3. Communication Styles
Languages
• Mandarin Chinese is the most popular
language spoken in China but there are
299 individual languages in total.
Non-verbal:
• do not make body contact
• do not point with index finger (use whole
hand)
• direct eye contact is uncommon in public
• do not interrupt
• winking is a rude gesture
• smiling is a sign of embarrassment
4. Face and Guanix
• Face is an important aspect of Chinese culture.
• Having “face” means to own a reputation of dignity
and pride.
• Guanix means “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch
yours” (Fox, 2008, para. 3)
• The concept of Guanix is usually meant for business
communication
Tips to “save face”:
• Treat elders and those who outrank you with respect.
• Do not show anger so that you can avoid fighting.
• If turning down a suggestion, use the indirect
approach.
• Do not criticize someone in public or single anyone
out in a group situation.
• When toasting, allow the host to offer it first.
5. Family culture
• Three Obedience’s-women's
obedience to their fathers,
husbands, and sons.
• Filial Piety (xiao) is the leader of
the family and between the
relationship of a father and son.
• Respecting the elderly is
important.
• Common traditions: Submission to
authority and male dominance.
6. Marriages
• Arranged marriages used to be common
until they were banned in 1950
• As a result of arranged marriages, “Local
women had so little say regarding whom
they married that they sobbed when they
left home on their wedding day” (Osnos,
2012, para. 5)
• The “Capping” ritual is where the
groom kneels before his family and
ancestors at the altar.
• The “Hair Dressing” ritual happens the
night before the wedding day where the
bride baths in water to cleanser herself of
evil influences.
• Bride is introduced to groom through tea
ceremony in which they drink to show
respect, good luck, and union.
“Marriage form is closely related to
succession, property inheritance,
residential arrangements...”(Xiaoyi,
2007, para. 5)
7. Dating
• One child policy (1978)
Limited number of
women leads to fewer
options for Chinese men.
• Interracial dating is on the
rise.
• Internet dating, speed
dating, and parental
matchmaking are
popular.
8. Dating (continued)
• “Men are frustrated that they can't get a woman to date them
seriously without material security. Women are frustrated that
men can't obtain the necessary assets to secure them,” Tan
explains. “Even if you don't care about money and assets at the
moment, your parents probably will. The link between dating,
marriage and materialism is increasingly leading to pessimism
and cynicism toward love.” (Tan, 2012, para. 10)
9. References
• Zhiling, M., & Guanhui, L. (n.a.). Non verbal communication: Chinese emotion and gesture.
Retrieved from http://www.ling.gu.se/~biljana/gestures2.html
• Ackerman, D. (1991). A Natural History of the Senses. Vintage Books
• Brahm, L. (2003). When Yes Means No! (Or Yes or Maybe): How to Negotiate a Deal in China.
Charles E Tuttle Co;
• Fox, S. (2008). China's Changing Culture and Etiquette. China Business Review, 35(4), 48.
• Bullough, V. L., & Fang Fu, R. (1994). Marriage, Divorce, and Sexual Relations in Contemporary
China. Journal Of Comparative Family Studies, 25(3), 383-393.
• Xiaoyi, J., Shuzhuo, L., & Feldman, M. W. (2007). Marriage Form and Son Preference in Rural
China: An Investigation in Three Counties. Rural Sociology, 72(4), 511-536.
• Shu Shu, C. (1997). Wild Geese and Tea: An Asian-American Wedding Planner, NY: Riverhead
Books.
• Philip Tan, P. (2004). STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ELDERLY IN THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA. Educational Gerontology, 30(4), 305-314.
• Kuang-Hui YehBedford, O. (2003). A test of the Dual Filial Piety model. Asian Journal Of Social
Psychology, 6(3), 215.
• Osnos, E. (2012). THE LOVE BUSINESS. New Yorker, 88(13), 76.
