Introduction
Contrasting cultures constitute the foundation of many facets of life, and whether variety leads to conflict or success frequently depends on the goals of the leaders of each country. As time goes on, ethnic clusters become more pronounced. In addition, the globalization of technology in our daily lives unifies and dissolves cultural borders. The two most influential nations in the world right now are China and the United States of America. Due to their contrasting historical histories, China and the U.s are sometimes compared as competent older men and youthful guys with vigor and energy, respectively. The distinction between the two nations is, therefore, far more nuanced. Although globalization has brought China and U.s closer together, there are still substantial ideological levels of formalism and dietary disparities between the two countries. In this essay, I will discuss the differences between Chinese and American cultures.
The hierarchy is valued in Chinese culture. Higher-ranking individuals receive different treatment than lower-ranking individuals. Depending on one’s status, there are limitations on whom one may connect with. Seniority is highly respected. For example, addressing a more diminutive uncle versus an elder uncle requires a different approach. Even at the place of work, the person holding the highest rank is handled in a different way from the other staff members. However, America has a few laxer hierarchical standards (Johnson et al., 2022). The regulations are flexible, but the seniority is respected. Regardless of their social standing, people are free to interact with one another.
With culture, people expect people to behave in the community’s best interests. Chinese people often place a higher weight on society’s innate requirements than Americans. Usually, the community comes first at the cost of the individual. The stability of the neighborhood and the country as a whole comes first (Keightley, 2022). Forth America, people are urged to put in additional effort in order to be viewed as successful. This is one instance where it harms the neighborhood. The American culture is an individualistic one in this way, whereas the Chinese culture is a collectivist one. Many people believe that Chinese people are socialists while Americans are capitalists.
Building ties with other people is significant to Chinese people. The connections are referred to by a particular term, “guanxi.” In Chinese culture, building bonds with other people is emphasized before further engagement (Lee & Li, 2019). For instance, prior to trust establishment, in a professional context, it is typically necessary to establish a rapport. The conversations might go on for a long time. Employees are frequently urged to comprehend their coworkers better at work. The American culture does not operate in this way. In American culture, commerce is done more quickly. Trust is typically a later concern. Finding an American who scarcely knows much about his coworkers is also common. Employees in America typically engage with one another through team-building exercises, among many other things.
Compared to Americans, Chinese individuals have lower privacy expectations due to their emphasis on forming relationships (Lee & Li, 2019). For example, it is acceptable to inquire about someone’s age, relationship status, and wealth in Chinese society. Typically, these inquiries aim to learn more about a person and place him in the proper formal structure. Such queries may be viewed as violating one’s autonomy in American society (Talhelm & English, 2020). Many Americans probably feel uncomfortable if questioned about this nature.
Chinese folks tend to be reserved. They are encouraged to continue communicating informally by cultural standards. Direct inquiries are not encouraged. Regarding Chinese culture, even if an individual realizes you are incorrect, they must still agree. They are forbidden from openly confronting one another (Zhou et al., 2022). This demonstrates humility. Contrarily, in American culture, individuals are blunt in their disagreements among themselves. Extreme outbursts occasionally give the impression that individuals are fighting. The Chinese place a high value on maintaining and preserving one’s self-reputation. It has commonly referred to as “keeping face.” The Chinese forgo behaviors that might harm their reputation as a whole. The American’s final result comes at the price of their reputation (Talhelm & English, 2020). Reputation does not constitute a significant concern.
Home cooking is a favorite habit among Chinese households. The family members consider sharing the meals at the table as they are seated around it. They still eat similarly even while they are eating in restaurants. However, just a portion of Americans has dinner with their families. They frequently consume fast food during mealtime, particularly teens. Rather than spending time with their families, they choose to get out and eat with their buddies (Talhelm & English, 2020). This demonstrates how far more essential family connections are to Chinese society than Americans.
Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are three beliefs that significantly impact Chinese culture. Examples include the value of education, respecting elders and parents, and honoring ghosts and deities to maintain health and the circle of life. However, the majority of Americans practice Catholicism and Christianity. The Catholics and Protestants frequently make prayers to God. They are convinced that God can bless individuals and that they will be taken to paradise once they pass away.
Given the strong impact of Confucianism, Chinese people always show respect for their mom, dad, and the old. The Chinese do not shout their guardians’ names, unlike Americans. Chinese consider shouting parents’ names a kind of rudeness. Since Americans like to respect their guardians as colleagues, they frequently directly express their emotions and thoughts in contrast to Chinese people who prefer to keep their feelings to themselves. In contrast, Americans seem more liberal, while the Chinese are quiet and traditional.
