliness.

Here are some of the impacts in Nepal from a Foreign Culture.

Nepali Education System

Nepali students studying in class.

Nepali Education System. Image Credit: Samachar

There was “Gurukul” system of education in Nepal. Students had to go to the teacher’s home, read and learn along with serving the teacher. But today, our school system has changed, and it has changed in a way no one could have ever thought of. Our education system has been adopted by western culture. Nowadays, the English language is given more emphasis than the Nepali language. The medium of teaching is also English. However, the sad part of this system is that the schools that are Nepali medium are known to be “second rate” or “low standard” schools. A person who can communicate in English is known to be smarter than a person who cannot. It implies that not only have we been taken to western styles, we also admire only them. I know the development of the educational sector is important for everyone, but in the name of development, we should not forget where we come from .

Food habits

Nepali Cuisine.

Nepali Cuisine. Image Credit: http://culturalmosaic-nepal.weebly.com/

Food habit of Nepalese has greatly changed due to the influence of western cuisine. In early ages, most of the Nepalese people needed a belly full of rice to satisfy their hunger, however, in today’s life, there is “pizza culture”. People go to restaurants with their family and friends to have western food like pizza, burger, spaghetti, and so on. There are so many castes and culture in Nepal with their authentic food habits. Magars, Newars, Gurungs, etc. have the culture of drinking special local wine prepared at their own home. But slowly, the western culture has influenced this area too. They have started drinking beer and many other western drinks instead of our local wine. Most of the people were farmers in the past but nowadays, the culture of buying food from the market is increasing. People are more into finding jobs in offices and factories rather than farming at home. This is also the reason behind the lack of production in Nepal.

Lifestyle

Western Culture has a great impact on the lifestyle of Nepalese people. We have started living the western life. Not all of us but most of us are now living as per the western culture. From our shopping habits to dressing sense to our home furnishings are all inspired by the west.

Shopping habit

Big Mart Nepal.

Shopping in Nepal. Image Credit: My Holiday Nepal

Shopping at the departmental stores and shopping malls is the next impact of foreign culture in Nepal. A lot of shopping malls and departmental stores are established in most of the city areas of Nepal. Most of the items found in shopping malls and departmental stores are imported from American countries. This has caused the business of local shops to dwindle. Many small shopkeepers are having to shut down because no one buys there anymore.

Dressing sense

Kids wearing Nepali National Dress.

Nepali National Dress. Image Credit: THE GUNDRUK POST

Most of the teenagers, youth and even the elderly prefer wearing jeans and a t-shirt than Nepali dress. I won’t deny that it is really comfortable to wear. But, once there was a system of wearing the national dress – “daura suruwal and dhaka topi” by men and “gunyo choli and patuki” by women in Nepal. But nowadays, it’s the other way around, we rarely get to see those clothing. Fashionable clothes are slowly replacing our national dress and we are unaware of that fact. Even in marriages, we opt to wear Suits and Gowns instead of our cultural clothing.

Conclusion

Copying Western popular culture and values has become a thing to do. It’s like Pop culture. Adapting to these changes is like betraying our old way of life, which we have obtained from our ancestors. Updating is important and good but getting washed off by the influence is wide off the mark.

Should this continue, days when the Nepali civilization and culture would be present only in Museums, buried not by others but by the Nepalese themselves are not too far away.

Western culture is known to be the most advanced culture around the globe and we can see the impact of that everywhere.  What do you think about the impact of foreign culture in our country? Let us know in the comments section.