Boatman 1

Britney Boatman
Tamera Davis
Honors Comp II
13 April 2016
Understand Chinese
It is clear to see stark contrasts in culture between the US and China. Traditions, family
significance and structure, and mannerisms differ. Even the way the way in which the two
countries view culture itself are exceptionally variant from one another. Americans are
sometimes quick to pass judgement on some Chinese customs as weird or far out, when in fact
most have been the norm in China shaped by centuries of practice throughout Chinese history.
These misjudgments come from simply not knowing enough about Chinese peoples history and
what their culture and customs are based on. With a little more knowledge of Chinese core
fundamental values, it is much easier to understand their culture, practices and beliefs.
As is true in most nations, religion and spirituality are the bases of nearly all old and
ancient traditions in China. Buddhism and Chinese Folk-Religion are among the most widely
practiced religions in China (Albert), while Confucianism is a largely followed ideology in the
country. Americans can find statuettes of Buddha or the Lucky Cat as trinkets or souvenirs from
China town and Asian markets, but rarely learn about what these symbols signify in Chinese
culture. While purchasing these figurines does not mean one must subscribe to the religion from
which they come, it could certainly be enlightening to know to story behind the icons. Chi and
Feng Shui are commonly heard of through pop culture in the US, but simply hearing the words is
as far as the knowledge goes for many Americans. Each are ancient practices believed by various

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Chinese religions and philosophies to bring happiness and health into ones life. For example, for
those who exercise Chi and Feng Shui concepts, home dcor may be more thought out than just
the aesthetic the way it is for most American interior design. Flow of energy and Yin and Yang
are also taken into consideration.
The marked closeness of Chinese family also springs from ancient religious and spiritual
philosophy. As Sean Upton-Mclaughlin explains, many aspects of Chinese life can be tied to
honoring ones parents or ancestors. In fact, the majority of the five relationships espoused by
Confucius [famous ancient Chinese philosopher] were directly centered on the family. In the
US, most children move away from their parents home to live on their own or with their
significant other soon after their eighteenth birthday or graduation from high school. In China
however, children often stay in their home or move relatively close by even after starting a
family of their own. Americans may find it strange that generations of family members remain in
the same household, but this has been customary for centuries in China.
The One Child Policy for families in China is notoriously known, but Americans are not
explicitly made aware of the consequences this policy has on the people in China aside from its
population control function. One result of having but one child in a family is that there is only
one member in which parents can rely on to take care of and support them in their old age. For
Western business people, the Chinese work ethic can be puzzling due to lack of knowledge of the
emphasis that is put on family in China. For example, if an employee unexpectedly gives notice
of having to leave or break from work, some Western employers may be prone to assume that
their young employees lack loyalty, morals or good character. It is important to remember that
family is the highest priority in China and trumps loyalty to all else (Upton-McLaughlin).

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Knowing about this piece of Chinese culture can help to eliminate said assumptions and
misjudgments.
Mannerisms of Chinese people also stem in part from the role family plays in their
culture and religion. Another outcome of the One Child Policy that Upton-McLaughlin points out
is that under the sole focus and care of so many family members, Chinese children of the post
1980s generation have acquired a reputation for being spoiled and self-centered, also known as
the Little Emperor Syndrome. Although this is not always an inevitable consequence, it is
commonly seen amongst Chinese children. Sometimes, depending on where the person falls in
the intricate and hierarchal structure of Chinese families, a sense of entitlement could translate
into adulthood.
Religion and Philosophy also plays a part in shaping Chinese peoples mannerisms. Of
course these two are influential to people of all nationalities, but it is a little known by Americans
that one aspect of a Chinese persons character in particular could be in fact affected by ancient
ideals. China has a long history of humor being either respected or devalued differently in
accordance with different ideologies.
Humor and satire were regarded as inferior forms of aesthetic expression
following Confucian conservatism and formality and were thus devalued for centuries
[T]he Confucian Puritanism was chiefly responsible for the lack of respect for humor in
China Confucianism devalued humor as it might underline the five cardinal relations in
human interactions (Yue 410-411).
While this attitude towards may not completely from early ancient ideology to modern day, it
still explains why, to Americans, some Chinese people come off as too reserved or turgid. At the

