By:

Janet Hanson

Jessica Fields

Marcuis Carter

Molly Haddow

Robert McQueen

Tia Bouska

November 18th 2011

THE CULTURE OF INDIA

INTRODUCTION

India is a country full of diverse languages, customs, ethnicity, and religious groups. Throughout this presentation, the culture of India will be analyzed to better achieve understanding in communication toward the unfamiliar. Within this presentation we will be touching on verbal (Molly H) and nonverbal (Marcuis C) rituals, formal (Robert M) and non formal (Janet H) clothing, and gender roles (Male: Jessica F; Female: Tia B).

(Infoplease, 2005)

(Infoplease, 2005)

MALE AND FEMALE GENDER ROLESMale roles by Jessica Fields

Female roles by Tia Bouska

(Wolf, 2009)

TRADITIONAL ROLE OF WOMEN

• India is a very male dominated society, looking to woman as only wives and mothers (World Trade, P, pg.1)

• In his Manusmriti (Law of Menu), Mendu, a Hindu spiritual law giver says, “Her father protects (her) in her childhood, her husband protects (her) in marriage, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence.” Although this comes from an ancient texts, these practices are still used (World Trade, pg. 1).

• Women are treated with unequal measures, statistically showing that one and every five married women are subjected to domestic abuse (World Trade, P, pg. 1).

• An extreme example of abuse is in the form of “dowry deaths,” where newlywed women are murdered or pushed to suicide then masked as a accidents to profit more dowry (money, goods, land) (World Trade P, pg. 1).

• Women from lower classes, where traditional views are still abundant are forced to be dependent to their husbands and freedom is limited (World Trade, P, pg. 1).

CONTEMPORARY ROLE OF WOMEN• In all aspects of society, Indian women have taken on more

independent roles as the economy liberated (World Trade, P, pg. 1).

• A growing rate of woman are taking on head of household in the absence of men (World Trade, P, pg. 2).

• Even after taking their husband’s name after marriage, woman have the right to hold their assets separately World Trade, P, pg. 2).

• By India law, women have access to all educational facilities to seek higher education and follow careers goals (World Trade, p, pg. 2)..

• Government has passed various laws to protect women’s rights along with encouraging the hopes of woman to have more activity in the public (World Trade, P, pg. 1).

• Traditional practices such as child marriage, temple prostitution, and Sati (the burning of a widow alive on her husbands burial) have been completely outlawed (World Trade, P, pg. 1).

URBAN VS RURAL WOMENIndia’s economic and social classes have a lot to do with the roles women play in their families and workforce. Women from urban territories tend to practice the more “modern” side of women’s roles, whereas women from rural regions have a more traditional view on how they distinguish between independence (World Trade, P, pg. 2). Rural women work in the fields and are a huge portion of the agriculture sector, where Urban women make up the diverse part of the industrialized sectors (World Trade, P, pg. 2).

delhiwithavinash.blogspot.com

photography.nationalgeographic.com

TRADITIONAL ROLE OF MEN

• Men are dominant while women are more submissive, taking a back seat approach.

• Men are the only ones to join the workforce.

• Along with providing the financial income to the household, men traditionally decide how the money is spent.

• Men traditionally do not do housework. Instead, they go out to socialize with other men and worship at the temple everyday after working. (Aruna, Personal Communication. October 21st, 2011)

http://www.missionary-blogs.com/images/men-of-india.jpg

CONTEMPORARY ROLE OF MEN

• Men and women are able to converse in more of an equal sense. Women play major roles in the household also.

• Men take part in helping in the household and help women with the cooking.

• Men are not the only ones allowed to work in the household; women are also allowed to work and bring in money.

• Men take part in helping raise the children and don’t leave all of the work to the men (Trivedi, 2008)

http://cdn4.gbot.me/photos/Ur/IO/1299010011/The_Three_Wise_Men_in_Lit-India-20000000001560446-500x375.jpg

ROLE OF MEN IN MARRIAGE

• Men do not chose their wives, their parents do, and men do not meet the wives they are to marry until 3 months prior to the wedding.

• Men can divorce their wives if their wife does not give him sons, causing a high divorce rate.

• If a married male in the family dies, the eldest male in the family will then assume responsibility for the wife and children by taking care of them.

• Once married the father-in-law and males that are older than the bride are not allowed to look at the bride face to face. The bride must wear a veil when speaking to these men.

• Most middle aged men do not remarry if they a widowed. The young men are normally the only people who get remarried. (Aruna, Personal Communication. October 21st, 2011)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VteNgA8CAp4/TS4whGmYqKI/

AAAAAAAAAX0/uRttmN5c4tM/s640/4.jpg

CLOTHING IN INDIAInformal clothing by Janet Hanson

Formal clothing by Robert McQueen

(“Kahaani Ghar,” 2008)

INFORMAL INDIAN DRESS

• India is a country that has a magical and mystifying allure, with bright colored clothing, bangles and bells. It is diverse in culture and religion. It is through their choice of clothing that they communicate their social status or caste, religion, region, age and educational background. (Shukla. P, 2008).