Americans and Chines cultures have pretty different views on when and what they should eat. The majority of people in China follow a similar diet. For instance, due to their long history of being farmers, roughly 94 percent of the Chinese eat three meals daily. An old Chinese proverb states, “Eat well at the morning, complete your lunch feeling full, and don’t eat much at supper.” Evidently, in the old days, daylight farming activities required far more nourishment than they did at night, and as a result, this practice eventually ingrained itself into Chinese eating culture. (Zhou et al., 2022) Chinese prioritize rice and pasta as their main staple foods. In actuality, the majority of north Chinese regions are drylands that are ideal for producing wheat.
In contrast, its southern regions are composed of paddy fields that encourage the development of rice. As a result, rice is preferred in the country’s south, whereas noodles are preferred by the Chinese who live there. Most of China’s diet under ancient Chinese nutrition is always made up of carbohydrates. According to recommendations, Chinese food’s carbohydrate content should be at least 55 percent.
Diversification is essential in American foods as individuals from many locations merge in the U.s to create a multicultural society. For instance, some Americans adhere to the three meals-a-day norms, while others believe it is preferable to have more frequently and less frequently (Zhou et al., 2022). Personal preferences determine everything. Americans also need to have a set of eating choices. Americans now enjoy various culinary options because of the cooking methods and traits that immigrants introduced. A typical American meal may include milk and bread in the morning, a taco from Mexico for lunch, and Kung-Pao with rice for dinner.
In China and the USA, there are differences in the level of decorum seen in discussions, mannerisms, and schools. China is a nation that values decorum in public and thus is known for its ceremonies and formality. On the other hand, Americans tend to dress more casually every day. Teachers and senior citizens are highly revered in Chinese society due to the impact of Confucian society. In order to demonstrate respect, kids should act formally at school by, for example, standing while responding to inquiries. Some Chinese instructors pay close attention to this behavior; if the pupils do not stand up when responding to inquiries, the instructor will feel insulted (Zhou et al., 2022). Chinese folks observe their table etiquette at home as well. For example, the household cannot begin dining if the aged do not sit, and the younger members of the family are not permitted to engage in conversation while eating (Lee & Li, 2019). Daily communication also reflects Chinese decorum. There are several personal pronouns used in Chinese. In polite conversation, the Chinese should use “Nin” to address “you” to denote any courteous person and “Ni” to address those within the same age group. However, Americans are much more concerned with the equality of all people.
The importance of equality is seen in American homes, institutions, and daily interactions. American students perceive that teachers are their colleagues and instructors; hence they need not stand up while responding to inquiries as required. Since the host or hostess puts more work into making the food, they are revered at the table rather than the old (Talhelm & English, 2020). English does not employ pronouns, in contrast to Chinese, giving Americans a much more informal style of communicating with others. Regarding Chinese American decorum, there is no good or bad. Similar to the variations in eating customs involving the two nations, everything comes down to cultural variances.
Conclusion
In summary, there are an ideological, formality, and dietary disparities between the USA and China. The most Chinese folks are collectivist, incredibly respectful of instructors and the aged, and have a regular eating routine. However, Americans value autonomy, recognize the equality of all individuals and possess a variety of dietary habits. It is crucial to remember that these discrepancies result from the two nations’ distinct historical and cultural origins, and there ought to be no wrong or right regarding other civilizations.
References
Johnson, D., Nathan, A. J., & Rawski, E. S. (2022). Popular Culture in Late Imperial China. In Google Books. Univ of California Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=crFeEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Differences+Between+American+and+Chinese+Cultures&ots=egG8MXi3np&sig=TO4ewlLA–HNfnmHNZR63aSNRZQ
Keightley, D. N. (2022). The Origins of Chinese Civilization. In Google Books. Univ of California Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GK1hEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR10&dq=chinese+culture&ots=sJLB7TJJzj&sig=CPMdpyf3Px4qQpiJv136p_qUXrg
Lee, J. F. K., & Li, X. (2019). Cultural representation in English language textbooks: a comparison of textbooks used in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 28(4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2019.1681495
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Zhou, J., Wang, H., & Zou, Z. (2022). Inverse Association between Dietary Diversity Score Calculated from the Diet Quality Questionnaire and Psychological Stress in Chinese Adults: A Prospective Study from China Health and Nutrition Survey. Nutrients, 14(16), 3297. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163297
Talhelm, T., & English, A. S. (2020). Historically rice-farming societies have tighter social norms in China and worldwide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(33), 19816–19824. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1909909117
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