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The differences between Asian and Western cultures can be quite broad in many aspects. In todays world most major western cities are cosmopolitan, offering an array of cuisine, clothes, electronic goods, alternative religions and much more, giving us a taste of exotic destinations. Because of the competitive nature of most airline carriers we can now visit these destinations quite cheaply and the very reason why we want to experience the magic of Asia is because it is absolutely completely different to Western culture.

Family is extremely important in Asian cultures with much importance being placed on the elderly members of the family. The elderly are much revered in Asian society and it needs to be said that we don't show the same respect to the elderly in Western culture.

Although corruption is a global problem, it is rampant in most Asian countris due to the fact that the basic wages are degrading compared to most western nations, making it difficult for the general layman to get ahead in life, so if the opportunity to take advantage arises wherever hard cash is concerned, it is not seen as such a crime and is more likely to command a slap on the wrist rather than a jail term which is usually the case regarding corruption in the West.

In the majority of Asian countries the social infrastructure is set in a class system and it really is the poor versus the wealthy with little opportunity to rise above poverty.In certain Asian countries the name given to you at birth depicts where you are placed as a person in the scheme of things. Money tends to bypass the general populace in regards to support systems, such as improving hospitals, availability of fresh water, and implementing crisis agencies or whatever is required to enable people to seek shelter in times of need. All these things are high on the list of priorities and available in most Western cultures. We also take advantage of the fact that due to the rate of cheap labor in Asian countries it is more economical for Western businesses to manufacture goods offshore, so their profit margins are increased.

After travelling and living in Asia for many years, I can say with great warmth that the people are extremely friendly and helpful on the whole and unfortunately because of the threat of terror attacks people in Western societies are more inclined to keep to themselves where foreigners are concerned because of the uncertainty.

So while there are many differences between Asian and Western cultures we can learn a lot from each other.

Learn more about this author, Sharron Becquet-Rasmussen.
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