Cultures of United Kingdom and China - Research Paper Example

Cultures of United Kingdom and China Introduction: The two countries chosen for survey for this assignment were the United Kingdom and China. A brief introduction to the various characteristics and aspects of these varying countries will help play into affect the gist of this essay. The Peoples Republic of China is simply known as China. It is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous country, containing with is considered to be a fifth of the population: 1.3 billion. The government is a socialist republic, running under the name of Communist Party of China. (Bourn, 1999). Despite its tumultuous history with the Western world and itself: colonization by Britain. Opium wars and riots and separated states within its own boundaries, China has gained immense importance today. Financially China is the third largest economy in the world (Gordon). As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China’s role is immense in today’s world politics. This is not the only organization China belongs to; its participation is included in World Trade Organization. Concerning the rights of its people, the government speaks of freedom of speech and expression, however many feel this does not come into play when the state prosecutes its law (Sorman, 2008). China is also said to violate a number of human rights laws by holding long detentions without trial, torture and restrictions on labor laws (China Human Rights Fact Sheet, 1995). The media is suppressed, enough to be considered one of the most controlled countries in the world for press (Reporters sans frontiers, 2005). However, its colorful history has given China a historic and rich culture, much of which has been kept safe by the ruling government. The United Kingdom, also known as Britain is in many ways the opposite of China. It has always been in the front seat of imperialism by controlling vast areas of Asia (including China). The United Kingdom is a state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (Countries of the UK,) The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy running under the head of the state Queen Elizabeth but is run by a parliamentary government. With events like industrialization occurring first in UK, it is considered the sixth largest economy in the world (International Monetary Fund) Like China; it too is a permanent member of the United Nations and also organizations like World Trade Organization. Citizens of the UK have three distinct systems of law: English law, Northern Ireland law and Scots law. All of who practice a humane and righteous legal system to protect their people. Britain also has considerable freedom of press. UK allows a number of religions to exist freely within its region: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. As a major colonial power, Britain has distinct traditions and customs, much of which can be seen in its former colonies too. Thus both countries have a rich and thorough history, much of which is propagated by their respective governments. The result of which is immense diversity and a strong cultural sense. Analysis: The United Kingdom and China are two countries, so rich in cultural history and diversity that it becomes hard to touch upon all aspects of their distinct cultures. This essay is a novice attempt at trying to compare the two cultures. To begin with, culture is such a vast field that limiting it to a simple answer is impossible. Kroeber and Kluckhohn (1952) thought it to have 164 definitions. The 20th century uses culture as a discipline central to anthropology. Culture in its most basic form includes: individual culture, social culture and national culture. All three are ingrained in the system of an individual and fed to him since his birth to this world. This is known as “imitative learning” (Tomasello 1999). Thus, culture is something we adopt and learn. It is not a gene we are born with and thus it is open to improvisation. Much of culture is determined by our identity. The basic and most superficial view of identity is the color of our skin. While in the United Kingdom most locals are white, the local Chinese has very pale skin. Apart from this details like religion can also separate cultures, while much of Britain is Christian; there is no leading religion in China. The ruling Chinese government is mainly atheist, however it is fair to say that if there is any practice of religion in China it’s mainly Buddhism (Buddhists in the world, 2008). Another determining factor in an individual’s identity is their achievements. Most Chinese tend to be brilliant athletes or dancers while British concentrate on a different sport, cricket: a game that is yet to be played in China. After individual culture, comes social culture. The social cultures in both China and the United Kingdom are varied. The first event that comes into mind is the New Year celebrations. United Kingdom, like much of the rest of the world celebrates New Year’s on the 1st of January. It includes celebrations and parties till midnight. The Chinese New Year is very different. This celebration has no fixed date as it’s based on the lunar calendar though it has a direct association with spring.. Also, the Chinese New Year is a 15 day holiday being one of the largest events of the entire year. The festival is similar only in the regard that it reminds many of Christmas celebrations where the countdown starts long before the 25th of December. Because China can follow no specific religion, Chinese New Year is a period of celebration for them just like Christmas is for the United Kingdom: houses are cleaned and money and gifts distributed. Also, Chinese New Year involves firecrackers, much like Guy Fawkes Night (November 5) in the United Kingdom. A main determinant of most cultures is their history. In the case of China and the United Kingdom, there is not a very huge difference despite many believing there to be so. Both countries have evolved from monarchies. This has given them a rich national culture. The arts are an important factor adding to the national spirit in both countries. While United Kingdom boasts literary geniuses as