Cultural Values & Modernity in Asia

In a recent article in WARC, Remona shared her views and a few examples on Advertising and Asian culture: Yin and Yang. As a strategic planner, she is always trying to dig deeper into these phenomenons so as to better understand them and adapt her thinking accordingly.

While I am not as knowledgeable about it as she is on this subject, as an expatriate having lived in Malaysia for 8 years now, I have experienced this dichotomy a few times.

For examples, as a true French, I like to discuss politics, religion and other “intellectual” subjects around a good meal with friends and family and am not afraid of having heated arguments about it with them. We usually end up agreeing to disagree when finishing our coffees and move on to digestive with a good laugh.

These kind of discussions and exchanges are rare in Malaysia. Traditionally, one do not challenge elders on such subjects. So most simply don’t talk about them.

Because of this, I believe many Malaysians feel a disconnect between themselves and politics or religion that is not healthy. They simply ignore these subjects until their lives are directly affected by it. They welcome the government hand-outs, but do not ask where these come from or what they cost. They do not challenge or question religious views they may hear from a neighborhood religious leader. And so on.

Modernity requires one to be able to question things and make his own choices. Which can be difficult to reconcile with local cultural values. In the end, it leads to a shadow world where all political discussion and debate happens online. As a result, opinions and pre-conceptions are reinforced, which create an ever bigger gap between the older generations who bid their times and wish to enjoy the benefits of traditional values, and the younger ones who wish to enjoy the benefits of living in a modern world.

If only they could exchange about it around around a good nasi lemak or nasi ayam so as to better understand where each are coming from…