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same time, while Confucianists tend to frown upon humor or simply not care for it, Buddhists
regard humor as enlightening, and Taoists believe it stimulates tranquility (Yue 410). Still
overall, Chinese tend to put more value and emphasis on academia than entertainment which is
more commonly the other way around in American culture.
Another contrast between American and Chinese culture is how culture itself is regarded.
From his own accounts from Chinese friends and colleague, journalist Brent Crane explains,
Whereas American ideas of culture acknowledge a certain package of shared traits food,
language, music, customs as a base requirement, the Chinese alternative, it seems, ascribes a
much heftier weight to time. In fact, it is actually a common perception to Chinese people that
America does not have a culture at all because it is not based off such an ancient history as
Chinas culture is. This could be somewhat because of the limited view China or anything other
country for that matter has of America.
Just as Chinese people may have a one-sided view of America, the same can be said
about Americans view of China. Both of these skewed outlooks can be changed with obtaining
more knowledge of one another beyond what is seen in pop-culture. Typically, all countries
mostly only see what the media portrays. There are little occasions where the history of a country
is observed by vast quantities of people and then taken into account before passing judgement.
The connection between China and America, and all nations, can be strengthened by getting to
know more about one another. Understanding is the key to eliminating biased judgements and
fortifying our relationships.

Annotated Bibliography

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CFR
Albert, Eleanor. Religion in China. Cfr.org. 10 June 2015. Accessed 12 April 2016.
http://www.cfr.org/china/religion-china/p16272
This article breaks down the main religious practices in China throughout its history. It also
explains the regulation of what freedoms and what restrictions the Communist Party of
China has exercised. Eleanor Albert is a writer and editor for Council on Foreign
Regulations whose work consists of interviews and articles with China and Asia being
her main subjects. CFR is a nonpartisan membership organization that publishes
interviews, analysis, podcasts and much more subject matter on international trends and
news. This background article on religion in China consists of factual content linked to its
sources. It also containing additional related resources outside of the website for the
reader supports that it is an unbiased source that can benefit this paper.
Crane, Brent. How Chinese and Americans Understand Culture. The Diplomat. 5 March 2015.
Accessed 12 April 2016. http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/how-chinese-and-americansunderstand-culture/
In this article, the author describes differing opinions of how Chinese and Americans essentially
define culture as well as what they think of one anothers. The main difference being that
the American idea of culture is a compilation of common customs and the Chinese moreso acknowledges the aspect of amount of time a culture has been built. Brent Crane is a
journalist with a B.A. in International Relations and Chinese Studies from the University
of Colorado Boulder. The Diplomat is an international current-affairs magazine for the
Asia-Pacific area that is prided on providing excellent commentary and analysis on

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events in Asia. This article provides an informed and well thought out break down if the
two countries view of culture being that the author is American and has studied and lived
in Beijing. The authors grasp on current and popular opinions and commentary amongst
young people in China is valuable to this paper as his insight helps create a more relatable
view into the subject matter.
Upton-Mclaughlin, Sean. The Significance of Family in China. China Culture Corner. 21 June
2013. Accessed 12 April 2016. https://chinaculturecorner.com/2013/06/21/the-chinesefamily/
This article talks about the history of family in China to explain the traditional Chinese family
function and structure that is still widely present in their culture today. The author also
talks about the One Child Policy. Sean Upton-McLaughlin is a business consultant and
writer specialized in US-China business and cross-culture relations. He has lived and
worked in China for over nearly 7 years and has a firm background in Chinese language
and culture. The China Culture Corner is Sean Upton-McLaughlins blog in which he
gives his input on popular Chinese culture as well as explaining more traditional Chinese
culture. The goal of the website is to give Westerners a better understanding of the
Chinese people, culture and customs. Within this article the author links source
information and includes a quote from a Shanghai native. The author is well versed in his
knowledge of China making the article a good resource for this paper.
Yue, Xiao Dong. Exploration of Chinese Humor: Historical review, empirical findings, and
critical reflections. International Journal of Humor Research. Volume 23, Issue 3,
pp403-420. August 2010. Accessed 12 April 2016.

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This journal article takes a detailed look at humor in Chinese culture throughout Chinas history.
The author breaks down the value of humor as it contrasts between different religious
groups and philosophers. Xiao Dong Yue is the Associate Professor of Psychology at The
City University of Hong Kong. In this article he cites numerous publications and
interviews. This article is useful because it goes in depth into a lesser known aspect of
Chinese culture that juxtaposes from American culture.