Differences in Etiquette between the Eastern and Western Countries

1、中西方禮儀差異differences in etiquette between the eastern and western countriesabstract: with the advancement of economic globalization, the interactions between different cultures have been increasingly intensified people of different culture backgrounds, world views and values may inevitably encounter d

2、iverse problems and consequently misunderstanding and conflict may arise in cross-cultural communication. this calls for our research into different cultures so that we can find out problem-solving methods and strategies. social etiquette is one of the problems that are worth our attention.it is wel

3、l known that different countries have different histories and cultures; there are a lot of differences in the habit of conducts and the ceremony, especially between china and the west. in the office, to understand each others customs will be conductive to the exchange between the countries. a person

4、 who understands others rituals and folk customs can be seen as respecting for others and can be easier to make a good impression on the other side. so etiquette is the first step to personal intercourse; moreover either chinese culture or western culture lays much stress on the significance of comm

5、unication.china has been well known as “the land of etiquette”, and people are constantly observing some generally accepted codes of politeness. confucianism, which has been influencing china for thousands of years, also stresses etiquettes, so chinese codes of conduct are naturally under the influe

6、nce of the ancient culture. despite the different culture and values, western countries unexceptionally emphasize etiquette in interpersonal intercourse. therefore, both cultures have something in common as well as different. while focusing on the commonalties, this thesis gives emphasis on differen

7、ces furthermore, explores the underlying factors behind these differences. after that, some solutions are produced: thinking globally and culturally; increasing cultural awareness; learning behavioral skills. in the end, the thesis concludes that in the context of cultural diversity we should face t

8、he reality and overcome communicative obstacles to achieve fluent and effective intercultural communication.key words: social etiquette; culture differences; intercultural communication 摘 要： 隨著經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化的發(fā)展，不同文化間的交往也不斷加強(qiáng)。不同文化背景、不同世界觀價(jià)值觀的人們?cè)诮煌^程中不免會(huì)發(fā)生各種各樣的問題，誤解和沖突就會(huì)產(chǎn)生。這就要求我們對(duì)不同文化進(jìn)行研究，從而找到解決問題的方法和策略。交往禮儀就是

9、值得我們關(guān)注的問題之一。由于各國的歷史和文化底蘊(yùn)的不同，各國人民在進(jìn)行里尚交往時(shí)的習(xí)慣也有不少差異，特別是中西方之間，禮儀上的差異很大。往大處說，一個(gè)國家無論是在政治上還是經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易中，了解對(duì)方國家的禮儀習(xí)慣，將有利于各國之間的交往。從小處來說，一個(gè)人了解對(duì)方的禮儀和民間習(xí)慣，是對(duì)對(duì)方的尊重且容易給對(duì)方留下好印象，以便交往的順利進(jìn)行。因此，禮儀視人們交際的第一步，而且，無論中國文化還是西方文化都強(qiáng)調(diào)禮儀在交際中的重要性。中國素有“禮儀之邦”之稱，人們?cè)诮煌^程中一直遵循著一些約定俗成的禮貌準(zhǔn)則。影響中國幾千年的儒家思想把“禮”放在重要的地位，因而這些準(zhǔn)則不免要受到幾千年的文化積淀的影響。西方國家

10、雖然痛我們相比具有不同的價(jià)值觀和文化觀，但在人際交往中也不例外的強(qiáng)調(diào)禮貌待人。因此，在中西方文化中，社交禮儀既有一些共同之處，也有許多差異。本文在關(guān)注相同之處的同時(shí)，也強(qiáng)調(diào)了差異的重要性，并進(jìn)一步探討了差異背后的影響因素,同時(shí)側(cè)面探討了解決方法：要從全球及文化的角度思考問題，增強(qiáng)文化意識(shí)，學(xué)習(xí)交際行為技能。最后，在文化多樣性的背景下，我們應(yīng)當(dāng)面對(duì)現(xiàn)實(shí)，克服交際障礙，實(shí)現(xiàn)暢通而有效的跨文化溝通。關(guān)鍵詞：社交禮儀；文化差異；跨文化交contentsi. introduction.1ii. the importance of etiquette and etiquette study2iii. di

