the school of philosophy

“Colonial rule projected western science as the ultimate source of knowledge and western values as supreme. Stereotypes of oppressed non-western women had their counterpart in the male, rational western culture, coming to their rescue, both metaphorically and literally. Unfortunately, these stereotypes became so entrenched in the psyche of post-colonial nation builders that they and even third-world feminist activists confuse development with “westernization.” The fallacy of such an assumption becomes clear when one takes a glance at the realities of everyday life where crimes against women and poverty and marginalization of the masses is exploding in the most urban metropolises with the highest exposure to modernization and globalization. Urban India is replete with rising incidences of crimes against women. Conservative supporters of westernization would attribute such malaise to “tradition.” But rational thought points to globalization, with its emphasis on material values, consumerism and “trashing” of traditional knowledge. Globalization has eroded the traditional resource base as well as the knowledge and power associated with it.”
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Globalization and modernity in India: A gendered critique by Subhadra Mitra Channa (via sitaronse)