中西文化差异(下)

2021年1月25日发(作者：easer)
二
.
Different cultural factors may result in cultural differences, and consequently,
the acknowledgment of the factors that affect the cultural differences will facilitate the
understanding of such differences, part of which will vie discuss in
the followings. Since it is impossible to cover all of the factors in this thesis, the factors
discussed here are some important ones.
Factors affect cultural differences1. Cultural Background
One
of
the
cultural
different
reasons
between
China
and
western
is
cultural
background.
In
Spring
and Autumn and Warring s periods of China emerged Confucianism, Taoism and other ideologies .As
different ideologies developed and combated each other, the basic framework of Chinese
civilization was established. And then
Confucianism became the foundation stone of Chinese philosophy system. Confucianism's central
doctrine is that of the virtue of Ren. What is Ren? Ren is translated variously as goodness,
benevolence, humanity and human-heartedness. In short, Ren means affection and love. For more
than 2 thousand years it has molded and shaped the civilization of China and exerted a profound
influence upon almost
one fourth of human race. Just as DR. Sun-Yat-
Sen said:” Therefore the old morals of loyalty
and piety, affection, and love, faithfulness and righteousness, are superior to those of the
foreign
countries
Let
alone
that
peace
and
harmony.
These
high
standards
of
morals
are
our
national
spirit.
Different from China, Christianity plays an important role in western. The English speaking
countries are generally considered as Christian countries where many
people
believe
in
Christianity.
Christianity
is
the
region
based
on
the
life
and
teaching
of
Jesus
Christ. He is the founder of Christianity. According to the
doctrine of Christianity, the Trinity is the union of the three forms of God, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ the son of the God, and the holy book of
Christianity is the Bible, which consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. However,
the power of the church cannot compare with the past time, it still influence many aspects of
people 's daily life. For example, there are a few
important festivals in the western is concern with Jesus Christ. Christmas day
is a festival in celebration of the birth of the Jesus Christ on Birth refers to
the birth of Christ, which Christians believe to have been caused
by God rather than by ordinary sexual union.
2.
Different
valuesAnother
cultural
different
reasons
between
China
and
western
is
different
value
The concept of Chinese values is often consciously or unconsciously placed in opposition with
Western values. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how people
define Western values. Some have stated that the modern Western value system originated in
Victorian
England,
and
describe
it
as
social
norms
and
behaviors
common
in
European
people
during
that
time.
The
core
of
Western
values
is
individualism.
David
Hitchcock
described
Western
values
from a Chinese perspective. He said that, from the Chinese viewpoint, Western values have three
levels: 1) physical level
–
science, technology, business, public administration, and modern
capitalist economics; 2) conceptual level
–
equal opportunity, the role of law; and time
management; and 3) core values
–
open debate, equality, balance of power
; free speech, and democracy. The core of the Chinese value has some relationship with the
Confucianism.
The
ethnic
principle
of
Confucianism
is
its
discovery
of
the
ultimate
in
the
moral
character of human relationships in which Confucius
offered the solution for the ills and evils of his days. That is the well-known
Five Relationships: ruler- minister, father-son, husband-wife, elder-younger brother and
friend-
friend. This was explained as“There should be affection between

father and son , righteous sense of duty between ruler and minister, division of
function between man and wife, stratification between old and young, and good faith between
friends.”During
the
more
than
two
thousand
years
of
the
feudal
period,
the
ruling