• The scarf or dupatta, is worn mostly by women, and can vary in style or print. It is draped over the breast, then hangs vertically down the back and over one shoulder to the front part of the body. Since it is usually flimsy, sheer cloth, it can also be used to cover her head and face for modesty purposes.(Shukla,P. 2008).

SALWAR SUIT

The most common piece of informal clothing that is worn by men and women of India, is the Salwar suit, that consists of a three piece outfit. The pant, the most common choice is the Churider pyjama, it has a tightfitting drawstring waist, then the material blousons to the ankles and is fastened with tight fitting snaps. The tunic or Kurta, is varied in cut, it can be tight or loosely fitted to the body, and have either short or long sleeves. The most common feature of the Kurta is its length, it will always fall between the upper thigh or well below the knee. The men will wear these pants with a jacket to complete their everyday ensemble. (Shukla,P. 2008).

http://www.greatspectrum.com

THE SARI• The sari is another form of clothing that communicates

the age and the status of women. The styles of cloth ultimately are chosen by the men, since they are the buyers of the cloth and the weavers. Women may posses several sari’s, some for everyday wear and others for special occasions. The sari is one piece of unstitched cloth, giving a statement of being pure, this is why they are usually purchased by brides to be or married women of India. They are worn with a blouse and petticoats. They are usually chosen for their weave, color and texture (Shukla,P. pg 68).

• The younger brides usually choose the bright, bolder colors of red, orange or yellow, to communicate their youth in their Sari. These colors will also be chosen for their ghunfat, the veil that young brides wear to cover their faces from the men in the household. The more mature married women will choose the lighter colors of blues and pale yellows to communicate their presence in the family. When a women becomes a widow, she will only wear the colors of white, black or brown to signify mourning. (Aruna, personal communication, October 21st,2011).

http://www.ehow.com/how_7782408_drape-indian-sari.html

SHERWANI

The sherwani is a long coat that buttons up the front and hangs down usually below the knee. Men spend lavish amounts of money for these formal wears in preparation for their wedding night or special occasions. The sherwani is an expression of ones wealth and style (Johnson 1996). The sherwani contains a nehru collar which stands up. The clothing gets its origin from Pakistan, but has been adopted by the Indian culture.

www.culturalindia.net/indian-clothing/sherwani.html

LEHENGA CHOLI

The lehenga choli is also a formal dress that is more modern. The lehenga choli are dresses that are embroidered with stones, zari, crystals, cori, mirrors, and sequins. This dress is more form fitting and meant to accent the curves of the body (Johnson 1996).

www.fashiontipsforall.com/lehenga-choli/

RELIGION IN INDIAVerbal rituals by Molly Haddow

(About, n.d.)

HINDUISM• Hinduism began around 1500 BCE and is the third largest religion in the world.

It accounts for about 80% of people in India.

• While lacking a unified system of beliefs and ideas, it combines very diverse traditions and beliefs. The dharma controls ones ethics and duties, it acts as the law or natural law. The samsara controls the rebirth, or reincarnation. Karma is controlled by performing the right action. The Moksha is liberation from the samsara cycle. (Das, n.d.)

• Hinduism is an all inclusive way of life. The purpose of life is to attain freedom from the reincarnation cycle. To do this one must live life following the dharma. If successful and ones karma is resolved, they will attain moksha. If ones karma is unsuccessful, their soul will enter the samsara cycle and be born into a new body. (Das, n.d.)

• Worship can occur at home or at temples so that one can think of divinity during every day life. Shrines are created at home with icons to celebrate their chosen god.

• Devout Hindus worship daily after bathing at dawn. Worship includes chanting mantras, reciting scriptures, singing hymns or meditating.

• Special occasions like birth, marriage and death, involve elaborate sets of religious customs. These rituals are called samskaras.

SAMSKARAS RITUALS

• There are 16 main samskaras. They are rituals and sacrifices that cover every aspect of the Hindu life, from conception to death (Ayer, n.d).

• There are two categories of samskaras. One is to encourage kindness from the gods. The other is to keep away or get rid of hostile and evil powers.

• Ceremonies can be used to influence many things including health, wealth, intelligence, fertility and social status. It brings man or woman to their highest potential physically, psychically and spiritually to achieve the highest level of all-round human welfare.

• Max Muller explained the ceremonies as “the deep-rooted tendency in the heart of man to bring the chief events to human life into contact with a higher power, and to give to our joys and sufferings a deeper significance and a religious sanctification.” (Ayer, n.d.)

EXAMPLE OF A SAMSKARAS

• Namakarana is a ceremony for naming the child normally performed on the 10th or 12th day after birth. The father of the child and the priest invite guests over to start the ceremony.

