英语论文打印稿终稿Word文件下载.docx

英语论文打印稿终稿Word文件下载.docx

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Keywords:

China;

America;

CultureDifference

摘要：

20实际随着中国经济的高速发展，世界对中国也越来越关注，越来越多的中国学生去外国留学，也越来越多的外国学生来中国留学，并且各大高校的交换生也越来越多，而不同国家的文化习俗差别如此之大，以至于同一个习俗在我国表示好的方面的内容，而在国外就认为是不礼貌的。

由此给很多出国留学的学生造成了很大的困扰，本文从中西方商业文化交流差异方面论述了中国和美国的不同习俗。

关键词：

中国；

美国；

文化差异

1.Introduction

Customsarenotonlyaculturebutalsoknowledge.Itplaysanimportantroleofcommunicationinourdailylife.TolearndifferentculturesindailylifeisbenefittoestablishthegoodrelationshipanditcanalsohelpustolearnAmericaculture.Asweallknow,differentcountrieshasdifferentforms,Differentcultural-background,individualism.collectivism,nationalismandvaluefactorsmayresultinculturedifferencesonpolitenessbetweenWesterncountriesandChinawhichcanbefoundinmanyaspectsofdailycommunication,includinggreetings,parting,dinning,considerate-remarks,addressing,compliments,apologies,thanks,invitationsandsayinggood-byeandsoon.Weshouldlearnfromtheirstrengthsandoffsetourownweakness.

Eachcountryhashis/herownculture.Cultureincludesknowledge,faith,art,morality,law,custom,etiquetteanditisatoolthatindividualinsocietytakesoverability.（胡文仲，1999）Learningcultureofdifferentcountryisveryimportanttocommunicatebetweencountries,ItisalsohelpfultostudyAmericanEnglish.WithChina’senteringtheWTOandtheholdingoftheOlympicGamesin2008,therelationshipbetweenChinaandtheWesterncountryinpolitics,economyandculturewillbecomemoreandmoreclose.（白远，2003）

Inordertogetwellalongwithothercountriesandrespecteachother.Firstly,weshouldunderstandtheirculture.Sointhefollowingdiscussion,wewilltakeChinaandAmericaastherepresentationtolookatsomeculturaldifferencesinfiveaspectsandthenanalyzethereasons.

2.LiteratureReview

2.1.UnderstandingCulture

2.1.1CultureDefined

Whatisculture?

ItisimportanttoclarifythebasicconceptCultureismultidimensional,complexandpervasive.Ithasbeendefinedinavarietyofways,andscholarshaveneverbeenabletoagreeondefiningthisterm.Oneoftheearliestwell-knowndefinitionswasgivenbytheBritishanthropologistEdwardTylorinhisbookPrimitiveCulture;

cultureisacomplexwholewhichincludesknowledge,belief,art,morals,lawcustom,andothercapabilitiesacquiredbymanasamemberofsociety.

SincethenhundredsofotherdefinitionshavebeenofferedAdamsonHoebeldefinedcultureas“theintegratedsystemoflearnedbehaviorpatternswhicharecharacteristicsofthemembersofasocietyandwhicharenottheresultofbiologicalinheritance.”GeertHofstede,anexpertonmanagementandcross-culturaldifferences,inCulturalConsequences,definedcultureinthisway:

thecollectiveprogrammingofthemindwhichdistinguishesthemembersofonehumangroupfromanother.FaureandSjostedtdefinedthat:

Cultureisasetofsharedandenduringmeanings,values,andbeliefsthatcharacterizenational,ethnicandothergroupsandorienttheirbehavior.

Althoughtherearemanydifferentdefinitionsofculture,mostofcultureishidden,likethepartoftheicebergunderwater.Itexistsinthesubconsciousmindofpeoplewhothereforearenotawareofthefactthattheiractionsaregovernedbytheirownculturesorculturalrules.

2.1.2MajorCharacteristicsofCulture

Regardlessofhowmanydefinitionsofculturehavebeenexamined,therewouldhavebeenagreatdealofagreementconcerningmajorcharacteristicsofculture.Beingawareofthesefeaturesisquitehelpfultobetterunderstandwhatcultureis.（QuelchJ.A,ParrisPW,2006）Thefirstthingisthatcultureislearned,andthisisthemostimportantcharacteristicofculture.andthesecondisthatcultureispassedonfromgenerationtogeneration.

Withouttheadvantageofknowledgefromthosewholivedbeforeus,wewouldnothaveculture.Foraculturetoexistandendure,itmustensurethatitscrucialmessagesandelementsarepassedon.AsBrilinsaid:

Iftherearevaluesconsideredcentraltoasocietythathaveexistedformanyyears,theremustbetransmittedfromonegenerationtoanother.ThethirdthingisthatCultureisbasedonsymbols.andthefourthisCultureissubjecttochange.Cultureisadynamicsystemthatdoesnotexistinvacuumandthereforeissubjecttochangewiththedevelopmentofhumansociety.Buttheprocessofchangeisgradualanddifficult,butthedeepstructureofacultureresistsmajoralernationgs.

