Cultural Differences

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Our country is made up of different castes and cultures which is a unique example in the world. We have different people living together in one community so there is unity in diversity. At least we have 5+ castes living together in any community. The rating of them is on the basis of their castes. In Nepal the division of caste is much prevalent and their culture is somehow different though they have been living in the same community. So we have been able to preserve diversity in unity.

Mostly, I have seen different castes of people residing in a house in city areas. They have been living in rented rooms and follow their own culture and norms. However, we have different values which are much different than our norms that we have been able to keep them together. It helps in cultural production rather than reproduction, the theory developed by Pierre Bordieu in 1920s decade. The context of social reproduction and production would come with certain norms like to follow the same social practices and to follow the new one respectively. Those who have followed the tradition with strict rules and regulations have been known as reproductive person. Those who have followed new norms and values would be rated as productive person.

I have seen that the city living has promoted the productive culture in our society. We have been able to learn new norms or practices of different castes at a time. Different people have settled in one house and we can have experience of such norms while living with them. They have different rituals which is quite different than one another. The people from Mountain region have got different culture than the people of Hilly people; and Terai people have different culture in comparison to others.

Mostly Mountainous people have celebrated Lhosar festival which falls toward the beginning of spring season. On the other hand, Hilly people have celebrated Dashain and Tihar which fall on autumn season. Similarly, Terai people have celebrated the festivals like the Hilly people with some differences. However, the norms they follow while celebrating their festival is much different. For example Hilly people have taken Dashain as the festival of killing of hegoats whereas Terai people have celebrated Dashain by fasting. So we can find differences in rituals to celebrate the same festival by feasting and fasting respectively at the same time.

If we see the Western culture they have celebrated Christmas once a year which is rated as the monoculture of them. They have promoted solo-culture in which we can’t get diversity. It suggests that they don’t have different feelings and experiences in their life. Nepalese have cultural differences within a small community which the Westerns have lacked. They have monotonous life style in comparison to us. We celebrate festivals but Westerns have gone for tour so the differences lie between them and us in culture practices.

Our monthly or fortnightly religious festivals have provided us the opportunity to visit different places, people; whereas Westerns should have planned to visit different places from their boring work schedule. So our culture is complete in itself in comparison to the Western culture in which we can get the flavor of unity in diversity.