The Difference between Chinese and American Culture - Coursework Example

The Difference between Chinese and American Culture Introduction The histories, religions, politics and boundaries of China differ from those of America, so do their cultures. Austin defines culture as the norms, behaviors, language, traditions and perceptions shared by a group. The Chinese culture, just as the American culture, is dynamic and observed in diverse ways based on life experiences and personalities. As such, this culture differs in many ways from the American culture based on the difference in these experiences and personalities. 1. General cultural differences The Chinese conception of self is collectivist, where greater value is placed on individual modesty and group cooperation. This differs from the individualist conception by the Americans where self-promotion and self-reliance is acceptable, with greater significance on freedom from external constraints as argued by Chan and Hsu (34). The social relationships between the two cultures also differ with Chinese adopting the formal and hierarchical structure, people appreciating their positions in the society and the customs and behavior that come with it, as compared to the informal and egalitarian American style which has less regard for social rankings and makes people easy with their social equals. More faith is placed on personal relationships among the Chinese unlike among the Americans where written rules take precedence, appreciated as a source for fairness and rational procedures and decisions. 2. Parenting Style Parenting in Chinese is based on the authority of parents, as well as obedience and respect by children. The Confucian philosophy causes in them the need to raise the children for the children’s good and bring their families honor. As such, parents are strict on their children’s studies and set high expectations from them. On the other hand, American parents consider their children as equals in their own right. They consider excellence in extracurricular activities as important as excellence in academics, thus children get to pursue what they are best in. Chan and Hsu find them more praising of their children than the Chinese parents (144). The Chinese parenting fosters independence, with Jingjing observing that even at the age of three, Chinese children will still be fed by their parents who consider them to be vulnerable and dependent. In contrast, American children at the same age would be independent, feeding and playing by themselves. 3. Education Both the American and Chinese education systems are graded into different divisions, from kindergarten to twelfth grade. However, Austin observes that the Chinese system has xiǎo xué (elementary grade) and zhōng xué (middle school) for kindergarten to sixth grade and seventh to twelfth grade respectively which is different from the most common American system which has elementary, junior high school and high school for kindergarten to fifth grade, sixth to eighth grade and ninth to twelfth grade respectively. Chinese college admissions are determined by standardized examinations administered at the end of every school year while the American system uses a holistic approach, taking into account high school grades, teacher recommendations, extracurricular activities, application essay, standardized test performance and usually, personal interview performance. The emphasis on respect for teachers in China causes less student participation during lectures unlike in America where the value of personal expression is upheld, thus greater student-lecturer interaction in class. In appreciation of the Confucian philosophy of obedience and loyalty, academic excellence among the Chinese is attributed to hard work, thus long study hours and less engagement in leisure activities, contrasting to the belief in innate characteristics for academic excellence in America, as such embracing extracurricular activities. The class structure for the Chinese is such that students stay in a specific classroom throughout the day, teachers changing to teach different subjects, unlike in America where students move from one class to another, meeting different classmates, during different courses. 4. Drink Culture China is a renowned liquor kingdom. Traced thousands of years back, the Chinese liquor comes in multicolored luster and different shapes, having a cultural significance and expressing some etiquette and mood or sentiment. The drinking culture symbolizes respect for human beings. On the contrary, the wine drinking ritual in America symbolizes respect for alcohol, judged from the drinking order and choice of vessels for different wines among other practices (Jiang 251). Tea in China is popular and not made from tea bags as is the norm in America, but with tea leaves in a pot. In America, however, coffee is more popular. While the Chinese culture considers cold beverages as detrimental to digestion of hot food, making items like soft drinks and ice-cold water rarely served with meals, the American culture has no restriction enjoying cold drinks with meals. As such, other than soup, hot water or tea would be served during meals, with tea regarded as helping in digesting fatty foods. 