• Chen, C. (2012). No Fish in The Sea? Dating in Modern China. Retrieved from http://
www.uschina.usc.edu/article@usct?no_fish_in_the_sea_dating_in_modern_china_17851.aspx
11. Areas of Study
• Teacher and student roles
• Grading
• Access
• Power
• Social Issues
12. Teacher and Student
Roles
• Most students in China prefer to work on their own because
working in groups makes them feel like they are working
against each other (Kennedy, 2002).
• Memorization is an extremely important part of students
learning styles. It is not common for students to converse
material or ask questions (Huijser, 2006).
• Chinese students often succeed in Mathematics and Science
because of the use of strict formulas and memorization
(Abdur-Rahman, Hubbard, Lambert, Limaye, Stein, n.d.).
13. Teacher and Student
Roles (Continued)
• Well-defined explanation, graphic descriptions and
repetitive practice are all part of most teachers teaching
styles (Abdur-Rahman et al., n.d.).
• Teachers usually instruct directly from information in
their textbook (Williamson, 2006).
14. Grading
• Since it is common for Chinese families to only have one
child, there is an increased level of expectation from parents
for their child to be successful (Chen, n.d.).
• Primary, secondary, higher and adult education systems in
China use five or four point systems and a pass or fail system
(Overview of the Educational System, n.d.).
• Transcripts use Latin letter grades, such as A,B,C,D,F instead
of Chinese letters (Overview of the Educational System, n.d.).
• Grades can also be displayed as a number-scale like 0-100
(Overview of the Educational System, n.d.).
15. Access
• The primary organization that manages the administration of schools
in China is the State Education Commission (SEC). They direct
rights, policies and laws that are inflicted on the schools (Overview of
the Educational System, n.d.).
• Higher education plays a major role in continuing social inequality
between individuals because students that came/come from wealthy
families went/go to better schools (Wang 2009).
• Due to higher education financial implications, less respectable
colleges charge higher tuition rates than more respected colleges
(Wang 2009).
• Financial aid is available to certain students who meet certain
requirements. This includes access to Grants, scholarships, work
study, tuition waivers and student loans (China, n.d.).
16. Power
• Context is very important in Chinese classrooms; how a
teacher says something is much more important than what
they actually said (Abdur-Rahman, et al., n.d.).
• Interactions and relationships of all types are highly
regarded because of the history of communitarianism in
the country (Huijser, 2006).
• The role of an authoritative teacher is good in that it
requires the children to respect them but it might be at the
expense of the child’s creativity or their ability to do
things on their own (Austin, n.d.).
17. Social Issues
• China has high drop-out rates due to the increasing cost
of tuition fees (Overview of the Educational System, n.d.).
• There is evidence that students that have wealthy roots
are receiving more government support than students that
came from poor families, which has led the Chinese
population to believe that their education system is unfair
(Peng, W., Peng, X., Peng, K., 2009).
• Since academic achievement is so important, parents
focus more on their childs education rather than
improving the community (Lee, n.d.).
18. Key Learning Points
• Chinese students usually have learning styles based on
memorization and repetitive study.
• Teachers usually teach directly out of the textbook assigned to
the particular class.
• Students are expected to exceed educationally by their parents
and teachers.
• Educated individuals are very well respected.
• Not only are student/teacher relationships important, but all
interactions are important in the Chinese culture due to the
communitarianism history.
• Students education is almost always the number one priority
of parents, so very often community needs are neglected.
19. Ways to Improve Inter-
cultural Communication
with China
• It is important to remember that the way people see their
own culture is entirely based on their upbringing and own
cultural views and beliefs.
• People should realize that while there are many
differences in education systems, there usually is one
primary purpose they all share; to improve the mind of
the student, the community and the future generation.
• Try to have an un-ethnocentric attitude when
communicating with people from different cultures.
20. References
* Kennedy, Peter. (n.d.). “Learning Cultures and Learning Styles: Myth-understandings About Adult
(Hong Kong) Chinese Learners.” International Journal of Lifelong Education. Vol. 21, No. 5
(Sept-Oct) 2002.