ThelastthingisthatCulatureisethnocentric.Summerdefinedethnocentrismas:

thetechnicalnamefortheviewofthingsinwhichone’sowngroupisthecenterofeverything,andallothersarescaledandratedwithreferencetoit.Mostscholarscontendthatthispropensitytoseethingsfromourculturalviewpointisverynaturalandunlesscarriedtoanextreme,canhavepositiveeffects.

2.2CulturalDimensions

Moreandmorescholarscommitthemselvestoculturaldifferencesintheinterculturalnegotiation.Theyhavedevisedculturaldimensionsthatcanbeusedtoanalyzenegotiatingstylesfoundinparticularcultures.

Thereareseveralculturaldimensions,thefirstculturaldimensionisdevelopedbyGeertAdler.N.J.IndividualismversusCollectivismThesecondwasadvancedbyEdwardHallandlooksathigh-contextversuslow-contextcommunication

ThethirddimensionisthatLargeversusSmallpowerDistance,ThefourthdimensionisthatStronguncertaintyAvoidanceversusWeakUncertainty.ThefifthdimensionisthatMasculinityversusFemininity.

3.Discussion

3.1.IndividualismversusCollectivism

Whiletherearemanydimensionsinwhichculturesdiffer,individualismcollectivismarethemostlystudiedculturalvalues.Itdescribestherelationshipbetweentheindividualandthecollectivitythatprevailsinagivensociety.Therelationshipbetweentheindividualandthecollectivityinhumansocietyisnotonlyamatterofwaysoflivingtogether,itisalsocloselyconnectedwithsocialstandardsinthesenseofvaluesystemsofmajorgroupsofthepopulation.Whenregardingindividualismandcollectivismassocialnorms,Adler.N.Jdefinestheseasthetwopolesofadimensionofnationalculture:

Individualismstandsforasocietyinwhichthetiesbetweenindividualsareloose.Everyoneisexpectedtolookafterhimselforherselfandhisorherimmediatefamilyonly.Collectivismstandforasocietyinwhichpeoplefrombirthonwardareintegratedintostrongcohesicein-groups,whichthroughoutpeople’slifetimecontinuetoprotecttheminexchangeforunquestioningloyalty.

Individualisticculturestendtofosterdevelopmentofautonomous,uniqueandseparateindividuals.Theuniquenessofeachindividualisofparamountvalue.Theindividualisthefocalpointofallactivities.Individualism-orientedculturesholdindividualinterestandgoalsasmostimportantandfocusonsatisfyinghisorherownneeds.Theindividualtendstodothingstopleasehimselforherselfandtodowhatisenjoyableandnotbedictatedbysomeotherauthority.

Peoplefromculturesratedasindividualistictendtohavehigherdegreesofindependenceandself-respect.Itisnotunusualthatneeds,wishes,desires,andgoalsofindividualstakeprecedenceovergrouporcollectivisticgoals.Theyprefertobeself-sufficientandhavesocialnetworksthatarenotasimportantastheirimmediatefamilies.（SivulkaJ,2009）Inindividualisticcultures,an“I”consciousnessprevails:

competitionratherthancooperationisencouraged;

peopletendnottobeemotionallydependentonorganizationsandinstitutions;

andeveryindividualhastherighttohisorherprivateproperty,thoughts,andopinions.

Theseculturesstressindividualinitiativeandachievement,andtheyvalueindividualdecision-making.Individualresponsibilityformakingdecisionsiseasyinindividualisticcultures.Apersonhaspersonalrightstomakedecisionsandburdenstheresponsibilitypersonally.Onthecontrary,thosewhohaveacollectivisticorientationtendtogivemorerecognitiontotheirgroup-basedrolesandtheirobligationstothatgroup.（BatesD.G,FrostE.L,1990）Collectivisticculturalvaluesfostermoreconformitywithgroupsandagreaterdegreeofrelianceongroupworkandorganizationaltasks.Collectivismischaracterizedbyarigidsocialframeworkthatdistinguishesbetweenin-groupsandout-groups.

In-grouprelationsarethoseofregularcontacts,suchasfamilyrelationships,friends,co-workers,schoolmatesorpeoplefromthesamelocality.Out-grouprelationsaretemporarycontactssuchasclerksinservicecounters.Peoplecountontheirin-grouptolookafterthemandtheybelievetheyownloyaltytothegroup.IncollectivisticcultureslikeChineseculture,emphasizingbelongingtoorganizationsandindividualstrustgroupdecisions,theindividualisemotionallydependentonorganizationsandinstitutions.

Decisionsareusuallymadebythegroupconsensus