Ryan Bellino
10/27/2010
LA 497A
Globalization and the Reconstitution of Local Gender Arrangements by Steve Derné was
written in 2002 and illustrates how globalization affects Indian men in regards to their
masculinity as it relates to gender oppression. Derné writes, “Transnational movements of people
and media have often led to new anxiety about identity” (2002, p. 145). He focuses on three
areas of Indianness: nationalist, filmgoing and Fiji Indian men.
In the nineteenth century, Indian nationalist men became aware of other lifestyles through
the Europeans who had colonized India. They thought that the only way to rise above the
Europeans was to learn their ways, which they did but felt their Indian identities were threatened
in the process. To combat this they emphasized their spiritual domain, which lies within, because
everything outside of that, the material domain, is unimportant. Because the men needed to be
caught in this material world, it became the women’s responsibility to be “the primary bearers of
Indianness in the crucial spiritual domain” (Derné, 2002, p. 147). This Indianness pertains to
taking care of the home and family and adherence to religion. I think that this is an enduring trait
of any country that has been colonized. There comes a time when a colonized country has to
decide whether progress requires adapting its culture or not. Barber writes in Jihad vs. McWorld,
“Even the government of India, struggling for decades to model democracy for a people who will
soon number a billion, longs for great leaders” (1992, p. 64). This shows India’s willingness to
adapt, but with Indian women in charge of retaining culture through spirituality, it also shows
balance.
On the other hand, male Indian filmgoers are infatuated with Hollywood movies,
particularly violent movies. Derné interviewed Indian filmgoing men who said they are attracted
to “Hollywood films because of fight sequences that they regard as exciting and realistic” (2002,
p. 149). This attraction to Western film and culture has brought on a feeling of anxiety because
Ryan Bellino
10/27/2010
LA 497A
of it makes them feel less Indian. This anxiety has carried over to their relationships with their
wives. One aspect of Western culture that Indian men do not agree with is gender equality.
Indian men may be attracted to Western women, but when looking for an Indian wife they look
for modesty and obedience as respectable traits, something Western women lack. Indian men’s
anxiety that comes from being so attracted to Western culture is diverted by having control over
their wives. Similar to the Indian nationalist men, Indian filmgoing men use women to find
balance between their Indian culture and Western influence.
Finally, Fiji Indian men are subject not only to the cultural influence from the West but
also from the India. Fiji Indian men, like nationalist and filmgoing Indian men, do not adhere to
gender equality but more importantly turn to women, who use food and religion to combat the
men’s anxiety. Fiji Indian men leave the preparing of the food as well as the religious rituals to
the women even though these actions are rooted in Indianness. In regards to Fiji Indian men
Derné writes, “They may wear Western clothes, watch Xena, and dream of living in the United
States, but they are still essentially Indian because of their attraction to traditionally modest
women who faithfully meet religious and family duties” (2002, p. 160). All three of these areas
of Indianness seem to be very similar when boiled down to the few core beliefs of Indian men.
I feel that Derné, while he may not have intended this, has painted Indian men in a bad
light. He proclaims that Indian men are trying hard to hold on to their Indian roots but it seems
like they are trying harder to have their “McWorld” and eat it, too (Barber 1992). They want to
live in this modern world and yet they are not willing to bring their women with them. Indian
men love to surround themselves with Western culture but are not willing to progress in the same
ways. Oppressing women to appease anxiety is not what Western culture is all about.