Thepost-Western era, considered by some to be apost-American era,[1][2][3] is a conjectured time period starting around the 21st century or afterward in which theWest is no longer dominant, and other civilizations (particularly Asian ones)[4] gain power.[5][6] In the context of rising Asian powers (sometimes as part of a broaderGlobal East)[7] or a risingGlobal South, the termsEasternization andSouthernization respectively are sometimes applied (analogous toWesternization).[8][9][10][11][12]
Proponents often argue in favor of a post-Western era by pointing out Western abuses of power during thecolonial andpost-colonial eras,[13][14] while opponents argue thatWestern values andcivilization are pivotal to human progress and an orderly world, and that a post-Western world might not honor them to the same extent as the West has.[15][16]
TheRusso-Ukrainian War was noted to have demonstrated the emergence of some features of a post-Western world order during its major escalation in the 2020s, as the West was unable to rallyGlobal South nations to support Ukraine despite Western solidarity, in what was seen as various countries prioritizing their own interests and a blow to therules-based world order.[17][18][19][20] TheCOVID-19 pandemic and thefall ofAfghanistan to theTaliban in the early 2020s have also been identified as possible starting points for a post-American era.[21] Some columnists believe that theGaza war that started in 2023 created further doubts about the West maintaining leadership of the world order, as Southern countries alleged a double standard by the West resulting in thegenocide of Gazans.[22][23][24]
A protester at anOccupy Wall Street protest, an American movement against economic inequality and corporate greed from 2011.
In some sense, Europe itself has been argued to be increasingly post-Western, as it has successfully integrated a previously fractious and conflict-ridden group of countries into theEuropean Union and into institutions that command respect for certain values such as democracy. With the acceptance in the rest of the world of Western systems, Europe has become increasingly open to mixing with and acknowledging its influences from other civilizations.[25][26][27][28]
The West has a significantly aging population, with the cost of care associated with the elderly along with decreasing standards of living for those on amedian income and other negative economic factors creating the possibility of a decline in Western military and economic power.[29] Opposition by some in the West to various forms ofglobalization, which are perceived to have spurred oneconomic inequality and primarily be for the benefit of a global elite, has also created a decline in desire within the West to fully engage with the rules-based order.[30]
Some debate has emerged within the West around how it should manage its relations with other parts of the world to best transition into a post-Western era, with some calling for the West to maintain internal solidarity around its values,[31] while others call for the West to less stringently uphold its values in its foreign relations so as to better integrate with and potentially influence the increasingly influential non-Western nations.[32]
Various factors are said to indicate the decline of Western power and potentially Western values around the world. Asia's youth population has grown significantly relative to the West, with countries such as China acquiring more technological capabilities that can influence the world and potentially be used to reduce individuals' abilities to express their individual rights and/or share power with other individuals in a democratic form of government (seeTechno-nationalism).[35]
South–South cooperation has become more discussed, with the developing world trading more within itself than withOECD countries since 2013.[36] By 2050, one projection shows that the world's economic center of gravity may lie between India and China.[37]
Authoritarian non-Western nations have increasingly sought to reshape global institutions to reduce human rights enforcement upon themselves.[29]
India has come to exemplify a kind of neutral, self-interested model among non-Western countries during the Russo-Ukrainian War, demonstrating a desire to move towards amultipolar world where it can work with multiple partners. It has also shown a decreasing interest in full democracy andpluralism, as seen in the rise ofHindu nationalism and increasing attacks upon political opponents of the Indian government.[38]
Civilizationalexceptionalism has increasingly been used as a rationale by non-Western countries to carve out space for themselves on the world stage and to justify domestic authoritarianism.[39]
Some post-Western advocates believe that non-Western countries can do a better job than the West in terms of addressing climate change, referencing climate change's origins in various actions taken by the West.[40] Western voices have debated how to address climate change in an era where the West is less likely to lead or be able to create cooperation with non-Western countries.[41]
Christianity'sdecline in the West has been argued by some to be contributing to what they see as the West's declining ability to enforce its values both within itself and in the wider world.[42][43]
Christianity's strong historical identification with the West has also become increasingly relevant, as Christians seek to modify their promotion of the religion in a way which can better reach non-Western peoples, and as the religion increasingly grows in the Global South in a form that comes in some conflict with Western-style Christianity.[44][45][46] Over time, more Western Christians have come to the conclusion that the spread of Christianity need not be strongly paired withWestern culture or values to be successful or beneficial.[47] There has also been some debate around how Western Christians should engage with or protect non-Western Christians, particularly in the context of religious repression of non-Western Christians.[48]
Postcolonialmigration to Western countries has been described as "super-diverse", raising questions around how the migrants can be assimilated and what it means for the world order.[49]Internal migration has also become a notable topic in countries such as China.[50]
TheIndian Premier League, the second-most valued sports league in the world in terms of per-match media rights fees.[51]
Though many modern sportscame from the West and were originally dispersed through the world via colonialism, there is now an increasing tendency of former colonies to dominate these sports' organizational apparatuses.[52] For example, India has been noted for becoming the dominant power in worldcricket, a sport which it had been introduced to duringBritish rule,[8] through its ability to use its large population and market to earn vast revenues through theIndian Premier League and the commercial appeal of theT20 format (see also:Cricket in South Asia).[53][54] It now generates over 80% of international revenue for the sport.[55]
^abBurrows, Mathew (2016). "The Difficult Transition to a Post-Western Order".Global Risks 2035: The Search for a New Normal. Atlantic Council. pp. 55–66.ISBN978-1-61977-466-7.JSTORresrep03678.13.{{cite book}}:|journal= ignored (help)
^Wæver, Ole (2018). "A Post-Western Europe: Strange Identities in a Less Liberal World Order".Ethics & International Affairs.32 (1):75–88.doi:10.1017/S0892679418000114.S2CID149182426.
^Nair, Chandran (2022).Dismantling Global White Privilege: Equity for a Post-Western World. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.ISBN978-1-5230-0001-2.[page needed]
^Sanneh, Lamin O. (2007).Disciples of All Nations: Pillars of World Christianity. Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-804084-2.[page needed]
^Sanneh, Lamin (2006). "Prospects for Post-Western Christianity in Asia and Elsewhere".The Brown Journal of World Affairs.12 (2):117–128.JSTOR24590623.
^Bustad, Jacob J.; Andrews, David L. (2023). "The Circus Comes to Town: Formula 1, Globalization, and the Uber-Sport Spectacle".The History and Politics of Motor Racing. Global Culture and Sport Series. pp. 595–617.doi:10.1007/978-3-031-22825-4_23.ISBN978-3-031-22824-7.
^Rumford, Chris (April 2007). "More than a game: globalization and the post-Westernization of world cricket".Global Networks.7 (2):202–214.doi:10.1111/j.1471-0374.2007.00165.x.