* Huijser, Mijnd. (n.d.). “Cross-Cultural Management Education in China.” CMC/Global
Associates/AER. 2002. Last accessed March 26, 2006, available online at
http://www.cmcnet.org/marx-markets.doc.
* Williamson, Dermot. (n.d.). “Managing the key cultural dimensions of control and risk.” European
Business Forum. Last accessed March 26, 2006, available online at
http://www.ebfonline.com/main_feat/in_depth/in_depth.asp?id=554.
* Abdur-Rahman, A., Hubbard, J., Lambert, L., Limaye, R., & Stein, M. (n.d.). Learning & Teaching in China: A Guide to the
Cultural and Educational Nuances of China. Retrieved from
http://www.gwu.edu/~rpsol/cultural_orientations/216s06_Wuhan_Orientation_Guide.pdf.
* Chen, Xuefeng. (n.d.). “The Social Impact of China’s One-child Policy.” Harvard Asia Pacific Review. Retrieved from
http://web.mit.edu/lipoff/www/hapr/summer03_security/CHEN.pdf
21. References (Continued)
* Overview of the Educational System of China. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~dbski/publication/overview.
* Wang, W. (2009, November 3). Social Class Differences in Access to Higher Education in China. Retrieved
from
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/i/a/document/11628_wangweiyi.pdf.
* China. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/inthigheredfinance/files/Country_Profiles/Asia/China.pdf.
* Austin, Alfred. (n.d.). Educational systems in the Republic of China and the United States. Retrieved from
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/austin.356/cultural_values.
* Peng, W., Peng, X., Peng, K.. (2009). The Paradox of Educational Fairness in China. Retrieved from
http://culcog.berkeley.edu/Publications/2009aef_EducationParadox.pdf.
* Lee, Kien. (n.d.). Understanding Culture, Social Organization, and Leadership to Enhance Engagement.
Retrieved from
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1879.aspx.
24. Introduction
• China’s business, etiquette, and communication is very
different from our world in America.
• This presentation shows how China is collectivist, unlike
America’s individualistic environment that focuses on
individual tasks.
• Chinese in business have a good work ethic and different
values from our world today
26. Globalization
• Businesses expand from richer countries to developing
countries
• China is a rapidly growing developing country as you can
see through it’s GDP growth
• U.S gets most imports from China
• China’s economy predicted to reach three times the
output of the entire globe by 2040 (Fogel. 2010).
27. Work Related Values
• Collectivist culture
• China focuses on the goals, needs,
and views of the group as opposed to
the individual
28. Work Related
Values Cont..
• Individuals are more apt to help one another at work
• Chinese do not differentiate business from friendship
(Chinese Communication Styles. 2012)
29. Business Etiquette
• Respect and honor is crucial
• Ex: when people receive a business card, they should use
both hands and bow and thank the person for the
opportunity of meeting them (Martin, Nakayama, 2010 p.
322)
• Considered extremely rude to immediately put the card
away
30. Business Etiquette
• Respect for elders, ranking, and status (Seligman, 1999 p.27)
• Seniority is valued
• Patience
• Politeness
• Modesty
• Personal relationships are important
• Regarding meetings:
• it’s VERY important to be punctual and prepared
• Formal dressing
31. Business Etiquette
• The following video shows how Obama bows to the
former leader of the communist party of China out of
respect after meeting him for the first time
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bNoe0RTQYA
32. Communication Styles
• It’s important to value harmony over honesty
• The focus is not on truth, but on achieving harmony and
saving face.
• Saving face is about interdependence and achieving
mutual honor and respect (Martin, Nakayama, 2010 p.
320).
33. Communication Styles
• China uses a high-context communication style.
• Chinese prefer nonverbal and contextual communication
style (Martin, Nakayama, 2010 p. 320).
