East vs. West

East vs. West

July 6, 2011

Matthew Kennedy The Vail Daily Vail, Colorado

I was disappointed when CMC canceled a Chinese language course due to low enrollment in the spring and summer semesters. The failure to learn Chinese and appreciate its cultural nuances is a continuation of a pattern we Americans are guilty of – a potential issue is ignored until it directly affects us; we then ask why the U.S. didn’t see the problem years in advance. It happened with al-Qaida, health care and outsourcing, for instance. The same situation could occur with China. I’m optimistic the United States will avoid the mistake after learning 14 Colorado schools are including Chinese language courses in their academic curriculum. What distresses me is that those classes are being funded by the Chinese government. State and federal authorities should have financed those language programs – not the Chinese Communist Party. I can appreciate why Denver and Washington haven’t allocated the budgetary resources considering the Great Recession. Understanding the language plus how the Chinese think are crucial to America’s strategic and economic interests – both are initiatives local, state, and federal policymakers should have pursued years before the current economic crisis.

Acquiring an appreciation for the Chinese mentality is a key issue Americans need to comprehend. Several differences exist between both cultures’ social and professional norms. These include how each views honor and contracts, perspectives on short versus long term, the individual versus collectives needs, the relationship between history and the future, plus how Americans and Chinese form networks.

Both peoples have differing views regarding honor and contracts. Chinese and Americans are concerned with maintaining the perception of honor – and the avoidance of acknowledging errors. Where each culture differs is how they view the consequences of admitting mistakes, misunderstandings, that he or she lacks information, or inappropriate professional conduct.

Conceding any of the aforementioned is a taboo in Chinese society, but that’s not necessarily the case in the U.S. Americans are more likely to forgive someone if he or she admits faults. Where we will not absolve someone is when he or she attempts to cover up their mistakes. The Chinese will accuse someone else or outside circumstances rather than accept responsibility – it is socially and professionally unacceptable to admit errors. The one cultural commonality is losing one’s temper or publicly expressing a disapproving emotion is a faux pas. Another related issue pertains to contracts. Americans contend an agreement’s final form is compulsory and non-negotiable. The Chinese believes a document’s concluding shape is nonbinding. Finally, they view it as a starting point to modify as each party’s needs arise.

A third difference is how both cultures view time. The American are short-term focused, while the Chinese have a long-range emphasis. Americans are impatient, and seek immediate results. We have this perspective, regardless if a problem has long-term orientation and requires a similar time length for resolution. The Chinese have a long-range focus. They see issues from how the benefits or consequences are possibly experienced over years, not weeks and months.

A fourth dissimilarity pertains to how both cultures view the individual versus the group. Americans are a very individualistic people, whereas the Chinese are more concerned about a community’s status. Many Americans are focused more on advancing his or her pursuits regardless of how it impacts their community. The Chinese will forgo their personal and professional ambitions if they clash with the public’s well-being, needs or interests.

Another difference is how Chinese and Americans view the connection between history and the future. The Chinese see history as establishing a precedent for future events. They view current circumstances as historical repetitions. The Chinese believe present and future events are understood by studying history. Americans see the future as being unwritten We contend an event’s outcome is undetermined until its circumstances unfold. Some Americans believe history “rhymes,” as Mark Twain once said – there may be similarities in events with past occurrences, yet history does not dictate a situation’s outcome.

A final dissimilarity pertains to how Americans and Chinese view networking. Both cultures believe it facilitates professional relationships and affairs. Where both cultures’ differ is how networks are established. Many Americans form networks exclusively through professional interactions; the Chinese prefer creating networks via a process called Guanxi. It is an in-depth practice requiring interested parties to participate in an array of professional, personal and social activities. These activities are designed to form the groundwork for networks plus for conducting business affairs. Guanxi permeates all of China’s economic, social, and political arenas.

The 19th century French leader Napoleon once said “Let China sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” China awoke in the 1990s. She is shaking the world – and America must lead the international response to the Chinese Dragon. We can start by continuing to enhance our awareness of China’s language and culture via education, exchanges, and public forums.