East West

 The leader assumes supreme status. He
has a great bearing on the general
public.
 The relationships in the eastern cultures
are family centric. Couples for example
need to pass through family approvals.
 Religion in the eastern society is given
more importance.
 Women are still regarded as those who
would sacrifice professional life and
career in favour of rearing children and
taking care of the family.
 Discussing something as basic and
important as child birth or sex is still a
taboo in the East.
 The East, in terms of attitude, is known
for its holistic view. The preference of
the latter is to come to a well-rounded
and all-inclusive solution which applies
across the table.
 People express their emotions in a
subtle way.
 The concept of equality is taken more
seriously and a leader is just one among
the rest. He is not looked as above and
over the general public.
 The self is given preference over family
and hence decisions on priority and
relevance of relationships are of the
individual.
 Religion has less importance compared
to the east.
 A female in the west is free to decide
her priorities and something as basic as
when to marry or even bear children.
 The West is known for its openness and
the ease with which several topics (e.g.
sex) are discussed across generations.
 When it comes to attitude, the West
could be thought of as analytical and
detailed. The focus on the problem at
hand and arrive at an outcome based of
the pros and cons of that particular
problem.
 People express their emotions openly
and directly.

Questions
1. Do you agree with the differentiation between the West and East?
Yes, I somehow agree with most the differences between the west and the east
because based from my experience western countries as a whole have always been
liberated compared to the eastern countries which is more traditional and conservative
but I can’t really say that I agree to all of it because of the fact that the each country’s
people and culture are also developing and growing. People’s mind begin to be more
open compared to our predecessors, people begin to adapt in our modern society today
which is why I can’t say that I agree to all of it especially in the Eastern society.

2. Where can you find the Philippines in the distinction?

I can find the Philippines more in the eastern society. Aside from the fact that
Philippines is one of the eastern countries Philippines most of the characteristics from
the table relates to the characteristics of a Filipino and the country itself. Filipinos have
always been really close to God, almost all of the people here in the Philippines are
religious, others may be Islam or other religions but we always have a God to worship
and that guide our actions with. Filipinos as a whole is still very conservative and
traditional compared to western countries like United States, we still believe that “sex”
must only be given to the person that you will share your lifetime to.
3. What are the factors that make the Philippines similar or different from its Asian
neighbours?
One of the factors that makes us similar to other Asian countries is we value our
tradition very much. China and Japan are two of the major countries that I can relate in
terms of traditions, up until now they still follow their own traditions especially when they
are wearing the Qi Pao. It is one of the traditions that Chinese women are wearing
during important event. Even though we are in the 21 st century, they do not forget about
their own culture and tradition. Similar with the Philippines, even though modern
clothing may lead us to wearing long gowns and suits, we still share the value of
wearing the barong tagalog and filipiniana. It may not be used as usual from the past
but still people use and value this as our national clothing. Filipinos still used this during
special occasions like weddings, conventions and events especially during the so called
“Buwan ng wika” or in August. In terms of difference of the major factors that makes us
distinct from other Asian countries is that we are a Christian country or most Filipinos
worship God or Jesus. Philippines as we all know is one of the countries that values the
Church so much, the country in fact made the Church independent to the government
so that it can have its own voice. Other countries like China and Vietnam have religions
like Buddhism and Hinduism and unlike Philippines that only worship one God, other
Asian countries worship many gods.
4. Is there also a difference between regions or ethnolinguistic groups in the
Philippines?
Yes, there are many differences between different regions or ethnolinguistic
groups in the Philippines, other groups especially those in the mountains are still very
traditional, modern technologies still hasn’t made an impact in their lives, they still live
like how our predecessors live, they don’t have electronic lamps, aircons, televisions in
fact they don’t have access with electricity. They use fire as light and wood to cook their
food. Unlike people that live here in the city that mainly their lives are dependent on
technology. People in the city use technologies everywhere in terms of transportation,
communication, research and many more. We have learned to live a life that is
supported with technology to make and do our task more efficiently.

Sources:
http://pediaa.com/difference-between-eastern-and-western-culture/
http://pediaa.com/difference-between-eastern-and-western-culture/
https://www.globalfromasia.com/east-west-differences/