Chapter 2: Social Environment of Asia PDF
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This document provides an overview of Asian social environments, exploring various aspects such as population profiles, cultural attributes (like spirituality and hospitality), and the influence of extended family structures. It also touches on historical and religious contexts of Asian societies.
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## Chapter 2: Social Environment of Asia ### Chapter 2 Section outline 1. Asian Population Profile 2. Asian Character Traits 3. Asian Culture 4. Contributions of Asia and the West 5. Philippine Contributions to Asia and the World ### 1. Asian Population Profile - Asia is where all races came fro...
## Chapter 2: Social Environment of Asia ### Chapter 2 Section outline 1. Asian Population Profile 2. Asian Character Traits 3. Asian Culture 4. Contributions of Asia and the West 5. Philippine Contributions to Asia and the World ### 1. Asian Population Profile - Asia is where all races came from. - Asians are accustomed to being in a crowd because they live in the most populated continent. - Many Asians live in extended families, several generations together in a home, often in crowded spaces, in crowded cities, and they travel in public transport squeezed together like sardines. - Asia's total population is 4.715 billion people, which is 60% of the world population (2022). - Significantly, all races came from Asia - yellow, brown, black, white, and mixed race. ### 2. Asian Character Traits 1. Spirituality 2. Fatalism 3. Stoicism 4. Hospitality 5. Extended Family Relationships 6. Sense of Continuity 7. Different views of time, life, and history 8. Skill in indirect reasoning #### Spirituality - Asia is the birthplace of the major religions. - Spirituality is highly valued in Asia and may mean more than family, material possessions, even personal cleanliness. - Asians instinctively believe that "what is visible is temporal and what is invisible is eternal." - They give a spiritual dimension to everything they do, even simple chores. - They respect even fear spiritually gifted people or leaders. - Being spiritual means more to many Asians than their social, physical, or financial needs. #### Fatalism - Asians are fatalistic and believe that a person is a captive of or tied to superior forces or fate beyond their control (aka karma). - They accept too easily that one's freedom is limited by predestination, family, society, custom, nature, and religion. - On the other hand, Westerners are more free. #### Stoicism - The ability to suffer all kinds of hardships to survive, overcome or persevere - and never give up. - One of the oldest virtues of the Asian is to persevere with resignation through bereavement, pain, illness, misfortune, and sorrow. - Far more than the Westerner, an Asian has been exposed to many natural calamities, tragedies, and social hardships. - Their stoical attitude to life helps them to cope. - The fatalism and deep spirituality also help them to endure the slings and arrows of fate, natural calamities, and setbacks. - Their deep spirituality enables them to transcend misfortunes. #### Hospitality - The most cherished and admired tradition of Asians. - No matter how humble their circumstances, an Asian takes great care to serve a guest. - To an Asian, a guest is sacred, even if they happen to be the worst enemy. - It is an honor to have a guest around. #### Extended Family Relationships - Mean strong bonds of love and loyalty among Asian family members. - Asians obtain their security and greatest happiness from family. - "Blood is thicker than water," is the traditional saying. - It is not unusual to find several generations (grandparents, parents, and children) living together under the same roof. - Family resources are pooled, and helping poor relatives is considered the duty of a wealthy Asian. #### Continuity - Asians have a higher sense of continuity with the universe than Westerners. - According to Chinese belief, "Your life is an atom of cosmic harmony; your nature and destiny is an atom of the universal accord." - The close relationship between humans and the universe .is carried over into occultic practices like feng shui, nature worship, natural medicine, morals, magic, and agriculture. ### 3. Asian Culture - Calendars and measuring time - What system to use - Languages and literature - Art and architecture - Religions in Asia #### Calendars and Measuring Time - The Mesopotamians were the first to make a written record of how to measure time. - They measured dates and made calendars. - Other societies also made calendars based on the cycles of the moon or cycles of planting and harvesting crops. #### Languages and Literature - Languages and Literature began with the great ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Persia, India, China. - It is important to know that languages and literature can first to the world through Asia only later through the West. - The world's oldest books are Asian - the Bible, Torah, Quran, Vedas, Sutras, etc. #### Art and Architecture - Asian art and architecture are generally influenced by religion, legends, nature, love and royal command. - By contrast, Western art and culture are influenced by the non-religious, the romantic, the material, the irreverent, etc. - The great rulers of Asia traditionally commissioned works of art and architecture. - To satisfy their gods or their vanity, Asian kings have built mausoleums, palaces, monuments, and statues - the Great Wall, Taj Mahal, Ming tombs, Angkor Wat, Borobudur, etc. #### Religions in Asia - The Asian Religions are: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, and Zoroastrianism. ### Contributions of Asians to the World - Asia is the birthplace of the intelligent humans (homo sapiens). - Asia has more cradles of civilization than any other continent. - Asia is the homeland of the world's great religions. - Asians established the first empires, the first governments, and the first written laws; court and diplomatic protocol, and international treaties. ### Contributions of Asia to the West 1. Asian colonies supplied the raw materials for the factories of Britain, France, America, and other Western powers, enabling them to expand their economy, grow richer, and more powerful. 2. Asian colonies served as lucrative markets for the manufactured products of their colonial overlords. 3. Asian colonies furnished their colonial masters with the manpower and natural resources to win their wars. 4. The acquisition of rich colonies in Asia gave Western nations considerable prestige in world affairs. ### Contributions of the West to Asia 1. Western colonizers brought the Industrial Revolution to Asia with machineries and technical skills, improving Asian economies. 2. Western missionaries reintroduced Christianity in Asian countries. 3. Mother Teresa of India worked for the poorest outcasts of India and earned the respect of the Indian people. 4. Western imperialism brought new arts and sciences, popular education, the Western calendar and alphabet. 5. Western civilization abolished Asian harmful customs and practices. 6. Orientals who studied in the West learned ideas of democracy.