| What is the West? Who are parts of the West? | | | | their cultures and traditions every day and |
| Or who defines the West? There have been | | | | is never static. This practice of continuity |
| endless questions on the western world and | | | | and constant evolution has been imbibed by |
| its various aspects. Practically speaking, | | | | the cultures worldwide. The entire human race |
| the word 'West' does not hold an | | | | takes part in new discoveries, new cultural |
| international definition; it is a social, | | | | phenomena, new pieces of art and literature, |
| cultural and political concept passed down | | | | new ideologies, and many more. |
| through ages to its present day connotation. | | | | |
| | | | The West has been particularly influential in |
| Ordinarily speaking, the Western world | | | | propagating intellectual freedom and |
| comprises the cultures and values of the | | | | individualism, both socially and politically. |
| people, who are direct descendants of the | | | | Being a democratic society, it lays the |
| European culture. Europe, North America, | | | | foundation to the supremacy of the |
| Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, etc. | | | | individual. Even capitalism, which has its |
| are some cultures which constitute the West. | | | | roots in the western world, is linked to the |
| There is a common thread running between all | | | | individualistic preferences of the West. |
| of them-they have common history, religion, | | | | Freedom of thought, freedom of speech, |
| values, beliefs and other traditions. And the | | | | freedom of life, and more, are all |
| whole of the West, taken together, with all | | | | distributaries of mainstream western |
| its prosperity and failings, have cast a deep | | | | ideologies. This, in turn, has inspired the |
| influence on other cultures worldwide. | | | | rest of the world to become individualistic |
| | | | and socially, politically, and culturally |
| The diverse aspects of the West have | | | | emancipated. |
| gradually seeped into other cultures with | | | | |
| time. And the influence is so humongous that | | | | The freedom of the western civilisation finds |
| modernization has become synonymous with | | | | palpable expression in consumerism, which |
| westernization. Huge number of cultural | | | | again has Western origins. Consumerism that |
| groups have adopted Western values and living | | | | was in a molecular form with the Occident has |
| in their day-to-day lives. And this has led | | | | now grown to such an extent that people are |
| to a lot of debate time and again. Like all | | | | no longer voracious consumers by choice, but |
| big things, the West also has its good | | | | by natural need. |
| influences and bad. Some look down upon the | | | | |
| influences of western civilization with | | | | Apart from all these, global influences of |
| contempt, while others religiously follow | | | | the West can also be traced in areas, such as |
| their footsteps. | | | | gender equality, civil rights, intellectual |
| | | | freedom, etc. Cultures will continue to grow |
| The West has always been the nerve-center for | | | | and perish in the coming centuries, but the |
| major technological progresses and social | | | | deep-rooted impact of the West will, perhaps, |
| evolution. The Westerners keep adding to | | | | never phase out. |