They say that hindsight is 20/20. There are many who support that colonization was a good thing for the planet. I do not support that view. I am from India. I am an Indian. So of course, I can go on and on about how we were a first world country and look where colonization brought us. That we were stripped of our wealth and resources and never recovered from it. I am also most certain that dozens of other countries who’ve been colonized also feel the same way. As contentious an issue colonization is, majority of people believe that it has had far reaching negative consequences. Let us look at some of the social effects of colonization and how it has led to erosion of traditional practices and continues to affect the colonized cultures with an unshakable sense of shame.
Imposing religio – political systems and practices on the regions they ruled. In most countries Western aka cold climate traditions were imposed including religion. World over, tribal practices have been wiped out. Concepts of modesty and validity have changed forever. For example, in ancient India or lets say the India before westerners invaded us, our culture was more egalitarian and earth conscious in terms of clothing, understanding gender and gender fluidity, food habits, day to day practices and rituals. Now, with the imposition of Western views, many biases that did not exist previously have become a part of the fabric of our society. Social taboos that did not exist are now a part of our collective consciousness in tandem with the western worldview.
There was a freedom of choice practicing or not practicing religion or a certain way of life. But thanks to the Western outlook participating in organized religion is the only way to be. Practicing nonbelief, atheism, or alternate ways of being are frowned upon. There are ample archeological evidences which suggest acceptance and ways of life in which many biases did not exist but thanks to Western views being imposed they are now part of the fabric of my society. Gender biases and the prominent divide amongst the various economic strata are just a couple of examples.
In the past we were manipulated to feel lesser about our own culture and about our sense of self worthiness. And because of this thick layer of colonialism, even today we i.e. the colonized are taught to look down upon our own practices and traditions. We are forever caught up in a whitewashed way of thinking. This has an overarching impact on the mental health of the colonized. There is a constant struggle to find one’s true identity, there is a sense of disconnection from one’s cultural heritage. In many cases this can lead to feelings of confusion, anxiety and even depression.
Imposing their language. This one is key and continues to directly plague us till date. In fact, it gets worse. According to recent studies, hundreds of languages have become extinct thanks to “globalization” and its need for one language. World over, the newer generations are obsessed with learning English and other Latin based languages at the cost of paying little or no heed to their own languages. I can say from personal experience, my own native language skills are limited compared to my parents whose were limited compared to their parents, and I see the next generations struggling with even a regular conversation in their native language.
What’s noteworthy for the upcoming generations is that they attach a certain sense of shame and embarrassment to acknowledging to even knowing their native language. Language is about cultural cues and mindsets. With learning only western languages, the next generations are also learning western mindsets and looking down upon their rich cultural heritage. The desperation to try to ‘fit in’ can lead to feelings of inadequacy and shame.
Imposing their food. As with language, the same can be said about food consumption habits. Our food culture continues to be destroyed due to overactive marketing tactics of western food companies. It is a complex dilemma where food and health are at high risk. Today, as the west looks towards other cultures for healthy eating habits and lifestyles, it is still greedily imposing unhealthy food practices on the rest of the world. They might have been pushed out years ago, but bullying in the form of impositions by the ilks of ‘world forums’ and ‘united fronts’ can all be seen as strategic moves to make sure that the third world remains thus. How we treat ourselves is a direct reflection of our mental health and that begins with our eating habits and lifestyles. Thus, this practice of bullying doesn’t just impact our physical health but imposes problems with our self-care followed by mental health as well.
Imposing that western education systems are the best. I may sound like a hypocrite to say this, considering most of my education has been in the western education system. But I stand by my statement. I have had the fortune of also tasting the traditional education system of my own culture. From a westernized mindset, I would say, they both have their pros and cons. However, what ignites my passion to speak for traditional education is that the west has systematically eroded these systems to almost dust.
Again, there are archeological evidences that support that these traditional education systems right from India to Mayan to African cultures were so great that the threat of being exposed as swindlers and illusionists of superiority led the western world to systematically eradicate our equivalent of universities and knowledge centers. It is a shame that now we see a bit of the reverse (though not because of the fear of being seen as tricksters…) only in movies, only as fiction and fantasy. We pay money to watch a movie like the Black Panther, and Avatar to see advanced knowledge centers and get wowed, not knowing that such knowledge centers existed centuries ago in all the ancient civilizations.
I could go on and on about how there are other deep rooted issues. All these issues are a new reality and yet somehow, when we are all dealing with preserving the traditional, it can be confusing and debilitating. Worry of preserving the traditions is subconsciously handed down from generation to generation. Good practices are at times shoved down the next generations’ throats as discipline and regulation, instead of a way of life and love for the planet and the community. All these implications have spiraling effect to further erode and not strengthen the culture. The impact of this erosion cannot be understated, especially on the long term effects on the mental health of the oppressed. Loss of identity, sense of disconnection, confusion are all real deep rooted issues.
Colonization has had the most horrific and long lasting effects on numerous cultures. In a manner, it continues to bully and strip us of our wealth. Former colonies are now free nations with a permanent layer, a fog of being whitewashed into self-doubts, looking at their own cultural heritages with a hair splitting lens of a narrow western viewpoint. The confidence to be excellent too is sought from the western viewpoint. I think this is a devastating kind of damage done to our collective consciousness. This oppression has a profound impact on the mental health of the oppressed. The imposition of Western religion, language, food habits, education systems and other socio-economic burdens has led to the destruction of traditional practices and a sense of shame among affected cultures. The loss of cultural heritage can lead to feelings of confusion, anxiety, and depression, which can have far-reaching consequences. It is essential to acknowledge the impact of colonization and work towards preserving traditional practices and cultural heritage to promote positive mental health outcomes.
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