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1CulturalDifferencesbetweenChinaandWesternCountriesinProxemics(BodyDistance)Proxemicsisthestudyofmeasurabledistancesbetweenpeopleastheyinteract.ThetermwasintroducedbyanthropologistEdwardT.Hallin1966.Bodyspacingandposture,accordingtoHall,areunintentionalreactionstosensoryfluctuationsorshifts,suchassubtlechangesinthesoundandpitchofaperson'svoice(DonSnow,2004:15-16).Proxemicsisasupplementofverbalcommunicationandanimportantpartininterpersonalcommunication.Themeaningitconveysdiffersaccordingtocultures.BeingfamiliarwiththeWesternproxemicsiscontributedtolearnWesterncultureforusandbehavebetterincross-culturalcommunication.Indailylife,peopletendtokeepcertaindistancebetweeneachother,thustheclosenessorfarnessdeliverasoundlessmessage,fromwhichthedegreeofintimacy,socialrelationshipandevensocialstatusofthespeakerscanbeidentified(JiangXueqing,2008:27).Differentcountrieshavedifferentrequirementsindistancespeopleshouldkeep,anditalsodiffersinsocialoccasions.Culturalconflictsmayoccurifpeopleignoretheinfluenceproxemicshasoninterpersonalrelationship.1.CategoriesofProxemicsInaninvestigationamongAmericanmiddleclass,Halldiscoveredthatpeoplekeptdifferentdistancesaccordingtotheirrelationshipsandneedsofcommunication.Therearemainlyfourcategories.IntimateDistanceItreferstoembracing,touching,whisperingorkeepingadistanceof60cm.Thiscaseisoftenappliedtoloversandintimaefriendsandespeciallyiftwomaleskeepanintimatedistance,itislikelythattheyaregay.PersonalDistanceItincludescloseandfarpersonaldistanceswhiletheformeris6090cm,whichisthemostcomfortablepersonaldistanceinparty,andthelatteris1.5m,adistancenotforprivatecontact.SocialDistanceClosesocialdistanceis1.5mto2.0mwhilethefaroneis2.5mto4.0m.Theformerisappropriatetopublicaffairsandothersocialactivitieswhilethelatteristoformalsocialorcommercialactivities(RichardE.Porter,2004:56-57).PublicDistanceItiscomposedofcloseandfarpublicdistances.Closepublicdistanceis4mto8m,whichisincaseslikeabosstalkstohisorherassistanceorateacherintheclassroom.Farpublicdistanceisforpoliticalactivities,suchasaspeech.TheabovearedistancesWesternerskeepaccordingtooccasionsandintimacy.TherehasnotbeenmatureresearchresultabouttheproxemicsofChineseuntilnow.ButitisacceptedbyscholarsthatbodydistanceofChineseiscloserthanthatofWesterners.2.CulturalDifferencesLeadingtoDifferencesinProxemics2ThebodydistanceofChineseisclosewhilethatofWesternersisfar,thedifferenceofwhichembodiesdifferentideasingeneralityandindividualityononehandorgroupandindividualontheotherhand.Therearemainlytwofactorsleadingtothedifferences.2.1DifferencesinSocialValuesChinesecivilizationoriginatesfromtheYellowriver,whichirrigatesthevastandfertileplain.Therelationshipbetweenhumanandtheearthisintimate,becauseafamilyanditsneighborsrelyonthelocalfieldtohavealivingaftertheysettledowninoneplace.Theyseldommigrateexceptwarsornaturaldisasters,sooncepeopleliveinthesameplaceforalongtime,theytendtocareforandhelpeachother.SuchanagriculturalsocietyinwhichpeopledependoneachotherisaguidanceofethiclifeforChinese.Advocatedinsuchanenvironment,theethicsofConfuciusteachpeopletofocusontheearthandignoremigration(许力生，2004:38).Asaresult,therelationshipbetweenpeopleisemotionallystrongandpermanent,thustheirownsocialvaluecollectivismisformed,whichfocusesontheinterestsofthewholegrouporcommunity.Eachone’sidentity,status,responsibilityandobligationiscloselyrelatedtohisorhergroup,communityandfamily.However,Westernerslivenearthesea,wheretheclimateisabnormalandtherearemoremountainsthanplains.Consequently,theycannotliveonfarminglikethoseneartheYellowriver;insteadtheyfocusonfishingandherdingwithoutasettledplace.Theymakeuseofallthepossiblemeansoflivinginnatureandformacommercialsociety,inwhichtherelationshipbetweenthelifeofbusinessmanandearthisnotconstant,sodoestherelationshipofhumanbeings.Businessmentakepriorityoftheirprofittointerpersonalrelationship.Besides,Geekcultureformedinthiscommercialsocietystressestheadmirationofhumanpowerandtheideaofhuman-centered(徐华英,2006:10-11).Westernersholdthatindividualinterestscannotbeinfringedandtakeseriousofprivacy,sopeoplearenotintimatetoeachother.Accordingtothem,notonlythebodybutalsocertainspaceoutofitallbelongtothem,notallowingotherstobeclosetothemandoncesomeoneoffendthem,theywillfightagainsttheoffender.2.2DifferencesinModeofThinkingChinesethinkinanintegratedwayandthecomponentsofthewholeobjectarerelatedtoeachotheranddependable.Thiswayofthinkingexpressedininterpersonalrelationshipisthattheyseekharmonyandsteady,nothavingconflictswithothers.Forexample,foraquestionof“Haven'tyoubeentoBeijing?”,theanswerofChineseis“是的，没去过”，whichlackstheword“me”,whilethatofWesternersis“No,Ihaven’t.”.ThisexampleshowsthatWesternerstakethemselvesasthestandards,becauseinwhicheverwaythequestionisasked,theiranswerisbasedonwhethertheyhavebeenthereornot.Chinese,however,givetheansweraccordingtothewaythequestionisaskedandtheirsituation.ThisshowsthatChinesefocusontheethicsandinterpersonalrelationshipofthetwospeakerswhentalking,whileWesternersfocusonindividual,independenceandself-value,andtakepriorityo