far back as Beowulf (Tolkein, 1958), China boasts the teachings of their philosopher Confucius. Also, China and United Kingdom both speak of their unique architecture: China claims it to be as old as their civilization (Liang, 1984) while Britain says their architecture dates back to the period of the Stonehenge. Apart from these determining and vivid aspects determining Chinese and British nationality, other minute details determine culture as well. This includes dressing. Chinese traditional dress is much different from that of the United Kingdom. Though this dress is hardly ever worn, it represents China and is still hailed with a strong sense of patriotism is Chinese Tunic Suit for men and Cheong-sam (it also called Chi-pao) for women. However, this is worn on formal occasions and by the locals and Chinese students studying abroad. Britain, with its diverse states has no specific national dress: Scotland chooses kilt and Wales uses a long skirt, petticoat with a shawl (Barrow, 2009). Another aspect determining culture differences is language; Confucius said language is a means for proper human conduct to maintain a civil society (Samovar and Porter, 2002). The similarity in China and United Kingdom is their possesion of a large number of languages in the same country. This factor can be contributed to the large land mass both countries possess. China might also have a number of languages because of its occupation of different areas. China’s languages are Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hakka. These languages are said to be inintelligible in their spoken form but when written down they have a common text. The Chinese written language has existed for more than 3000 years : The formal invention of paper can be dated exactly in the year A.D. 105, and was the work of one who should surely be honored among the great contributors to human civilization. He was Ts'ai Lun, a man attached to the Chinese imperial court (Bodde). This written form is said to bring together northern, central and southern China. Of course, there are other forms of minority languages as well, these include Mongolian, Tibetan, Miao (Hmong), Yi, Uygur, and Kazakh. Britain too has its fair share of languages. These include Angloromani, British sign language, Cornish, English, French, Gaelic Irish, Gaelic Scottish, Polari, Romani Vlax, Romani Welsh, Scots, Traveller Scottish, Welch and Yinglish (Gordon, 2005). An almost inexhaustible list, the British too have their fair share of languages. All of which are spoken in large numbers in different regions. It’s fair to say that both China and Britain have their national languages: Mandarin for former and English for latter and that these are spoken by the greatest number of people. These languages united the two countries and bring about a more unified front. As identified, Mandarin and English are the two languages being compared. The difficulty in understanding for locals from both countries will arise for a number of reasons. Chinese do not use alphabets, instead choosing logographic. It is for this reason that Chinese scholars have difficulty reading and writing English phrases. Another difference is the stress and intonation patterns used while speaking English. This is because Chinese use stress to express different word meanings while English requires stress to show emotion and expression. Thus, even if Chinese students have brilliant vocabulary it often becomes hard to understand what they are saying. Another difference in Chinese is the lack of articles in the Chinese language. This creates mistakes like “when you are going home.” As language represents a certain culture, it also introduces organization within the structure. Language is a social product of the faculty of speech and also a set of necessary conventions adopted by the people to foster the use of this faculty among them (Sassure, 1916). The difference between animals and humans is their ability to communicate, not because of the words they possess but because they can place those words in a specific order, enough to make a structure or sentence that conveys a specific meaning. Language assists in creating an opinion about the world we live in. It creates theories and philosophies in a way that supports our views about life and the world. This is because of the special way language and words are used. British and Chinese words serve the same purpose. They help in the writing of literature and other works: Charles Dickens opinion of England and its pathetic conditions in Tale between two cities or the 4000 year history of Chinese proverbs which are said to be effective for any occasion (Yuan, 2006). Apart from stating ordinary concepts by organizing words, language also assists in bringing together different individuals in the form of one body. With a national language: English or Mandarin, both countries aim to organize structures which are efficient and profitable. This is because; a group of people speaking one language can convey their messages faster. It also helps in coordination, motivation and increasing power. The downfall faced by both China and Britain is the large number of ethnicities residing in their countries. This causes groups to be separated on the basis of languages. It reduces the workings of organizational structures. For instance, China will face a barrier in communication when an educated individual goes to communicate with a peasant, the former being a Mandarin speaker and the latter a Hakka. This can reduce the unity in a country. Britain faces the same problem. Much of its regions are divided by language barriers as the locals in London would prefer to speak English while the ones in Scotland would stick to traditional Scots Gaelic. This regional difference can often result in creating conflicts within a country and preventing it from standing as a united front. Britain and China are similar in certain regards. Interpersonal relationships do not necessarily have to be limited to language. The use of kinesics allows our bodily gestures and facial expressions to reveal enough about what we are thinking. For instance, a smile will mean happiness, no matter what the culture while