5. Food Culture For survival needs, both the Chinese and Americans eat the same food. However, the Chinese value the sense of food, paying attention to its smell, appearance and taste. As such, a lot of seasoning is used in cooking, including sesame oil, chili and Sichuanese pepper corn. Fish fillet soaked in chili hot oil is famous even though the Chinese believe in vegetarian diet which includes rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables as good for human health as opposed to American diet where meat is a major food source (Jiang 252). Food is considered as a basic necessity for people, a notion contributed by the experience of many years of hunger caused by low productivity. On the contrary, America has a well-developed food industry with many fast foods and canned foods available in stores. As such, Americans only consider food for fighting hunger. In a banquet, the Chinese focus on food, encouraging each other to eat and drink. This is different from a banquet in America where communication is central with people engaging in chats and dances. Chopsticks are distinctly used to eat among Chinese with teeth used in place of knives. Bowls are held up when taking soup or rice, a practice discouraged in the American culture which does not allow bowls and plates to be lifted off the table when eating. Instead of chopsticks, Americans use cutlery, notably fork, spoons and knives. 6. Medicine Even though the Chinese and Americans face the same health complications, the prevalence of some illnesses have been noted to be higher in either of the communities. As such, they have each adopted medicine culture to better respond to their conditions. The Chinese are said to practice traditional medicine which is more subjective and borrows from the notion of spirituality, specifically the philosophies of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism (Chan and Hsu 81). The emphasis here is laid on social and mind interactions, seeking to restore qi, the balance between life force of the body and energy. Acupuncture is common among the Chinese where fine needles of varied sizes are inserted into the skin to promote health. It treats asthma, bronchitis and arthritis. Indeed, even the Americans have scientifically proven acupuncture to be beneficial to the central nervous system, thus enhance the health of numerous organ systems. However, the Americans largely depend on conventional medicine that have been scientifically developed and tested. Even though Chinese also believe in the effectiveness of American medicine in rapidly eliminating symptoms, they do not consider it as a permanent cure and would only use it for acute illness, severe disease or surgery. Lessons Learnt The observed cultural differences significantly enlighten the society on various issues. First, the general cultural values of a country influence every aspect of cultural practices of its people. From this comparison, the autocratic leadership of the People’s Republic of China is reflected in the respect and obedience of its students in school and to parents which differs from the American democratic rule that promotes free speech and expression in schools, while eating and even in parenting. Similarly, religious beliefs, specifically Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism play a major role in shaping the Chinese culture unlike the American culture that is more secular-based. Despite these differences, the major objective of either culture is to create order and promote the wellbeing of members their respective societies. Neither of these cultures could be considered weaker or superior to the other as each serve the unique beliefs and conditions of the respective societies. Compromise Because of globalization, there has been an increase in the interaction between the Chinese and the Americans. As such, a compromise has to be reached on how these two cultures would exist together harmoniously. For that reason, relaxing some Chinese cultural practices and adopting some American culture that foster human wellbeing would result in a beneficial culture. For example, the medicinal herbs used by the Chinese could be synthesized using the American medical techniques to yield effective treatment. Ultimately, harmonious coexistence between the Chinese and the Americans would depend on the ability to allow for independence in cultural practices and seek for ways to fairly merge the two cultures. Conclusion Indeed, the Chinese culture differs to a great extent from the American culture. Parenting, education, medicine and food and drink cultures are shaped by sociopolitical environments, making each culture define their norms, beliefs and traditions differently. In either case, the aim is to ensure the wellbeing of the society. With this in mind, compromising some aspects of either culture and accommodating some practices from the other culture would lead to harmonious coexistence. Works Cited Austin, Alfred. “Educational Systems in the Republic of China and the United States.” Sitemaker.umich.edu. University of Michigan, 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. Chan, S., and M. Y. Hsu. Chinese Americans and the Politics of Race and Culture. Philadelphia, PA: Temple UP, 2008. Print. Jiang, Lirong. “Comparison of the Difference between Chinese and Western Drinking Culture.” Asian Social Science 7.5 (2011): 251 – 257. Print. Jingjing, Xuyang. “Chinese, Western Parenting Methods Compared in New Study.” Globaltimes.cn. Global Times, 5 June 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. Read More