Negative Cultural Transfer of Time Perspective in Intercultural Communication Between Chinese and Am.docx

Negative Cultural Transfer of Time Perspective in Intercultural Communication Between Chinese and Am.docx

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NegativeCulturalTransferofTimePerspectiveinInterculturalCommunicationBetweenChineseandAm

NegativeCulturalTransferofTimePerspectiveinInterculturalCommunicationBetweenChineseandAmerican

1.Introduction

FollowingChina’sentrytotheWTO,therelationshipbetweennationswillbecomemuchmoreclosely.Therewillbemorechancesforinterculturalcommunications.Becauseeverycountrydoesnothavethesameculture,negativeculturaltransferwilloccurintheprocessesofinterculturalcommunication.Timeperspectiveisadeepculturalfactorinculture.Itinfluencesthepeople’sthoughtsandbehaviors.InTheSilentLanguage,Halllaysmoreemphasisonthevoicesoftime.“Timetalks.Itspeaksmoreplainlythanwords.Themessageitconveyscomesthroughloudandclear.Becauseitismanipulatedlessconsciously,itissubjecttolessdistortionthanthespokenlanguage.Itcanshoutthetruthwherewordslie”（59）.

So,thestudyoftimeperspectiveplaysaquitesignificantroleininterculturalcommunication.Ifweknowthedifferenttimeperspectiveofdifferentcountries,wewillavoidsomemisunderstandingsandthefailureswhichcausedbythis.Thispaperwillfirstdiscussthedifferencesoftimeperspectiveanditscauses,thenusesomecasestoshowthenegativeculturaltransferininterculturalcommunications,andfinallyshowsomesolutions.

2.TheDifferentTimePerspectivesandTheirCausesBetweenChineseandAmerican

BetweenChineseandAmerican,therearemanydifferencesinthetimeperspective.ThereasonisthatChinesepeopleandAmericanpeoplehavethedifferentcultures.Now,IwilldiscussthedifferencesofthetimeperspectiveanditscausesbetweenChineseandAmerican.

2.1TheDifferencesofTimePerspectiveBetweenChineseandAmerican

InthetimeperspectiveofChinese,peoplearethehostoftime.Theycancontrolthetimeandevencanenjoyit.ToChinesepeople,timeisnotsoprecise.Chinesepeoplepaymoreattentiontothechangeofsurroundings.Theybelievethateverythingshouldbeconsideredcarefullybeforemakingdecision.SoChinesepeoplespeakhighofpatience.Asayingof“morehast,lessspeed”（孔子166）canexpressthisthoughtwell.InChina,peopleemphasizetherelationshipbetweenpeople,andtheycanchangetheirschedulesforsomeunexpectedthings.ItiscommonseenthattwoormoreChinesepeoplespendseveralhoursorevenlongerjustchattingwithoutanyaim,especiallyinthecountrysideinChina,andtheytakeitforgranted.

ButinAmerica,peopleemphasizetimeverymuch.Thereisevenasaying“slavestonothingbuttheclock”canexpressthisthoughtwell.ToAmerican,timeisveryprecise.Theydislikethepeoplewhowasteother’stime.InthethoughtofAmerican,patienceisnotveryimportant.Americanpeoplelikedoingthingsinhurry.TomostofAmericanpeople,therelationshipisnotimportant.Theypaymoreattentiontotheachievementofworkratherthantheprocessofcontacting.AndpunctualisveryimportantforAmericanpeople.Evenonlylaterforfewminutes,youalsomusttogivethereasonandapology.

2.2TheCausesofDifferentTimePerspectiveBetweenChineseandAmerican

Therearemanycausesoftimeperspective.Iwilldiscussitfromreligiousbelief,culturalvaluestothinkingpatterns.Ininterculturalcommunication,beliefisaninfluentialfactor.Itisthecoreofourthoughts,andactionsandaffectsthemindsofpeople.Culturalvaluesalsocanguideourperceptionsandcommunicativebehaviors.Similartobeliefandvalues,thinkingpatternsplayavitalrole.Duetoculturaldifferencesofthoughtpatterns,communicativefailuresmayarise.Now,Iwilldiscussthesefactorsrespectively.

2.2.1TheDifferenceofReligiousBelief

InAmerica,86percentoftheU.S.populationisChristian（Crystal343）.ChristianitypermeateseverycornerofAmericans’life.Italsoinfluencestheirperceptionsandguidestheirbehaviors.ChristianitybelievesGodandregardsGodasthehostofeverything.ThomasBaimasummarizesitasfollows:

ThereisoneGodwhoisalmighty.Godisthecreatorofheavenandearth.

AccordingtoBible,itisGodwhocreatetheancestorofhuman,AdamandEve.BecausetheystolethefruitfromthetreeofknowledgethatbroketheorderofGod,GodchasedAdamandEveoutoftheGardenofEden.Fromthenon,accordingtoChristianteaching,allhumanbeingshavebeenbornwith“originalsin”.OnlyGodcansavethemfromevil.Inordertochangetheirevilnatureintogoodnature,theymusttrytheirbesttorepentandmakeeffortstosurpassthepresentworldtochangethemselves.Throughthosebehaviors,theyexpecttheycanreachthebeautifullandoftheHeaven.Therefore,Americanspaymoreattentiontothefuture,fortheythinkturningbacktothepastmeansturningto“originalsin”.SoAmericanpeopleallcherishtimeverymuch.Theythinkonlymakinggooduseoftimecanchangethemforanicerandsplendidfuture.

