CLAY MODELLING

Clay modelling - exercises

FROM CLAY to WOOD

From Clay to Wood

EAST MEETS WEST - Cultural Challenges

EAST MEETS WEST

Cultural Challenges

Ten hours flying time from South-Asia to Europe and the first time traveller is suddenly exposed to a culture that has only been a flickering virtual-reality on the movie screen.    Step from the aeroplane and reality begins!

The emerging western culture in South-Asia is far different from the realities of western culture as manifested in Europe, especially if the visitor is female.

Cultural traditions continue to have a firm grip on what is expected, accepted and permitted with regards to how a female conducts herself in the deeply entrenched South-Asian cultures.   

Gaining the age of 18 or even 21, does not automatically bestow upon the female all the rights (and responsibilities) enjoyed by their western cousins; to the contrary in fact!   The expectations regarding behaviour and modest deportment become even more demanding!    Freedom as experienced in the west, is something that has to be gradually acquired and is not served-up on a plate.    One aspect of South-Asian culture is that a female is viewed not to be a ‘responsible woman’ until she is married!   Until such time, she enjoys what freedom her immediate family permits, especially when it comes to associating with the opposite gender.   Young women are protected and independence is gained slowly, unlike in the west where young women enjoy almost absolute freedom from at least 18 years of age and sometimes even younger.

So how must it be for an attractive South-Asian woman to visit the west for the first time and be left to care for herself within days when her last link with her family and homeland departs?    It must come as a tremendous cultural shock to find ones-self suddenly alone and without the support that one is accustomed to.   As a consequence, one unconsciously reaches out for help!

And of course ‘help’ is always readily available to a beautiful olive skinned South-Asian female, more frequently than not from middle-aged+ patriarchal figures who see a vulnerable beautiful woman in need of their gallant support… well intentioned of course, with no ulterior motives!  Most South-Asian women are quite submissive with men and that appeals very much to the older Western Caucasian male who prefers a sweet, compliant young South-Asian woman, rather than a comparatively highly independent and forthright Western woman that he is more accustomed to.    Financially, he is more ‘comfortable’ than young South-Asian men, and thus becomes a kind of a ticket to escape from poverty. The young woman envisages being able to send money back home to her family.   Overall, the prospects for a more comfortable life appear better with a Caucasian man.

Not having any understanding of the cultural background of the woman and thus not understanding her need for ‘protective, gentle yet firm support and guidance’ as a logical continuation of her cultural expectations and background; it is instead presumed that her bewilderment and sadness is caused because of her lack of ‘freedom’ as experienced by western females of similar age.   The solution obviously is to introduce her to the western concept of ‘freedom’ forthwith, regardless of consequences and without any consideration of her cultural upbringing to-date.  Surely, it is her ‘Right’ to be ‘free’…western style!     In other words:  the young women is thrown in the deep-end and expected to swim, and the only remaining traditional and stable ‘support’ is side-lined and labelled ‘patriarchal’, ‘dictatorial’ , ‘controlling’ or worse.

South-Asian expectations of modesty are quickly flung out of the window when her beauty is captured by the photographer’s lens within days of her ‘new found independence’.   Such attention is totally new and the subject has no way of knowing how to respond, let alone cope with such attention, apart from enjoying being the ‘central attraction’ for perhaps the first time in her life!   Swept off her feet by the generosity of other creepy middle-aged men who perhaps bestow upon her never previously experienced unaffordable luxuries of new clothes, day trips, meals in restaurants topped-off with declarations of adoration, it is not surprising that such a young women is overwhelmed and bewildered by her new found freedom as afforded her in her first weeks of experiencing the fabled western culture.   There is a naïve desire to grasp at this new found ‘freedom’, regardless of costs, consequences and with little realization of who is now dictating how she leads her life.  Her ‘freedom’ is now of course coloured by the stance of her new self-appointed guardians.  Not surprisingly, the crunch comes after a few weeks!

All this unaccustomed adulation, attention, conflicting moral and cultural differences, and expectations take their toll, and like any young person, longings emerge for the stability that has been so much part of life and which gave the foundations upon which the future was being built!!     The west does not seem such an attractive option after all.   There is the growing desire to return to the home country and ‘forget all and everything’ and once more be clasped in the bosom of the family. 

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Western culture has also had its challenges for Shanta who hails from Nepal, and finding her 'path' within her new found freedom is not easy, but she has been able to rely on the continued support and guidance of her long-term supporters through thick and thin, regardless of the ‘whatever’!

Without doubt, the art experiences that Shanta is being immersed in at Emerson College are enormously beneficial to her, not only as a training for possible career moves in the future once she returns to Nepal, but also for her own personal benefit.   Art is a wonderful therapy for someone who has experienced so many traumatic episodes in her short life to date.    The gifts that Emerson College, through the tutors on the Visual Arts programme are giving Shanta, are invaluable.     The tutors cannot be thanked enough!

Shanta has been supported by Social Endeavours Nepal (S.E.N.), a one-person charitable endeavour run by a guy who has a very unhealthy bank balance!    Your help is therefore earnestly sought to help defray some of the costs and expenses associated with Shanta’s studies.

Every single pound, dollar or euro helps to reach the goal of GBP5000 needed to cover 50% of the total costs of the course (inclusive of travel, food, insurance, etc).   Please consider helping!   Donations via:-

http://www.youcaring.com/tuition-fundraiser/from-street-beggar-to-teacher-/240531

Or:- Direct to Social Endeavours Nepal through our PayPal account via socialendeavoursnp@gmail.com   (Label: Shanta)