tears will always represent sadness. Olfactics (sense of smell) and ocuelsics (sense of sight) might vary in both cultures. For instance, the smell of tea might simulate the senses of both Chinese and British but rice might make a Chinese’s taste buds water in the same way fish and chips would affect a British. In the context of ocueliscs, the Chinese might be far more moved by a bamboo tree than a British who would prefer a sturdy oak tree. This might be a difference in aesthetic sense of the two countries but it could also mean a difference in culture. The Chinese have grown up to tea and delicate plants which makes their affiliation with these items special while the British have grown up to sturdy trees and a diet of fish and chips. The effect cultures can have on different behaviors is phenomenal. As the world turns into a global village it is but necessary for different cultures to interact and understand one another. The manager who knows only his or her own country is doomed to become obsolete. Most organizations can no longer afford to employ culturally myopic managers. (Harris and Moran). Both countries are enormous economic powers. Importing and exporting goods between the two countries is a regular practice. However, this cannot be done if both stick to their cultures and not accept difference. It is for this reason that both must learn their respective countries languages and cultures. This way they can develop a larger global market. This creates a great relationship between the customer and the company. Not only does this relationship strive on profits and economic gain but also on the mutual respect both cultures have for each other. This negotiation can benefit both sides by bringing in new technology and knowledge to help better their countries positions. So far, there has been a striking contrast between the British and Chinese cultures. Now, the intercultural bonds between the two will be discussed. This starts with Britain’s interest in China. It was used by Marco Polo to reach China from Europe in 1275. Amongst the gifts exchanged from the Chinese to the British were silk, tea, paper, porcelain and medicine. Then there was the history of various conquests such as that of Genghis Khan (1230) which created was an interaction between the two countries. Other reasons for intercultural exchange were religion. Christian missionaries moved into China in the 19th century, the 4th of September 1807 (Johnstone, 2001). China’s opium wars followed. The British crushed the ill-equipped Chinese forces and conquered large tracts of China leading to much anger within China. However, China earned its independence in 1949. Thus, there was plenty of intercultural communication between the two countries, far before China’s rise as a global power. Education plays a vital role in shaping and refining individuals of any nation according to the needs of a specific culture. This poses true of both the United Kingdom and China. The difference is that Chinese education is compulsory for the first nine years of an individual’s life while the British choose to educate their young for sixteen years. In China, primary school teaches an individual a very strong moral and political stance. Thus ideas like patriotism are inculcated in children from a very young age. Also, after middle school the child has to focus on one field: humanities or science. Unlike Britain, a vast array of subjects cannot be explored. To attend college, Chinese students have to compete and pass the “National College Exam”, admission to college is based on the results in these entry tests. Thus, unlike Britain, Chinese students are taught to compete for positions to excel at a very young age. After conversations with many British locals, it is realized that their time in school was one of learning and growing as a separate individual. In China, school is a chance to separate from the ordinary and show excellence in the field the student chooses to pursue. Chinese students are taught about their political system and culture far earlier than students from the United Kingdom. This creates a strong sense of identity but prevents them from exploring the diversity of other countries. From personal experience, the universities in the UK and China are very different. United Kingdom takes minute details like making their international students find residence outside the university hostels to ensure they assimilate and grow in an independent environment while this idea is lacking in China’s universities. All UK universities are autonomous but this cannot be said for China. Thus, the teachings of the government often creep into the curriculum preventing students from forming a personal opinion on matters like politics and religion. The education system brings one to the topic of ethnocentricity. This is the belief that one’s culture is far more superior to that of another race. It’s believed that this thought pattern is culturally learned making this behavior seem natural and acceptable to the individual in any certain society. The concept of Sinocentrism believed that China was central and unique in view of other nations. If it’s considered with a modern outlook than it focused on China significance or supremacy at the cost of other nations. Thus Chinese consider their culture to be far more superior and ancient then that of another culture. Eurocentrism was a theory that is said to evolve from Sinocentrism. Europe and its race felt their superiority increase as European imperialism increased. Thus, Johann Heinrich Zedler in 1741 wrote "even though Europe is the smallest of the world's four continents, it has for various reasons a position that places it before all others [...].its inhabitants have excellent customs, they are courteous and erudite in both sciences and crafts." The concept of ethnocentricity is still strong in both cultures. The British and Chinese are very strong patriots. Thus, one similarity in both cultures is the strong sense of nationality and pride they have. Yes, sometimes ethnocentricity can cause individuals to be biased in their behavior but to them they are just standing up for what is true and right. Recommendations: As