ButinChina,the“tranquilityofmind”ofBuddhism,the“nonaction”ofTaoismandtheethicsofConfuciusinfluencedthethoughtsandbehaviorsofChinesepeopletogether.BothoftheBuddhismandtheTaoismteachChinesepeopletohaveasfewdesiresastheycan,theybelieveeverythinghavetheirowncircles.SoChinesepeopleinclinedtodosomethingaccordingtothesurroundings,everythingcannotbeexacted.BecauseintheconceptionofConfucius,menwerebornwithpureandgoodnature.Astheygrowingolder,theybegintochangetowarddifferentdirections.ThisstandpointthathumannatureisgoodmakesChinesepeopleprefertolookingback,becauselookingbackmeansthereturnofhumannaturetowardsgoodness.Forthisreason,Chinesepeoplepreferpasttofuture,thiscanbereflectedinaChineseproverb,“consideringthepastandyouwillknowthepresent”.

2.2.2TheDifferenceofCulturalValues

Chinesepeopleholdthebeliefthathumanbeingsaresubjectedtonatureandtheybelievethatthemostpowerfulforcesoflifeareoutoftheircontrol,peoplecannotconquerthem.Sopeopleaffirmthatmanshoulddotheirbesttoliveinharmonywithnatureandreachthe“oneness”withtheworld.ButAmericanemphasizesthedividednessbetweenmanandnature.Theythinkthateverythingcanbecontrolled.Timeisthemostimportantthinganditshouldbemadegooduseof.Soifyouworkhard,youwillsuccess.

Asweallknow,Chinaisacountrydeeplymarkedbycollectivism.Collectivismmeansgreateremphasisontheviews,needsandgoalsofthein-group（relatives,clans,organizations）ratherthanoneself;socialnormsanddutydefinedbythein-groupratherthanbehaviortogetpleasure;beliefssharewiththein-groupratherthanbeliefsthatdistinguishselffromin-group;greatreadinesstocooperatewithin-groupmembers（Triandis52）.ThereisasayingthatshowstheChinesecollectivethoughtwell,thatis,“ifonewantstoestablishhimself,heshouldhelpotherstoestablishthemselvesatfirst.”Withthisthought,Chinesepeopleplacemorevalueongoodsocialrelationshipsandregardtimerelativelyfreely.ComparetoChinese,Americanareobviouslymarkedbyindividualism.Individualisticcultures,putmoreemphasisonachievementthanonaffiliation.Theydesiresuccessandstronglybelievethattimeisjustmoneyandeveryminutemustbecherished.ManyproverbsthatdemonstrateindividualismareembracedbyAmericans.Forinstance,“Everymanisthearchitectofhisownfortune.”

InChina,peoplearealwaysseekingforstabilityintheirlives.Forthousandsofyears,Confucianismhasbeenemphasizingthestabilityofsociety,becauseonlystabilitycouldpromisethehappinessofallfamiliesandclans.SostabilityisthemostimportantthingforChinese.ManyChinesepeoplehavenodesiretoexplore,becausetheythinkitwilldestroytheirpresentstableandpeacefullife.Moreover,theirseekingofstabilitymakethemtendtoconsideranddothingsdiscreetly.Theyalwayssay,“Pleasegivemesometimetoconsiderthismatterorissue”or“wehavetofurtherdiscussthisissueandpleasewaitournotification.”ButforAmerican,theyarealwaysseekingforchangeintheirlives.InthemindsofAmerican,thewholeworldiseventuallychanging.Americanstakegreatdelightinbreakingtheoldrulesandordersandmakingnewcreationsbysweepinganydifficultiesawayinfrontofthem,becausechangemeansdevelopment,improvement,progressandabeautifulfutureforthem.Americansbelievethattheycanmakeachievementonlyiftheymakegooduseofeveryminutetogetthingschanged.Itisnotpossibleforthemtowaitfortheapproachofgoodchancequietly,theydonotthinkthatchancecansuddenlyappearinfrontofthemwithoutanyefforts.

2.2.3TheDifferenceofThinkingPatterns

ToChinesepeople,theyprefertobeginwiththewholepicturetomeasurethingsandthenmovetothedetails.Theypossesssyntheticthinkingpatterns.Peopledothingsaccordingtothesurroundingsandopportunities.Withthisthought,peopletendtodoseveralthingsatonetime.Theyprefertoconsiderthewholesituationsandstressinvolvementofpeopleandcompletionoftransactionsratherthanadherencetopresentschedules.ButtoAmerican,theytendtohaveanalyticthinkingpatterns.Theyprefertoseparateentiretythingsintopartsandthendodeepanalysistoeachpart.Theyusedtodoonethingatatime,soitrequiressomekindsofscheduling,eitherimplicitorexplicit.Andcalendar,schedule,diary,annual,accounting,ledgerandsoonaremaketheimportanteffortinAmerica.

VaguenessisacommoncharacteristicofancientChinesepeople’sthinkingpatterns.Thereisasayingthatmayproveitbest,thatis,“Themeaningisimpliedbutcannotbetold”.Forthousandsofyears,Chinesepeopleonlyusethe