Culture refers to the practices that are passed from one generation to another. Its considered as a way of living that defines a specific ethnic group. Comparing cultures between two regions or nations do not mean that there are bad practices in either of them. It simply involves understanding how two groups view life and relationships among themselves. All cultures are highly valued by those who practice them since they define the nature of an ethnic group. Understanding the differences between cultures allows one to interact with other people comfortably. My home culture is that of the United States of America. This culture is characterized by a unique language as well as ethical values (Morris and Peng, 1994). In this essay, the culture of the United States will be compared to that of China.
Individualism is highly stressed in the culture of America (Morris and Peng, 1994). Being independent is considered as the best way that an individual can become successful in life. This culture encourages people to take advantage of the surrounding environment so as to obtain a good living standard (Morris and Peng, 1994). This leads to the encouragement of ambition which as an attractive quality. Ambition is considered as the best motive towards success. Americans are hard working in their businesses, and this contributes to the development of their economy. According to Chen (1993), the culture of China encourages people to be dependent on one another since working together speeds up the process of becoming successful in life. People in this culture are always concerned about the perception of other individuals especially those who are close to them. Chen (1993) suggests that unlike in the American culture where individualism contributes to independent decisions, Chinese citizens believe in making a decision for the greater good.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The style of communication is different in the two cultures. Language in America is considered to be straightforward, and sometimes, it can be offensive (Morris and Peng, 1994). In this culture, people tend to get sensitive when they are communicating with one another. This ends up hurting other people’s feelings. The culture in China requires people to respect one another especially when they are communicating. Language in the Chinese culture is filled with respect especially when the young are talking to those who are older than them (Chen, 1993). Though their thoughts are highly valued, the language in the Chinese culture does not allow people to express them directly in some cases (Chen, 1993). Communication in this culture is therefore considered to be blunt. The language in American culture allows people to express their feelings directly.
Differences in individualism may impact my communications in that as an American; I’m taught to be independent and rely on myself for most of the occasions. Developing ambition permits me to communicate with others only when I’m seeking advice or when I’m aiming to take advantage of the surroundings. The Chinese culture, on the other hand, would require me to communicate frequently with those who are close to me especially. This is because based on the requirements of the culture, I would be forced to be part of the group that makes decisions that concern my life. Working together with other members requires communicating with them regularly. The American culture also allows me to express my feelings directly during communication and this allows me to interact well with other individuals. Expressing my opinion is always a good feeling during communication. The Chinese culture would force me to control my feelings during some cases due to the respect that characterizes the culture in this nation.
References
Chen, R. (1993). Responding to compliments A contrastive study of politeness strategies between American English and Chinese speakers. Journal of Pragmatics, 20(1), 49-75.
Morris, M. W., & Peng, K. (1994). Culture and cause: American and Chinese attributions for social and physical events. Journal of Personality and Social psychology, 67(6), 949.
