2/22/2004 » Rants

In Bangalore, newly-empowered call-center workers are learning the 'Sex and the City' lifestyle. The story's 'hicks from the sticks' spin lays it on thick, and we really didn't need to know that Roopa just started using deodorant. But this is going to fundamentally morph Indian culture.

When twentysomethings are moving to major cities, living on their own, and out-earning their parents, the top-down, patriarchal, guardian-of-virginity model turns mustier than an Ambassador. The process started years ago when global banks first touched down in Mumbai. It's happened for decades in the U.S., and it's happened with young movie stars and athletes in all cultures. As in Congress, there is power in the purse.

It's a predictable cycle: if the numbers grow significantly, there will be a cultural struggle between traditionalists and the new moneyed class. As in Japan, traditionalists will bemoan the parvenus' materialism and lack of respect.

My guess: India eventually ends up like South Korea, recognizably modern but with a heavy overlay of filial piety.