The urban-rural dichotomy observed in India also is
found in Southeast Asia, where the cities resemble those
in the West while the countryside often appears little
changed from precolonial days. In cities such as Bangkok,
Manila, and Jakarta, broad boulevards lined with skyscrapers
alternate with muddy lanes passing through
neighborhoods packed with wooden shacks topped by
thatch or rusty tin roofs. Nevertheless, in recent decades,
millions of Southeast Asians have fled to these urban
slums. Although most available jobs are menial, the pay
is better than in the villages.
The urban migrants change not only their physical surroundings
but their attitudes and values as well. Sometimes
the move leads to a decline in traditional beliefs. Belief
in the existence of nature and ancestral spirits, for
example, has declined among the urban populations of
Southeast Asia. In Thailand, Buddhism has come under
pressure from the rising influence of materialism, although
temple schools still educate thousands of rural youths
whose families cannot afford the cost of public education.
Nevertheless, Buddhist, Muslim, and Confucian beliefs
remain strong, even in cosmopolitan cities such as
Bangkok, Jakarta, and Singapore. This preference for the
traditional also shows up in lifestyle. Native dress—or an
eclectic blend of Asian and Western attire—is still common.
Traditional music, art, theater, and dance remain
popular, although Western music has become fashionable
among the young, and Indonesian filmmakers complain
that Western films are beginning to dominate the market.
The increasing inroads made by Western culture have
caused anxiety in some countries. In Malaysia, for example,
fundamentalist Muslims criticize the prevalence
of pornography, hedonism, drugs, and alcohol in Western
culture and have tried to limit their presence in their own
country. The Malaysian government has attempted to
limit the number of U.S. entertainment programs shown
on local television stations and has replaced them with
shows on traditional themes.
One of the most significant changes that has taken
place in Southeast Asia in recent decades is in the role of
women in society. In general, women in the region have
historically faced fewer restrictions on their activities and
enjoyed a higher status than women elsewhere in Asia.
Nevertheless, they were not the equal of men in every
respect. With independence, Southeast Asian women
gained new rights. Virtually all of the constitutions
adopted by the newly independent states granted women
full legal and political rights, including the right to work.
Today, women have increased opportunities for education
and have entered careers previously reserved for
men. Women have become more active in politics, and as
we have seen, some have served as heads of state.
Yet women are not truly equal to men in any country
in Southeast Asia. Sometimes the distinction is simply a
matter of custom. In Vietnam, women are legally equal to
men, yet until recently no women had served in the
Communist Party’s ruling Politburo. In Thailand, Malaysia,
and Indonesia, women rarely hold senior positions in
government service or in the boardrooms of major corporations.
Similar restrictions apply in Burma, although
Aung San Huu Kyi is the leading figure in the democratic
opposition movement.
Sometimes, too, women’s rights have been undermined
by a social or religious backlash. The revival of Islamic
fundamentalism has had an especially strong impact
in Malaysia, where Malay women are expected to
cover their bodies and wear the traditional Muslim headdress.
Even in non-Muslim countries, women are still expected
to behave demurely and exercise discretion in all
contacts with the opposite sex.
World History