class
arrange
every thing by this relationships, and then formed a class society. In this kind of society, a
minister owes loyalty to his ruler
, and a child filial respect to his parent. The result is the humanity is neglected and people
have no equality.
Different
from
China,
in
the
Renaissance
period
of
England,
people
began
to
emphasize
the
dignity
of human beings and the importance of the present life, they voiced their beliefs that man did
not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of
their life, but also have the ability to perfect themselves and perform wonders.
This is the rudiment of Humanism. People became respect the humanity from then
on.
And
then
develop
into
the
ideas
of
what
we
always
said
freedom,
democracy.
Today,
take
Americans
for
instance;
the
top
personal
values
were
self-reliance,
hard
work,
and
a
tie
between
achieving
success in life, personal achievement, and
helping
others.
Hard
work,
respect
for
learning,
honesty,
and
self-reliance
were
most
valued
among
Chinese
people. In
terms of
social values,
the
top six for Americans
were freedom
of expression,
personal freedom, rights of the individual,
open debate; thinking for oneself, and official accountability. The top six social values for
Asian
people
were
maintenance
of
an
orderly
society,
harmony,
accountability
of
public
officials,
openness to new ideas, freedom of expression, and respect for authority. This study finds that
unlike Americans, East Asians are generally more respectful of authority and prize an orderly
society, however in concurrence with the West, Asians honor new ideas, official accountability,
and free expression.
dualism and Collectivism
Individualism refers to the doctrine that the rights of the individual are the
most important ones in a society. Most westerners believe that each person has
his
own
separate
identity
and
personality,
which
should
be
recognized
and
reinforced.
Therefore,
one cannot comprehensive western and its people without understanding individualism. Only with
the cognition of individualism can we understand
how westerners conceptualize family, friendships, and privacy. The core of individualism is the
pursuit
of
personal
and
achievements.
It
is
highly
valued,
earnestly
believes
and
well
appreciated
as a fundamental social virtue. In Christianity traditions, individuals are important not only
to each other, but also to the society and God. Individualism has been handed down from their
ancestors. Therefore, to westerners, individualism is not selfishness but rather virtue. They
emphasize
individualism
so
much
that
they
believe
that
there
must
be
something
wrong
with
someone
who fails to demonstrate individualism. That likes the sentence
“God
helps
those who help themselves.”However
to Chinese
people ,
the
word“individualism”is
related
to
the
derogatory
meaning
as
egoism,
with
represents
selfishness
in
quality
and
looseness
in
discipline.
In
traditional
Chinese
beliefs,
esp.
in
Confucianism,
collectivism
is
appreciated.
It emphasizes cooperation
among
group
members
and
individual
success
is
due
to
the
collective
effort
of
the
staff
in
a
unit,
an organization or a community. The sacrifice of individual interest for that of the collective
is
a
noble
quality
eulogized
so
much
by
Chinese
people
that
being
modest
and
thoughtful
of
others
are highly praised.
4. FamilyWestern families advocate equality. The husband and the wife usually have an equality
voice in decision-making, and on certain matters, the children, too, have
a vote. Family members are regarded as friend and they should treated equality in daily life.
In the western, most old people do not live with their children or
relatives.
If
they have enough
money they
will
buy house or
apartments in places where
other old
people live .If they do not healthy and strong enough to live
alone, they would rather live in nursing houses for old people than be taken by
their children. Therefore they want to stay young because youth stands for hope
and energy, which can help them make some positive changes in life. Moreover, they do not like
to
grow
old
because
they
will
not
gain
honor,
respect
or
attention
as
old
people.
Case
are
different
in China, where most Chinese family members
tend to live together and the young are supposed to show respect and obedience to old people.
Generally,
old
people
receive
honor,
privilege
and
satisfaction
since
people
believe
that
an
old
person is a wise man full of experience. The typical example is that the oldest person is the
most respected not only in the family but also in the neighborhood. Just as Confucianism shows
in Five Relations, the young should filial love, obedience and duty to the old in a family, esp.
in
the relationship between children and parents. For example, the Chinese who have
moved abroad usually continue to send money back to their parents as a token of
their filial piety. Moreover, many young people still try to live near their parents whenever
possible
even
after
they
are
marriage.
Westerners
stress
individualism
in
families
while
Chinese
stress coalition, which makes the Chinese family
extremely
cohesive.
Family
members
depend
on
each
other
for
support
and
they
are
required
to
show
loyalty
to
the
family
and
bring
demonstrated
virtuous
behavior,
then
the
whole
family
loses
face.
The meaning of “face” should view in relation to the gain or lo
ss of the social status of the
family,
not
just
of
the
individual.
That
is
to
say
that
Chinese
culture
emphasizes
the
collective
quality in the nature of individual’s life and behavior. Generally speaking, the Chinese

have a stronger sense of family honor than westerners.
alism
The fifth reason is the nationalism. Since the ancient China, the nation form of China is based
solely on the Han nationality. What we said social etiquette standards are also based solely on
The Han nationality. The Han nationality developed their privities in the language expression
and social contact during the common life and work of their forefathers in the history. Just a
subtle
facial
expression
or
a
slight
action
can
express
some
meanings.
People
can
understand
what
you want to say when you say half of you comment or just say a little things .So
people
do
not
need
to
say
all
their
intention
when
they
express
their
own
feelings.
While
in
western,
take
the
America
for
instance;
America
is
a
immigrant
country
which
has
more
than
2
hundred
years
history.
However,
people
in
America
still
cannot
reach
privities.
They
must
express
clearly
what