Westernization

About: Westernization is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1154 publications have been published within this topic receiving 15791 citations. The topic is also known as: occidentalization.

Cultural identity and convergence on western attitudes and beliefs in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract: Studies of acculturation have assumed that, under pressure to assimilate, individuals will accommodate by adopting behavioural and attitudinal attributes of the local, dominant culture. In contrast, this empirical study based in the United Arab Emirates used an original survey instrument, together with a range of convergent analytic techniques, to demonstrate pervasive westernization in the Arab and subcontinental-dominant communities. In addition, the study demonstrates a novel use of multiple discriminant analysis to explore differences between cultural and personal identities, a potentially useful tool for the cross-cultural management literature. In contrast to other studies, we examine how individuals perceive themselves as deviating from their home cultures in a context where there is minimal pressure to conform to the local culture and commercial globalization is given free reign. We show that non-westerners perceived themselves both as more deviant from their home societies than those from western...

Contesting for Turkey's Political ‘Centre’: Domestic Politics, Identity Conflicts and the Controversy over EU Membership

Abstract: ‘Westernization’ has been a major goal for Turkish political elites in the contemporary era. The roots of this interest can be traced to the late Ottoman times. Westernization in this context is synonymous with modernization, progress and reaching the highest civilizational standards; in other words, obtaining a first division status in terms of economic performance, democratic credentials and other performance criteria that one could identify. Becoming a member of the European ‘club’ was a natural objective in this direction. Although frequent references have been made regarding the value of Turkish membership in terms of its contribution to fostering inter-civilization dialogue, possible economic benefits and enhancement of European security, there is no doubt that the primary emphasis has been on the role that EU membership could play in Turkey's own national transformation. Indeed, in the recent era, the dramatic impact of the Europeanization process in Turkey can be observed, motivated by the signal ...

Islamic Legal System and the Westernization Process in the Nigerian Emirates

Abstract: (1982). Islamic Legal System and the Westernization Process in the Nigerian Emirates. The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law: Vol. 14, No. 20, pp. 69-93.

Restoring a Lost Identity: Models of Education in Modern Islamic Thought

Abstract: Education occupied a central position in modern Islamic thought. It aimed at purifying faith, but also at nurturing activism in the service of Islam and the community. Education was required to be holistic, strengthening both soul and body. It embraced all aspects of life and was conveyed by diverse means, ranging from communal involvement to political revolution. The broad scope of this education was impelled by the comprehensiveness of the Islamic religion, but also by the multifaceted nature of Westernization itself. The corrupting presence of hedonistic culture backed by indigenous regimes heightened the functional aspect of the pedagogic realm in Islamic discourse more than ever before. Re-education was perceived as the main lever for achieving cultural authenticity and as a core component of identity politics. The paper offers a contextualized reading of education in Islamic thought, an issue largely overlooked in the scholarly literature, which has focused more on socio-political aspects of the mod...

Contemporary Media Sport: De- or Re-Westernization?

Abstract: Contemporary media sports culture is dominated by the West, and media sport studies has tended to focus on Western contexts The Asia Pacific region is now a more significant feature of the global media sports cultural complex, however, through the increasingly lucrative export of Western sport television rights and merchandising, the staging of megamedia sports events in the region, the conspicuous role of sport stars from the Asia Pacific in Western sport competitions, and, in some cases, even a shift in the balance of institutional and economic power from West to East Drawing mainly on the cases of association football (soccer), cricket, and basketball, this article identifies the complex and multidirectional flows of labor, capital, images, identities, and audiences into, from, and within the Asian media sports environment It considers whether such developments might constitute de-, re-, or even post-Westernization and proposes the necessity of closer attention to these issues in critical media spor