Cultural Elements Revealed in the Concept of Privacy in China and America

Cultural Elements Revealed in the Concept of Privacy in China

and America

Thesis statement: This thesis analyzes the cultural differences revealed in the different concept of privacy in China and America by elaborating the different views and behaviors of Chinese and Americans towards privacy.

I.Different views about the concept of privacy in China and

America

According to Wikipedia, “privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude them or information about themselves and thereby reveal them s electively.”i However, the concept of privacy differs among different cultures.

In Chinese culture, an individual is only a member of a group within which he is exposed to constant concern or enquiry. Privacy then is often ignored because Chinese tend to concern more about the group not individuals and are used to living in close proximity. The Chinese inquisitiveness about other people's private lives is usually motivated by their desire to establish a more intimate personal relationship or closer friendship because in their mind, what the

Americans consider as “privacy violation”may be a well-shown act of caring and love.

However, in America, people care much about privacy. There is Privacy Law and also other laws about privacy to protect people’s rights of privacy in America. Compared with Chinese, Americans tend to view themselves as individuals, not an essential member of a group. Therefore, they want to have their personal spaces and do not like to mention things about themselves a lot. Rights of privacy are highly prioritized in American values.

II.Behaviors of Chinese and Americans towards privacy

When Chinese and Americans encounter with each other, Chinese people are used to beginning their topics with name, nationality, age, marriage status, or income condition. ii Questions like how old are you, what's your income, how much did you pay for that car, are you married or single, d o you go to church…are most common-asked by Chinese people. It seems that asking those questions is Chinese people’s intuition.

Many Americans provide separate bedrooms for each of their children. Such provision is rarely possible in China. If a Chinese couple has two daughters, it is quite usual for the two sisters to share

one room. And t he phenomenon of children and parents living in the same bedroom is very common in China. Even if family members have their own separate room, room doors are usually open. People can freely get into any room without the consent of the owner's permission room. American houses are usually separated from others’. The richer the owner is, the further his house is from others’. Americans tend to protect their privacy with the environment. The use of the door is a perfect example. If they close the door, they pass on a message of “Please do not bother. Let me be alone.”Whereas in china, people usually push the door open and get in the room directly.

There are still many other behaviors about privacy telling us the differences over the concept of privacy in China and America. Only if we get to know the true meaning of these phenomenons can we carry out successful intercultural communications.

III.The cultural roots of the different views about privacy in China and America.

1.1Chinese collective orientation Versus American

individualistic orientation

Chinese historical and cultural traditions stressed that communities and groups are constituted by prominent individuals. In today's Chinese society, despite of the great impact of western culture, Chinese people still have a very strong collective sense of belonging; paying much attention to the collective interest is still the mainstream of Chinese values. Collective interests are prioritized over personal interests.

In the Western culture, however, each person is regarded as an independent unit. They endeavor to pursuit their own interests rather than try to stand up to the collective interests. The doctrine of the individualism holds that interests of the individual should take precedence over the interests of the state or social group. In America, right of privacy is the direct product of individualism.

Chinese people’s less attention about privacy and Americans’ much concern about rights of privacy reveal the collectivism of Chinese people and the individualism of American people.

1.2Chinese world view-harmony of man and nature Versus

American world view-separation of man from nature “China has long been a family-run country. It has also been, and

still is, primarily a rural nation. These two institutions, the family and the farm, are the core of China. Both the family and a rural environment are collectivist in nature. They depend on working together and aiming for harmony. ”iii Since Chinese people believe that, "Man proposes, God disposes," they are supposed to pursue for harmony, both with nature and man. Because of the “harmony of the man and nature” theory, Chinese people tend to seek overall point of view. They usually consider things as a whole, not a separated one.

On the contrary, American people hold the world view that man and nature are independent units. Therefore, they pay more attention to the individual rights and contend that everyone is an independent unit and should fight for their own rights.

The different world views of Chinese and Americans also contribute to the differences of their understanding of privacy.

From my point of view, the cultural differences revealed in the light of privacy between China and America are mainly the above two points. Of them, Chinese collectivism and Americans’ individualism are the best explanation of the different view towards privacy in China and America; the different world views of the two nations

explain further about the cultural root of the collectivism and individualism respectively.

IV.Conclusion

Learning the different concepts of privacy of different cultures is an important and also a tough thing in the process of carrying out cross-culture communication. Better knowing the thoughts and behaviors of people from different cultures about privacy issues can greatly facilitate the efficiency of intercultural communication.

i https://www.360docs.net/doc/3410240557.html,/wiki/Privacy

ii https://www.360docs.net/doc/3410240557.html,/viewthread.php?tid=14339&extra=page%3D1

iii Frank T. Gallo, “Individualism versus Collectivism in China”

https://www.360docs.net/doc/3410240557.html,/content/individualism-versus-collectivism-china