• Hand gestures & facial expressions are used often
34. References
• Seligman, S. (1999). Chinese business etiquette : a guide to protocol, manners, and culture in the People's
Republic of China. New York : Warner Books.
• Martin, J., & Thomas, N. (2010). Intercultural Communication and Business. Experiencing Intercultural
Communications (4th ed., pp. 304-336). New York: McGraw-Hill
• Chinese Communication Styles. (2012).Business Communication. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from
http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Chinese-Business-Communication-Style.html
• FOGEL, R. (2010, January 04). Why China's Economy Will Grow. Foreign Policy. Retrieved April 30,
2013, from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/01/04/123000000000000
36. Introduction
• The first section is Chinese Magazines(Cultural texts)
• Chinese Music has all the same Genres as American
music, rock ,pop, rap, etc. There are many pictures that
can be clicked.
• Television and Movies are Popular in China and they
watch domestic and international shows and movies
• Fashion is dictated the same way as it is here in America
by the Media.
37. • China has there own selection
of Women's and Men's
magazines
• Shishang xiansheng, the very
first men’s magazine in China.
(Lee, Song, 2012, p. 347)
• There are approximately 20
monthly men’s titles
circulating in the Chinese
market now. (Lee, Song, 2012,
p.347 )
• There are many more Women's
Magazines
Magazines
Shishang
jiankang
(Men’s
Health)
Shishang
xiansheng
(Esquire)
Zhizu
(GQ)
38. Magazines
More info.
• flooded with images of
branded watches, luxury
limousines, top-class men’s
fashion, high-class villas (Lee,
Song, 2012, p. )
• Shishang xiansheng and
Nanren zhuang are entitled to
use up to 40 per cent of the
content of the Western
editions; nonetheless, their
average use is less than half
that figure. (Lee, Song, 2012,
p. )
• Chinese Magazines are tailored
to Chinese reader profiles
American Vogue | Chinese Vogue
American FHM | Chinese FHM
39. Music
CantoPop
• “Canotopop” This electronic
dance music emerged in 1998
and became the dominating
club music in Greater China in
the early 2000s. (Chew, 2011,
p,139)
• 曾经最美(DJ版) Club中文舞
曲 (Chinese dj 2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=YHr2s6C9S6Q
• DJ舞曲 - 得到你的人却得不
到你的心
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=iRVVhhyh9Rk
Stephanie Cheng Yung -
Kiss Kiss Kiss.
Bibi Zhou - Fish Canning
Click pictures for full songs
40. Music Rock
One song in particular,
‘‘Nothing to My Name’’
written by Cui Jian (the
‘‘Bruce Springsteen’’ of
modern China), not only
symbolized China’s
rebellious youth, which
reached its peak during
the Tiananmen Square
tragedy, but also signaled
the birth of
postmodernism in
Chinese pop music.
(Matusiz, 2010, p.156 )
Click Pic for full song
41. Television
Chinese women love to
watch Chinese and Korean
Dramas (A, Chen, personal
communication, April 9,
2013)
China has there own
versions of reality television
(A, Chen, personal
communication, April 9,
2013)
Chinese MTV
Click and look
webpage
Click
watch the
singing
part
42. Movies
“Huayi Brothers is a privately-owned Beijing-based TV and film
investor and producer that originated as an advertising agency in
1994.” (Kong, 2007, p,233)
The picture above is fourteen of there artists.
43. Movie
In 1999 they produced
there first movie, New
Year Comedy, Sorry
Baby (Kong, 2007 p.
233)
There are also many
Foreign films that are
watched in china.
Click for review of movie
44. Fashion
• Chinese fashion follows
similar rules that
American fashion
follows.
• They look to local stars,
artists, and American
styles.
• Examples are in the
Magazines, Television
shows, music videos
before this slide
• Media Imperialism is
the main way fashion gets
distributed.
Regular people
45. Summary
• China Has there own Cultural Industries that supply
Popular Culture
• A lot of Chinese popular culture is imported from
America and surrounding countries like Japan and Korea.
