Westernisation

noun

/ˌwes.tə.naɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

The process of social change in which a non-Western society adopts Western cultural practices, values, dress, language, legal systems, and institutions; in Indian sociology, M.N. Srinivas identified Westernisation as a distinct process from Sanskritisation, describing the adoption of English education, rational-legal norms, and modern institutions during and after colonial rule

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

M.N. Srinivas observed that Westernisation and Sanskritisation often operated simultaneously — a lower-caste family might adopt Brahminic dietary practices (Sanskritisation) while also pursuing English education and professional occupations (Westernisation).

Synonyms

Anglicisation (specific)colonial cultural diffusionmodernisation (overlapping)cultural globalisation

Antonyms

nativismcultural revivalismdecolonisation (cultural)Indianisation

🌱 Word Family

westernisation (n), westernise (v), western (adj), westernised (adj)

🔡 Root

Old English westerne = of the west + -isation = process suffix; directional term elevated to cultural-change concept

📜 Etymology

Conceptualised by M.N. Srinivas in Social Change in Modern India (1966) as a complement to Sanskritisation; Srinivas noted that Westernisation — especially through English education, the legal system, and the press — opened new avenues of upward mobility cutting across traditional caste hierarchies

🧠 Memory Hook

WESTERN + -ISATION: becoming more WESTERN in outlook, dress, food, and thought — East absorbing WEST through colonial contact and globalisation

👥 Society 📖 Seen in: Salient Features of Indian Society — D... 📋 Also in Key Terms

Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation