Comparing and contrasting China and Korea (about emotion) - Essay Example

30 January Comparing and contrasting China and Korea (about emotion) Cultural differences are some of the barriers to global interactions and cultural awareness and cultural intelligence are necessary for ensuring cohesion. Emotion is an aspect of culture and therefore varies across cultural groups. China and Korea exist in the same region but their geographical boundaries are likely to imply differences in emotional orientation. This discussion compares and contrasts the two countries I terms of emotion.

One of the defining factors of Chinese emotional orientation is expression of emotions. Even though Chinese express their emotions, such expressions are regulated. People tend to shy away from expressing their emotions and when they express, it occurs over a short period. In addition, a person suppresses emotions and only expresses minimal intensity of what he or she feels. This suggests emotional strength that allows for such a regulation even though cultural orientation also dictates it. Chinese culture preserves dominance of collective harmony in the society and established social hierarchies with which emotions should not interfere (Bond 245).

Emotions among Chinese citizens also identify patriotism to their country and collectivism. Citizens, for example, have strong attachments to their country, are proud of their citizenships, and have positive attitude towards the country’s development. Strong attachment towards fellow citizens also exists, though not as strong as that towards the nation (Marsh and Lee 105). An understanding of Korean emotional orientation identifies similarities with, and distinctions from the Chinese emotional orientation.

Korean cultural definition of emotion focuses on people and this suggest stronger ties to people, as opposed to the case in China in which stronger ties are towards the nation. Korean emotion is embedded in empathy in which a person feels an obligation to help a needy and feels guilty for failing to help under the circumstance. Korean emotional orientation, unlike the Chinese orientation, allows for freedom of emotional orientation, at least in such cases as funerals. The Korean concept that emotion does not interfere with a person’s rationale also suggest that social factors such as need for collectivism and social hierarchy does not constrain emotional expressions (Besemeres and Wierzbicka 121).

Hofstede values for the two populations’ cultural orientation however establishes similarities of the two emotional orientations, despite the observed differences. Even though power distance, which is a significant constraint to emotional expression in Chinese culture, is higher in China, it is also significant in Korea and this suggest its possible effects in regulating emotional expression. Both populations are collectivists, with china scoring 20 percent and Korea scoring 18 percent on Hosftede indicator and this suggest a strong attitude towards other people.

Both countries also have low scores on indulgence, through the score is lower for china and this is consistent with the hierarchical constraint that Chinese pessimist culture has (Greet-Hofstede 1).Analysis of emotional orientations of china and Korea identifies similarities and differences. Chinese regulate their emotional orientations though they have strong attachments to their country and their fellow citizens. Korean emotional orientation is however more liberal. Degree of constraint is the major difference in emotional orientation between the two populations.

Works citedBesemeres, Mary and Wierzbicka, Anna. Translating lives: Living with two languages and cultures. Queensland: Univ. of Queensland Press, 2008. Print. Bond, Michael. “Emotions and their expression in Chinese culture.” Journal of Nonverbal Behavior (1992) 17.4. Print.Greet-Hofstede. “The Hofstede centre.” Greet-Hofstede. N.d. Web. January 30, 2015. < http://geert-hofstede.com/china.html>. Marsh, Colin and Lee, John. Asia’s high performance education systems: The case of Hong Kong.

New York, NY: Routledge, 2014. Print.