Difference Between Two of the Most Influential Nations of the World - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Among the biggest differences between China and America are their cultural values and these have been cultivated over a long period. China is an extremely conservative nation with most of the cultural practices of its people being influenced to a certain degree by the teachings of the philosopher Confucius. This influence has been paramount in China for over two millennia and has guided the Chinese nation throughout all its incarnations. The culture of the United States, on the other hand, is very liberal with individuals living their lives as they see fit, making Americans very independent people from a young age. Moreover, Chinese culture dictates that younger people be subservient and submissive towards their elders, obeying them without question. Young Chinese people tend to be obliged to take care of their elders until the latter die and in most cases, elderly Chinese are very revered in society. This is not necessarily the case in America where younger people tend to live their own lives without any consideration to the wishes of their elders (Weston). The elderly people in America tend to be highly independent and often live by themselves; going into homes for the elderly when they can no longer take care of themselves rather than living with their children.
Another difference that arises between America and China is their systems of education, which are in many ways managed diversely. The Chinese system of education tends to be slightly more difficult than that of America because students have to undergo a rigorous system of examinations almost at every level of their education to ensure that they are competent enough to proceed to the next level. The American system, on the other hand, is less rigorous with the number of people whose performance in school is below average being extremely high. ...Download file to see next pages Read More