• Because America exports a lot more culture then it
imports, Cultural Imperialism is one reason that a lot of
Chinese popular culture looks familiar.
• Chinese people who live in major cities are a lot like
American people, watching movies, reading magazines,
listening to music, and dressing similar.(Cultural texts)
46. Suggestions
• Chinese Popular culture is popular for the same reasons
American popular culture is.
• Spending time on the internet looking at Chinese music
videos, and just looking at magazines from china will
help you understand what is popular there.
• There are many English sub-titled Chinese televisions
shows(Hulu.com has a Korean drama section and those
are popular in China
http://www.hulu.com/search?q=Korean+Drama)
• How Chinese people dress is similar to American styles
47. Lee, T. & Song, G. (2012, September). “New Man” and “New Lad” with Chinese
Characteristics? Cosmopolitanism, Cultural Hybridity and Men's Lifestyle Magazines in
China.. Asian Studies Review, Vol. 36, p345-367. doi: 10.1080/10357823.2012.711808.
magazines
Kong, S. (2007, September) . Genre Film, Media Corporations, and the
Commercialisation of the Chinese Film Industry: The Case of "New Year Comedies".
Asian Studies Review, Vol. 31, p227-242. doi: 10.1080/10357820701559055 movies
Chew, M. M. (2011, January-April). Hybridity, Empowerment and Subversiveness in
Cantopop Electronic Dance Music. Visual Anthropology, Vol. 24, p139-151. doi:
10.1080/08949468.2011.527805 music
Matusiz, J. (2010, February). Semiotics of Music: Analysis of Cui Jian's “Nothing to My
Name,” the Anthem for the Chinese Youths in the Post-Cultural Revolution Era. Journal
of Popular Culture. Vol. 43, p156-175. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2010.00735.x music
Interview with Alex Chen who moved from China to America when he was 20 years old.
48.
49. History
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on personalistic
and holistic traditions.
• Before written written medical records, TCM believed in the
influence of ancestors and spirits or using acupuncture to diagnose
and treat diseases
• TCM also uses different herbs and non-Western treatment based
on traditional beliefs rather than science
• Han Dynasty – 206 BCE
• Emergence of the first written medical record in Chinese history
(Furth, 1999)
• Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases by Zhang
Zhongjing was written at the end of the Han Dynasty and was the
first clinical medical book (Bing, 2010)
50. Traditional Belief
Systems
• Personalistic Tradition
• Traditional Chinese
beliefs held ancestors or
spirits responsible for
causing diseases
• Religion and Cultural
beliefs also influenced
diagnosis and treatment
51. Traditional Belief
Systems
• TCM & Holistic
Tradition explains:
• the general functions of
the body
• the relationship between
nature and the human
body
• the balance between the
mind and body (Bing,
2010)
• These traditions and
beliefs are still practiced
in the modern era
52. Traditional Belief Systems
• Yin-Yang Theory
• One of the most prominent theories of
TCM
• Yin (Cold) and Yang (Hot) represent
two opposite yet interdependent
forces
• The balance of Yin and Yang is
maintained through a relationship of
consuming-supporting
• Qi
• A vital energy or life force that
circulates in the body through
pathways known as meridians
• Health is a constant process of
maintaining balance and harmony in
circulating Qi
• Theory of Eight Principles - cold/heat,
interior/exterior, excess/deficiency, and
yin/yang
• Commonly used to analyze symptoms
and categorize conditions
• Theory of Five elements – fire, earth,
metal, water, and wood
• Used to explain how the body works
• Elements corresponds to particular organs and
tissues in the body (Zhang & Chen, 2000)
53. Traditional Treatment
• TCM focuses on individualized
treatment and maintenance and
promotion of building up body
resistance and fighting off pathogens
(Coward et al, 2000)
• Practitioners traditionally used four
methods to evaluate a patient’s
condition: observing (especially the
tongue), hearing/smelling,
asking/interviewing, and
touching/palpating (especially
the pulse)
• Most common treatment
methods include using
alternative medicine like
Chinese herbs and acupuncture
• Chinese herbs (biologically
based practices) - primarily
