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DifferencesbetweenChineseCulturesandWesternCulturesAsthetechnologyofcommunicationandtransportationdevelopedrapidly,moreandmorecontactwiththeWestisunavoidable.FindingoutthedifferencesmayhelpuscometoabetterunderstandingofWesternandChineseculture.HerearetentypicalandgeneralizeddifferencesbetweenChineseculturesandWesterncultures.Firstly,Westerncultureemphasizesself-relianceandChineseculturetrendstowardshelpingeachother.Westernsbelievethatpeopleshouldrelyonthemselves.Theyalsoexpectotherstodothesame.Onthecontrary,Chinesearetaughttohelpothersfromtheirchildhoods(Thoughtherearesomemoraltroublesinthesocietyrecently).TheessentialdifferenceisthatWesternersviewhelpasvoluntaryandChinesemaytakeitforresponsibility.ThusWesternersmayonlyhelppeopleinemergencycaseandinwhichtheyreallyneedhelp.Secondly,WesterncultureandChineseculturehavedifferentopiniononrightsofindividuals.Westernersgenerallyfeelthattherightsofindividualsshouldnotsacrificeforthecollectiveandtheyshouldhavetherighttodecideforthemselveswhethersacrifice.Onthecontrary,Chinesemightdespisetherightsofindividuals,especiallyintheancient第1页time.IntheancientChina,peoplehavenorightofindividual.Theirrightsarecontrolledbythe“groupleaders”,suchasofficialsandemperors.Sometimes,theyevendidnotknowhow“leaders”didabouttheirrights.Thirdly,thereisdifferenceinrankandpowerbetweenWesterncultureandChineseculture.YoumayfindthatWesternersgenerallylessrespecttheelderthanChinese.BecauseWesternersinsistthatpeopleareequal.However,respectingelderandhigh-rankpersonsisthetraditioninChina.Therefore,Westernsocietiesmaytrytolimitthepowerofgovernmentofficials.InChina,officialsandtheeldersaremuchrespected;atleastweareexpectedtorespectthem.Fourthly,inWesternersminds,thereisacleardistinctionbetweenpublicandprivate.Inotherwords,Westernershavelittle“humanfeeling”whichChinesehavealot.InChina,thehigh-rankingpersonswillpreferthepersonswhohavebetterrelationshipwith.Theprivatefeelingwillaffectthepublicaffair.Nevertheless,publicaffairhavelittlebusinesswithprivatefriendshiporrelationshipintheWest.Itmeansthat“youarethebestfriendofthemanager”helplittleabout“themanagerisgoingtofireyouforsomereasonsofcompany”.Fifthly,ChineseandWesternershavedifferentcommunicationstyles.Westernersseldombeataroundthebushastheyexpresstheirideasverydirectly.Thiskindofcommunicationstyleiscalled“lowcontext”第2页becausepeopleareeasytogetwhatisthewholeideaofthespeaker.Onthecontrary,Chinesetendtocommunicateinanindirectandsubtleway.Thiskindcommunicationstyleiscalled“highcontext”becausepeopleneedtogaininformationfrommanyaspect,suchasbodylanguage,wherethespeakeristalkingandsoon.Sixthly,Westerncultureis“loose”cultureandChinesecultureis“tight”culture.“Loose”Tight?“”?Whatdotheymean?Thelooseandthetightdescribetheconformity.Westernersmaytendtotoleratewhatpeopledoinimproperway.ThisaccountsforthehighcrimerateintheWestinarespect.Incontrast,therearemorerestrictiononpeopleinChina.Thereisaclearconsensusasforwhatisandisnotacceptableact.Seventhly,thefamilytieswhichChineseattachimportancetoarelooserinWesterncountries.Forexample,inChinapeopleareexpectedtotakecareoftheiroldparents.Inmostfamilies,peoplekeepagoodcontactwiththeiroldparentsandinsomefamilies,peopleandtheiroldparentslivetogether.HoweveryoumaybedisabledtofindanEnglishwordmeans“thelovebetweenfamilymembers”.IntheWest,theeldersdonotlivetogetherwiththeirsonsanddaughters.Theyaremostlyself-reliantinalmostallrespects.Eighthly,thereisdifferencebetweenWesterncultureandChinesecultureaboutthedistinctionsofin/out-group.Chinesetreatoutsidesand第3页membersoftheirin-groupdifferentlyandthedifferenceisgreaterthanWesterners.Ifyouareinthein-groupofWesterners,youmayfindthegroupmembersarenotvery“warm-hearted”.Incontrast,themembersintheChinesein-groupwillsticktogethermuchmore.Thisisalsoadifferencecausedby“humanfeeling”.Ninthly,WesternersandChinesedealwithconflictindifferentway.Asweallknowthatsincetheancienttimes,China'sprevailingphilosophyhasbeenonethatpreachespeaceismostprecious,harmonywithoutuniformity.So,Chinesewillexpresstheirideainaacceptableway.Wemayspeakindirectlyandevenlieforthepeace.Onthecontrary,Westernersstillexpressindirectlyinspiteofwhethertheirwayisacceptable.Becausetheybelievedisagreement,competitionandevenconflictaregoodthings.Lastly,WesternersandChinesehavedifferentfriendshippatterns.Ingeneral,WesternfriendshipiswideandshortasChinesefriendshipisnarrowandlong.Westernersmakingfriendsdependmuchonthesamehobby,workandinterest(benefit)andsoon.Itmaybelimitedtofewrespects.Whentherelationshipsintherespectsdisappear,thefriendshipmayfollow.Incontrast,Chinesefriendshipsdevelopslowly.Itdependsonmanyrespects.Whenitcometosteady,itwilllastverylong.Afterthesetendifferencesbetweentwocultures,Iwanttosaya第4页wordaboutoneofthem.Itisthethirdone.Firstly,Ithinktheeldershouldberespected.“Iamnotoldor”“Iamstillyoung”aregoodattitudetowardslife.ButIthinkageingisafactwhichtheeldershouldacceptit.Theelderbeingoldmeansthattheyarereallynotabletodosomethinganymore.Theycametothisworldearlierthanushavingmoreexperienceandwisdom.Theyworkedwholelife