中國面子文化講課教案

TheSymbolsofChineseCulture——FaceTheCultureofChinaishometooneoftheworld'soldestandmostcomplexcivilizationscoveringahistoryofover5,000years.

leadintroductionImportantcomponentsofChinesecultureincludes

literature,

music,

visualarts,

martialarts,

cuisine,etc.FaceForthoseofyounotwell-versedinChineseculture,thereissomethingyoushouldknowabouttheconceptoffaceorhavingface.Face—aculturethingFaceisaconceptnothardtounderstandandfaceisverysimilartothenotionofreputation.FaceisadynamicwhichappliestobothpersonalandbusinessrelationshipsinChina.CHINESEIDIOMSABOUT“FACE”“Mencan’tlivewithoutface,treescan’tlivewithoutbark.”renyaolian,shuyaopi.“Afamily’sugliness(misfortune)shouldneverbepubliclyaired”jaichoubukewaiyangDefinitionAsasociologicalconstruct,theChineseconceptoffaceisdifficulttodefine.ThefamouswriterandtranslatorLinYutang(1895–1976)evenwentsofarastosaythat“facecannotbetranslatedordefined.”Hedidhowevercharacterizeditas“Abstractandintangible,itisyetthemostdelicatestandardbywhichChinesesocialintercourseisregulated.”WESTERNFACEUnlike“Westernface”–whichismoreself-orientedandindividualistic—Chinesefaceismoreother-directedandrelational.Asageneralsociologicalstatement,Westernculturestendtofocusontheindividualasanindependent,self-reliantbeing.

Inraisingchildren,thefocusisonhelpingthemdevelopastrongsenseofpersonalintegrityandindividuality.CHINESEFACEIncontrast,forsome4,000years,Chineseculturehasdownplayedconceptoftheindividual—insteademphasizingthesupremacyofthefamilyandgroup.Itwasallaboutbringinghonortoyourclan.Withtheemphasisonthecollective,thesenseofselfblurredsomuchthatitpracticallydidn'texist.Infact,individualismwasseenasimmoral.FaceHavingfaceTheconceptoffacecanbelooselydescribedassomeone′ssocialstatusorreputationintheeyeofothers.ThroughoutaChineseperson′slifeitmustbemaintainedandenhancedthroughgivingtoandreceivingfromothersinbothwordsandactions.FaceLosingfaceInsituationswheresomeoneofreputationhasmadeamistakeordonewrong,andtheerrorismadeattributabletothatpersoninpublic,thenthatonepersonhas"lostface"-theirreputationintheeyesoftheirpeershasbeenreduced.Tomakesomeonelosefaceorevenunknowinglyisahugedishonorandcouldmeantheendofarelationship.TIPSFORGIVINGFACE:Praisingsomeonepublicly(especiallyinfrontoftheireldersorboss).Givinghighmarksoncustomerevaluationforms

.Givingsincerecomplimentsandshowingthatyou’reenjoyingoneselfwhenbeingtreatedout.Givinganexpensivegift,especiallyanimportedone.Avoidtheseface-losingsituationOpenlycriticizing,challenging,disagreeingwith,ordenyingsomeone.Callingsomeoneoutonalie.Notshowingproperdeferencetoeldersorsuperiors.Interrup