Asian Value System Vs Western Value System The world can be divided broadly in to two value systems- Asian value system and Western value system on the basis of values, beliefs, norms to which they adhere to. Asian value system is in contrast to the Western value system. The values held by the Asian people are totally different from the values held by the people in western societies. So, there are also some inconsistencies between the two dominant value systems i.e. Asian Values and Western Values that lead to a situation of conflict between the two value systems. These inconsistencies are as follows
• Emphasis on collectivity rather than individuality and family plays the central role in Asian societies.
• Resolving conflicting
…show more content…
As the values differ in both the societies so the different perceptions and meaning of human rights in these two societies. So western liberal thinking is in favor of absolute individual, political and civil rights while non-western, third world values the collective and community basis of all the rights. Thus, by analysing the above situation, it seems that there is an ever going debate between the relativity versus universality and Asian values versus Western values. Despite this doctrine of international values, traditional societies often reluctant to implement such law because it threatens to constrain traditional norms that represent their cultural identity. A number of practices-such as a society’s religion, subsistence methods, marriage practices, child marriage, healing techniques, gender bias, polygamy, female and male genital mutilation form the integral part of indigenous lifestyle of these …show more content…
The Challenge of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity, Background Note from the UN Web site at http://www.un.org/.
• Donnelly, (1989). Human Rights in Theory and Practice London: Cornell University Press.
• Amien, Waheeda. 2006. “Overcoming the Conflict between the Right to Freedom of Religion and Women’s Rights to Equality: A South African Case Study of Muslim Marriages.” Human Rights Quarterly28 (3): 729-754.
• Ayton-Shenker, Diana. 1995. “The Challenge of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity.” United Nations Department of Public Information. Available online: http://www.un.org/rights/dpi1627e.htm.
• Campbell, Patricia J. and David R. Penna. 1998. “Human Rights and Culture: Beyond Universality and Relativism.” Third World Quarterly19 (1): 7-27.
• Dahre, Ulf Johansson. 2008. “The Politics of Human Rights: Indigenous Peoples and the Conflict on Collective Human Rights.” International Journal of Human Rights12 (1): 41-52.
• Lawson, S. (1998). Democracy and the problem of cultural relativism: normative issues for international politics. Global Society: Journal of Interdisciplinary International Relations, 12(2), 251–271.
• Lincoln, C. Chen, “Human Security: Concepts and Approaches.” in Matsume and Chen, Common Security in Asia:, (Tokyo: Tokyo University