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