Cultural Differences and Symbolic Interpretation Thesis

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In Russia, any display of the swastika would generate a hostile response, just as it does in virtually all other Western cultures and societies simply because of the social context in which it was first introduced in the 20th century.

The Swastika in Buddhist and Hindu Social Culture:

Prior to the 20th century, the swastika was used in various ancient and medieval societies in a manner that had no relation to its subsequent revival and adoption by the Nazis many centuries later (Macionis, 2003). In some respects, it was adopted many different times as a fairly common symbol in so many different societies mainly because of its geometric simplicity and its symmetry. In many Far Eastern societies, particularly among Buddhists and Hindus, the swastika is a symbol that has decorated temples and other culturally significant structures for thousands of years.

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In fact, in Thailand, where both Buddhism and Hinduism are popular religious perspectives, the phrase for the swastika is still used a friendly greeting much the same way as people in Western society typically greet one another with phrases such as "good morning" and "good day" and it is utterly devoid of any of the intensely negative connotations with which it has been associated in Russia and the in the West for almost a century (Macionis, 2003). In all likelihood, but for the adoption of the swastika as the symbol of Nazism in the early 20th century, it would still have as benign a response in Russia and in the West as it does in the Far East simply because it is social learning and context that are exclusively responsible for the negativity associated with it......

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https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/cultural-differences-symbolic-interpretation-21994