Culture Differences between China and America

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跨文化交际期末论文

Culture Differences between China and America

----final paper of Intercultural Communication Written by 阅微草堂

Abstract: The intercultural communication is becoming more and more important since the rapidly development of globalization, and understanding the differences between different cultures is necessary as well. There are two aspects of culture differences are listed in this essay and the reasons are further discussed.

Keywords: culture difference; the way of thought pattern; individualism; collectivism; geographic environment Introduction

Culture is the combination of material wealth and spiritual civilization created by human beings in the long history process, including all the things, such as manners, customs, the ways of thinking, value orientations, beliefs, religions, and so on. People from different countries or even from different areas in one country have different cultures, as a saying goes,” Customs are different within ten miles.” Thus, intercultural communication, the communication between different people with different cultures or languages, becomes more and more important, as the development of globalization. Particularly for us Chinese, it has been even more necessary, since we carried out the policy of reform and openness in 1979 and joined WTO in 2001. In the following part, some culture differences between China and America are discussed and the reasons of them are explored as well. 1 Culture Differences between China and America

Both China and America are big countries with vast territories, numerous nations and kinds of subcultures. For example, people from north China and south China have many barriers when communication because of culture differences including language differences, in America, similarly. In this essay, Chinese culture means the popular culture in China ignoring the sub-cultural differences in China. Likewise, American culture means the popular culture in America. There are two differences are listed below.

(1) The Way of Thought Patterns

The way of thought patterns serves as a bridge linking external behaviors with internal thoughts, or, in other words, outer actions with interior cultures. The different ways of thought patterns stem from cultural differences, meanwhile lead to different outside manifestations. The main feature of Chinese way of thought deeply influenced

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跨文化交际期末论文

by Confucianism and Taoist-culture is holistic and dialectical thinking, while American way is characterized by logic analysis originated from Aristotelianism, which was based on and developed the culture of ancient Greek.

For example, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is obviously different with western medicine. From the view of TCM, our body is an interrelated whole consisted of all the tissues and organs closely associated with each other. The whole body will be treated when curing a certain disease. Or one part will be treated which is seemly has no relationship with the disease part, for the two parts are linked deeply from the point of TCM view. While the western medicine prefers to penetrate into the certain part of disease to deal with the cells, bloods, germs or virus. This is only one example of countless differences between China and America culture appearances.

From some perspectives, the way of thought patterns is the directly reflection of culture, and all the surface differences which derive from culture differences can stem from the differences of thought patterns. (2) Individualism vs. Collectivism

Generally speaking, collectivism is more distinct in Chinese culture while the American culture trends to individualism orientation. American Heritage Dictionary gives the following definition of “individualism”: (1) Belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence; (2)A doctrine of freedom from government regulation of personal economic or social goals; (3) The doctrine that the interests of the individual should take precedence over the interests of the group. Americans adore personality, uniqueness, genius, and the fullest development of capabilities and talents. And they respect children and elders equally, and protect their won self-respect hammer and tongs. However, Chinese emphasize group cooperation and modesty. There is a complex society structure of China, in which each person can find a determinate position.

For example, Chinese are more likely to have good friends which they can get help from in their lives or careers. Americans are more personalized and they prefer to accomplish their jobs by his or her own ability.

Another example, in china, when we refer to the word “brother”, we chronically divide it into “elder brother” or” younger brother”. And “elder brother” isn’t the same as” younger brother”. Also, the positions of them in the society structure are significantly distinguishing. Generally speaking,” younger brother” should show more

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跨文化交际期末论文

respect to and comply with “elder brother” and “elder brother” should take care of ” younger brother”, sometimes even like a father. But in America, this phenomenon doesn’t obvious. No matter “elder brother” or” younger brother” is brother, showing respect to each other equally. Similarly, “aunt”, ”uncle”, ”sister” and other akin words mean a lot more in China than in America. 2 Reasons of Culture Differences

The complexity of culture and culture differences determined that the factors leading to culture differences are excessive and complicated. In a word, the reasons of culture differences are natural environment and the developments of history, society, science and all the other things which are based on and limited by natural environments. Thought the factors are plentiful and intricate, the main crucial factor is geographic environment.

Looking from the geographical position that, especially in ancient time, China was a mainland country with broad plains and suitable climate, the maritime power was limited in that time, resulting in based on agriculture production mode. This kind of mode was introversive, mainly affected by weather, earth and especially the cooperation of people, forming the long historical feudal society characterized with collectivism which is still deep-rooted in our resent Chinese society. While, Greece, the birthplace of western cultures including America, is located in coastal area, beneficial for sailing not farming, leading to the fully development of commercial society an outward society mode, in which people with open mind and pioneering spirit are in favor of competition, personality, uniqueness, genius, and the fullest development of capabilities and talents.

Also, other factors influence culture differences in some extent, such as Confucianism, Aristotelianism, the Industrial Revolutions, the Renaissance, and the developments of science, technologies, arts, education and the intercultural communication and so on. Conclusion

The world is colorful because of the plenty of culture differences. There is no good or bad of cultures, no right or wrong of the ways to show cultures either. It is simply that different people do the same things in different manners. No matter whether we can understand them or not, we should show the fully respect to them. I believe this is the best way to make our life become more comfortable and make the world more harmonious.

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