Asian Literature

There are five continents of the world with Asia being the largest both in terms of area and population, currently holding about 60 of the human population, with a diverse and rich culture. There is no one language in the region according to a survey there are about 2000 different languages in this region of Asia. The economies of Asia are mostly developing and thus attractive for investments from all over the world, profiting both the parties involved.

    The Asian continent is famous for its various ethnicities cultures and religions, which have resulted in bloodshed over time. Such ethnic and cultural violence includes the massacre of the people of East Pakistan by the Pakistani army which ultimately lead to the independence of East Pakistan now known as Bangladesh, The Gujarat clashes between the Hindus and the Muslims in India resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people.

Ethnic, religious and political violence in the continent have slowed the economic growth of some countries to a minimum. If careful investments are made in these regions it can provide various economic opportunities. These Asian countries lack the financial backing needed to boost their economies the West and the European countries can play an important role here and thereby not only making a profit for themselves but also allowing these countries to build up their economies.
The West perhaps has failed to seriously comprehend the potential economic advantages in the Asian continent. Those few western investors who do see Asia as an economic market on the verge of blooming have failed to properly utilize their products in the Asian markets (Chan, J., 2009). As suggested by Stephen Fitzgerald in his book, it is perhaps the fact that the West has failed to indulge itself into the Asian Culture, failing to understand their language and their mindset. The successful Asian economies namely the Chinese and the Japanese on the other hand have understood the Western mind because English language today is lingua franca of the region (Higham, Charles, 1989). The problem with English is that though it bridges the communication gap to some extent but it fails to depict the mind set of the person to which English is a second language. Therefore the impact that language has on business is very critical, and Stephen Fitzgerald emphasis this point greatly i.e. the time has come to indulge in the Asian culture and languages so as to better understand the economies of the region and to introduce the study of the Asian continent in the Australian education system so the reality and the existence of Asia can properly be introduced into Australian minds (Fitzgerald, S., 1997).

Another aspect which is a hindrance is the religious diversity and the attachment the Asians have towards their religion. The religions of Asia are ancient and therefore any changes in the cultural and social lifestyle is somewhat rejected. In other words the Asians mindset is very much immune to changes therefore it is the mindset to be changed and the only way that is possible is to take interest in the Asian languages and cultures.

To sum up, the cultural and religious diversity of Asia is something that lends to it a certain richness of character, and is a defining element of this continent. However, this attribute has also led to problems like violence and clashes over differences. Not just that, the attachment to age old customs and rituals has also acted as an impediment to progress. Regardless of this though, the Western world needs to recognize the immense potential that lies untapped in this region, and familiarize itself with the finer nuances of Asias culture (like its language) so that inroads can me made. This will lead to a mutually beneficial situation for both the West and Asia.