the analysis proves, China and Britain are too diverse and sometimes immensely contrasting cultures. Despite their striking differences, a number of methods can be used by an individual to fit in a certain atmosphere. Culture breakdowns can cause a variety of problems. Not only does it create uncertainty – the need to predict the alternative behavior patterns a stranger might prove and the need to understand why strangers acted the way they did. For instance, my first few days in class were difficult as no one spoke to me. I didn’t know what made them unacknowledged my presence. I would worry about my clothes and hairstyle for hours’ everyday. Another problem is anxiety and worry about what might happen. This was evident in my fear when I went to my first class with a new attitude. I was scared the students in my class would ignore my attempts or worse yet, laugh at me. Both feelings are culminated from communicating in new situations or outgroups. Thus both China and Britain should both accept the fact that uncertainty and anxiety are emotions present in every human being. With this idea in mind I decided to go confront my demons. In my third week I mustered up the courage to go up to fellow classmates and strike up a conversation myself, instead of worrying about what they might think of me. It makes me very proud to say that my action was rewarded as I succeeded in making the type of friends who will last a lifetime. It was not just me overcoming my fear but my friends understanding my vulnerability and providing me with the security to adjust in a new environment. A number of differences are cultivated because individuals can no longer be bothered to ask questions. I had no idea how travel in the tube. Hours would be spent in front of the map trying to understand which tube went where. I often missed classes and got lost outside because I could never ask for directions. This often made me stay inside my room because the thought of getting lost frightened me. The best way to fit and cope in an environment is to ask as many questions as possible with the thought in mind that asking does not make anyone the smaller person. So instead of experimenting new ways, I would ask the university students, assigned to help international students, fit in where to go. Stereotypes should also be prevented. For instance, it’s a common aspect that all Chinese students are smarter than the average child and can thus be seen as competition by fellow locals British. When I first arrived, students would seem aggravated when I did well, as if being intelligent was a Chinese trait. It was not until I made friends and they realized how hard I worked that they understood their stereotype. In turn, Chinese students were taught of the various atrocities committed by the colonialist British. It was only after my arrival that I saw how outdated this concept was. One of the major threats that follow the movement of an individual from one country to another is culture shock. Culture shock can cause physical, psychological and cultural differences. It starts with an enthusiasm to leave to a new place but the surprise of moving somewhere with different clothing, food and culture. When I first came to the UK I could not find a “China Town”. I craved boiled rice and missed the sound of Mandarin. The best way to deal with this is to learn the language of the country you are moving to. Also, I joined some Chinese societies in university which allowed me to bond with fellow locals who would meet every month to cook Chinese dishes and watch Chinese movies together. If ideas like ethnocentricity are strong, then the student should temper it down and become more respectable and accepting of other cultures. When I first came to China I felt myself slightly better than the British individual. I thought were more intoned with our cultural roots and understood the meaning of sacrifice better. It was only after living here that I understood how glamorized the idea of Britain is in our country as it suffers as much as any other place in the world. Because mistakes are bound to be made by the student, it’s necessary for him to develop a sense of humor. Often my broken English and accent would make fellow students laugh but laughing along helped reduce my anxiety at being accepted. Within all of this the individual needs to ensure that his sense of self remains intact. Yes, it’s respectful to accept difference but the student should never allow it to overcome every bit of him. He should not lose his personality in the process. I understand that at the end of my contract I want to return home, to my country and my family. Conclusion: Changing environments is a tasking and sometimes almost impossible job. The best way to overcome such a challenge varies from individual to individual. At the end of the day it lies in their strength to overcome all odds. This is evident in China’s market and student body in Britain and vice versa. Executive summary: The cultural dimensions of China and Britain are huge. The ideas of culture, identity, language, ethnocentricity and success in an organization can only work if every individual takes up the task of supporting and respecting difference. Culture keeps individuals grounded with where he belongs but it also creates an image of something separate from the rest of the world. Identity is similar in the same regard because it separates one person from another. It induces individuals into choosing who they are and who they want to be. Language is another barrier that creates boundaries. It causes people to create groups and understand only those who can speak the way they do. Ethnocentricity despite its conflicting ideas, keeps a country unified. In the same way, other concepts of culture and intercultural communication have been discussed in this essay. It also includes the effects interpersonal communication: facial gestures, words, symbols can have in the certain cultures. The essay ends with recommendations for the individual who plans to study abroad and how to fight over any cultural conflicts and achieve the best from the education they have been provided. 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