Culture of Cambodian
Culture is broadly the way of life of various people with regards to their beliefs, behavior, symbols and beliefs. The culture of Cambodia bears its roots from the jargon Khmer, which refers to the people of Cambodia, their language and culture. With it lies the cultural roots of the Cambodian people who ultimately suggests their ethnic and linguistics identity, besides, its influences the bearing of the political situation in Cambodia to a great extent. The Cambodian culture dates back to 1975-1979 when it was initiated during the socialists’ regimes of Democratic Kampuchea, however, the inscriptions of the Khmer goes back to the 7th century (Steinberg et al, 1995).
According to the recent census, the population of Cambodia is around 12 million; with the Khmer population forming a majority with the rest shared my other Asian immigrants. By and large, this represents a diverse society. In the same aspect, the lowland flood plains of Tonle Sap Lake and Mekong River form the central region in terms of population that demonstrated the cultural dimension of the Cambodian people to an economic driver. The modes of transportation are diverse around the area and interconnected to other areas in Cambodia and Asia at large (Center for Advanced Study, 1996). The economy of Cambodia is driven by wet rice agriculture with a famous scenic beauty of vast rice paddies and scattered sugar plums. Nonetheless, this has varied over time, Previously, it was characterized by vast forest lands. This indicates a cultural change with time from an economic perspective.
social factors and Linguistic Affiliation
The language of a locality greatly influences the culture of a people. In Cambodia, the Khmer language forms the main language that is largest of the Austroasiatic language family which to a great extent is related to the Mon, Vietnamese, and other Asian languages. This underscores the diversity of the Cambodian culture thanks to external shocks. As a result of this integration, there lie extensive literate traditions and religion thanks to the centuries of cultural contacts with the rest of Asia and the world at large. Another factor influencing the language-cultural interaction is the influence of the colonial dominance and the educated population who sway to French and English language. This brings the multipliers effect (Steinberg et al, 1995).
By and large, the institutions of kingship and worship are still evident over time. Social dance, costumes, and gestures represent a stubborn Cambodia population fighting to maintain its ancient culture in spite of exotic infiltration (Center for Advanced Study, 1996). The Pol Pot regime is very present and includes holidays to commemorate bitterness and national liberation thanks to the memories of the atrocities of the 1975-1979. Nevertheless, there is a widespread expression by the Cambodians that their culture has been lost, which by surprise, these cultural vulnerability stands out as kind of national symbol and sometimes expressed through hostility to the Vietnamese.
In building a global awareness, with reference to the Cambodian culture, a lot of understanding on its integrated diverse social and cultural perspectives is crucial. This entails reflections on the symbolism, social, economic impact, historical and ethnic relations, urbanization, and use of space and architecture, food and economy, political welfare, social welfare and change programs, religion, healthcare and in international integration among others.
The various cultural components have a common factor, they all in one way relate to the main component, agriculture, food, and Economy. Thus to solve any local or external problem, the approach has to lay its basis from the perspective that this component drives Cambodian culture. Bearing in mind that everyone belong to a specific culture, relating the various components to their impact bit by bit will pay a huge role in impacting the world in solving dynamics of cultural orientation (Steinberg et al, 1995).
For example, in the Cambodian case, taking the main symbols, history hostility approach and the economy driver which is rice growing will provide an easier and realistic approach to understanding it. Religion and family setup are intertwined with the arts and humanities components forming a circle. This underscores the fact that the percentage of components in a cultural setup is as important as the largest component (Center for Advanced Study, 1996). The small components form a direct link to the factors that drive the larger components. In case, where one would want to use a certain culture to influence the world economy or social integrations, the understanding of or even meeting the need of social stratification is crucial. In any case, the society is diverse and varies in various aspects. Bottom-line, with good integrations, prioritizing and strategic approach, one can impact the internal and external environment of culture. Moreover, one can solve a global factor or problem through the various components proper prioritizing. Nonetheless, it is imperative to understand and accept the fact that one cannot impose on other individuals a factor into their culture, of which they don’t believe in or see it be in accordance with their values.
Chart of Cambodian culture components
References
Center for Advanced Study. Interdisciplinary Research on Ethnic Groups in Cambodia: Executive Summaries, 1996.
Steinberg, David J., et al. Cambodia: Its People, Its Society, Its Culture, 1995.