plants, but also some minerals
and animal products—classified
by their perceived action in the
body
• Acupuncture (manipulative and
body based practices) - By
stimulating specific points on the
body, most often by inserting thin
metal needles through the skin,
practitioners seek to remove
blockages in the flow of qi
(Klemman, 1975)
54. Modern Treatment
• TCM is still widely used throughout China, however it is
slowing becoming modernized and integrated with advanced
treatment methods
• The Opium War in the mid 1800s forced the people to face the
fact that they had been focused on the achievements of its past,
whereas foreign powers were focusing on new and modern
practices
• When Communists founded the People's Republic of China in
1949, the Ministry of Public Health was established to oversee
healthcare activities and create national, provincial and local
health facilities with modern practices
55. Modern Treatment
• In 1979, the National
Association for Chinese
Medicine was established,
and many of the traditional
texts underwent editing and
were republished (Jin-
Huai, 2000)
• Modernization of TCM has
evolved into two different
techniques
• Single-entity-mining type
TCM products in which
pharmacologists isolate the
active ingredients in herbs
and manufacture products
with these ingredients
• Herbal-intact-retaining type
TCM products, a
complementary medicine in
which traditional herbs and
formulas are combined with
modern practices and dosage
forms (Xie & Wong, 2005)
56. Ethics
• Culture and religion has played a role throughout Chinese
medical history and the development of medical ethics
• Traditional herbs and other TCM treatments can be ineffective
in treating life-threatening diseases including HIV/AIDS and
cancer
• A uniform code of medical ethics was only developed after the
introduction of Western medicine in the nineteenth century
• The Chinese Medical Association, founded in 1915, aims to
promote public access to medicine and respect medical ethics and
rights (Zhang & Chen, 2000)
• The differences in religious and philosophical ideas can cause
problems when Chinese immigrants choose to seek healthcare
from Western health care practitioners in our society
57. Current Issues
• Because TCM is still widely practiced and accepted by
the population, many diseases can be incorrectly
diagnosed or treated which can result in a patient’s death
• Language barriers, cultural differences, and native
traditions can deter Chinese immigrants from seeking
medical attention in the US and other nations
• Public education and acceptance of modern diagnoses
and practices is needed to improve the overall health of
the population
58. Summary
Healthcare in China is deeply rooted in traditional religious
and philosophical beliefs. These beliefs view the human
body as a whole unit and strives to maintain balance in
the body to promote health and well-being. In the modern
era, an effective system for the population requires
finding a balance between traditional beliefs and modern
practices. It is also imperative that Western physicians
understand TCM when treating Chinese immigrants.
Although recent changes have improved healthcare in
China, there is still much to be done.
59. References
Bing, Z., Hongcai, W., & Cheng, X. (2010). Basic theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine. London : Singing Dragon.
Coward, H. G., Phinit, R., & University of Victoria, (B.C.). (1999). A Cross-cultural Dialogue on Health Care Ethics.
Waterloo, Ont: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
Furth, C. (1999). A Flourishing Yin : Gender in China's Medical History, 960-1665. Berkeley: University of California
Press.
Jin-Huai, W. (2000). Understanding the Past: A Historical Timeline of Chinese Medicine. The Association for
Traditional Studies. Retrieved from http://www.traditionalstudies.org/chinese-medicine.
Klemman, A. (1975) Medicine in Chinese Cultures: Comparative Studies of Health Care in China and Other Countries.
US Depeartment of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington DC.
Leung, P., & Xue, C. (2005). Chinese medicine : modern practice. New Jersey: World Scientific.
Zhang, D., & Cheng, Z. (2000). Medicine Is a Humane Art The Basic Principles of Professional Ethics in Chinese
Medicine. Hastings Center Report, 30(4), S8-S12.