• The child is bathed and dressed in nice clothes. Several mantras are said as the parents provide offerings to the gods and feel the breath of their child to symbolize the awakening of its consciousness. They then speak into the child’s ear three times to say “Your name is…” Once they are done, the elders of the group will also tell the child its name. (Ayer, n.d.)

(Sudhi, 2010)

NON-VERBAL CUSTOMSNon-verbal rituals by Macuis Carter

(“Moving and Relocation, 2007)

GREETINGS

When greeting an elder, there is also a touching of the feet of the elder, with the right hand, then touching your chest. After this, is the palms pressed together.

(Caper, n.d)

GESTURES

• Out of respect, it is common to remove ones shoes at places of worship, when visiting homes, and even in certain shops and businesses.

• People beckon one another by extending an arm and making a scratching motion with their fingers, palm facing down.

• The head wobble can mean various things depending on angle, expression and speed.

• One usually eats with their right hand, as the left is considered unclean.

(Culture Crossing, n.d.)

SYMBOLS

• A tilak is a ritual mark made on the forehead between the eyebrows representing greeting, blessing or auspiciousness.

• A bindi is an auspicious mark on a married Indian woman’s forehead, symbolizing Goddess Pavarti and female energy.

(Caper Travel Company LTD, n.d)

CONCLUSION

We have seen how the culture of India communicates through all sources of verbal and nonverbal use. From the Sari and Bindi of the married India women, to their religion of Hinduism, where the people pray to their Dharma, in the hopes of attaining Karma. We have seen how the society has moved forward in allowing women to work and receive an education. These are all positive ways that communication has helped bring India that much closer into the twentieth century. By each of us understanding more about the gender roles, age, religion, appearance and the culture of India in general we can learn to be more tolerant and adapt our communication techniques to build stronger relationships.

OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS

• 1. What was one thing your were surprised to learn about the culture in India? How would this affect your communication with someone from India, if you met them?

• 2. After listening to this presentation, if you were going to India tomorrow, would you feel you would be able to adjust to the new culture better and be more prepared? Why

• 3. What other information would you have wanted to learn about India other than what was in the presentation?

• 4. Does India practice a masculine or feminine culture? What component from the presentation lead you to this conclusion?

REFERENCES CITED• Aruna, Personal Communication, Oct 21 2011.

• Ayer, Sri VAK (n.d.). Sacraments – Samskaras. Retrieved November 5, 2011 from http://www.hinduism.co.za/sacramen.htm

• Caper Travel Company LTD (n.d.). Customs in India. Caper. Retrieved from http://www.capertravelindia.com/india/customs-in-india.html

• Das, Subhamoy (n.d.). Major Hindu Symbols. Retrieved November 17, 2011 from http://hinduism.about.com/od/artculture/a/major_hindu_symbols.htm

• Das, Subhamoy (n.d.). Hinduism for Beginners. Retrieved November 3, 2011 from http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/p/hinduismbasics.htm

• Hebbar, Jishnu (2010, March). Jishnu’s Namakarana photos. Yelagodumane Hebbars’ Spicysudhi. Retrieved November 6, 2011 from http://www.sudhi.com/add-on/slog/template_permalink.asp?id=364#

• India (2005). Countries of the World. Retrieved on November 17, 2011 from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107629.html

• India Gestures (n.d.). Culture Crossing. Retrieved from http://www.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=13&CID=96

• India’s rural job portals covering new grounds (2009, October). Oneworld.net. Retrieved November 11 2011 from http://southasia.oneworld.net/ictsfordevelopment/indias-rural-job-portals-covering-new-grounds

REFERENCES CITED (CONTINUED)• Johnson, G. (1996). Cultural Atlas of India. Oxfordshire, England.

• Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii bids adieu… (2008, October). India-Forums. Retrieved November 17, 2011 from http://www.india-forums.com/tellybuzz/news-releases/3318-kahaani-ghar-ghar-kii-bids-adieu.htm

• The Importance of Nonverbal Communication (2007). Expats Moving and Relocation Guide. Retrieved on November 17, 2011 from http://www.expats-moving-and-relocation-guide.com/nonverbal-communication.html#index

• Shukla, P. (2008). The Grace of Four Moons. Bloomington. IN: Indiana University Press.

• Trivedi, G. (2008, April). India's views on gender roles. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1005430-indias-views-on-gender-roles

• Wolf, N. (2009, June). Feminism and the ‘Male Brain.’ Welt. Retrieved November 17, 2011 from http://www.welt.de/international/article3874549/Feminism-and-the-Male-Brain.html

• Workers Planting Rice, India (2003, June). National Geographic. Retrieved November 11, 2011 from  http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/workers-planting-rice-india_pod_image.html

• World Trade Press (2010). India Women in Culture, Business and Travel. Petaluma, CA: World Trade Press.