AS AM 161 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Cultural Diversity, Consumerism, Osho
20 Jul 2016
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Document Summary
Sociological term, results from changes in late 20th century. Cultural diversity (attention to other people"s traditions) and mass immigration. Spirituality of dwelling is old tradition: institutional, hierarchical; living within comforts of known doctrines, communities, and expectations. Spirituality of seeking is new: experimental, experiential, fluidity. Spiritual seekers: individualistic; pragmatic (what works, shortcuts); eclectic; anti- institutional and anti-authority; commodification; religious switching. Deepak chopra as new symbol of us orientalism and banal exoticism. Offers solutions clothed in exotic garb to affluent people for personal issues. Preaches personal responsibility and purifying one"s interior life. Ignores historical causes and complexity of structural social inequalities, ethics. Emphasis is on individual rather than social ills; heal self, not society. Hippies turn to india for authentic individual spiritual experience. Us as materialistic and overly rationalized, east had true spirituality. Us black revolutionaries and artists saw india as site of class/race struggle. Spirituality is a big business; capitalism and consumerism.