11、fferences in factors affecting etiquette between the east and the west.3a. the origins of chinese etiquette and the western etiquette.3b. different cultural background of etiquette between the east and the west.41. the impact of different modes of social interaction on etiquette.52. the differences

12、between the personal philosophies of etiquette53. the impact of different social customs on etiquette.64. the impact of different hierarchism of people status on etiquette.7c. chinese etiquette education and the western etiquette education81. etiquette education in the western countries82. etiquette

13、 education in china10iv. contrast of the chinese etiquette and the western etiquette.11a. wedding tradition.11b. dining tradition141. differences in tableware152. differences in table setting.163. differences in the dining atmosphere.174. differences in terms of discourse.185. differences in toastin

14、g.18v. conclusion.19work cited.20 differences in etiquette between the eastern and western countriesi. introductionetiquette is process and means to show respect to each other in interpersonal relationship by certain, common procedures. the etiquette can be said to be a persons external appearance o

15、f inward cultivation and quality. firstly, people can be raised their self-cultivation. secondly, it will promote social interaction and improve peoples interpersonal relationship. it also can purify the society. along with the constant development of chinese culture and the western culture, chinese

16、 ritual and the western ritual are fusions. the westerners have accepted the reasonable factors in chinese culture and other important feelings. chinese people have gradually accepted the advanced civilization of the western culture and etiquette style. however, in real life, the etiquettes impact d

17、ue to culture differences between china and the west still exists. since different countries have different historical and cultural backgrounds. there are a lot of differences in the ceremony, especially between china and the west. from the point of view of collectivity, etiquette can create the ima

18、ge, improve the customs ultimately and achieve the purpose of enhancing the economy and social benefits. etiquette, which is an important part of the companys culture and the entrepreneurs spirit, is a major attachment of groups image. the understanding of the differences between chinese etiquette a

19、nd the western etiquette are absolutely necessary. in modern society, it seems that the world is getting smaller and smaller, people are very active with frequent exchanges. about origin of etiquette, in china, the essence of etiquette is the method of dealing with people and the belief in ghosts an

20、d spirits. people consider that all things are controlled by the ghosts which can not be seen. in the western countries, the word etiquette used to mean “keep off the grass”. louis ivys gardener noticed that the aristocrats were walking through his gardens and then he put up signs (etiquette) to war

21、n them off. and also have a more important point：etiquette education，etiquette education in the western countries is the combination of etiquette education and moral education of school ceremonies. they think the values of education can not be limited to a few hours teaching in a day, but they pay a

22、ttention to diversifying the form of moral education in schools. but in china, the government put great emphasis on the education of social norms, moral responsibility, racial harmony and loyalty to the state education. they pay attention to the moral and ethical values of traditional education. the

23、y consider traditional moral values as a shield against the negative effects of western culture. obviously, there are so many differences in etiquette. many countries are paying great attention to combine international etiquette with national etiquette creatively. etiquette is the common wealth of c

24、hinese civilization and the western civilization.ii. the importance of etiquette and etiquette studyinterpersonal etiquette can be regarded as a kind of art, a method of communication. it is a common respect for person and a friendly practice in interpersonal relationships. from the respect of trans

25、mitting, interpersonal rituals can be roughly divided into chief etiquette, business etiquette, service etiquette, social etiquette, foreign etiquette and several other major branches. firstly, it can help people to raise their self-cultivation. secondly, it will promote social interaction and impro

26、ve peoples interpersonal relationship. it also can purify the ethos of society. almost all international enterprises have a high standard of etiquette and regard etiquette as an important part of groups culture. at the same time, it also can be regarded as the important software to obtain internatio

27、nal fame. therefore, studying etiquette is the trend of the times and the actual need of enhancing the competition.since different countries have different histories and cultures, there are a lot of differences in the habit of conduct and the ceremony, especially between china and the west, the joke

28、s and the mistakes caused by misunderstanding is not unusual. in modem history, there are two stories concerning the misunderstanding of different etiquettes. the first one is about li hongzhang who was invited by bismarck to a diner. due to a lack of the western etiquette knowledge, he drank the wa

29、ter which was used to wash hands after eating the fruit. then bismarck did not understand chinese customer, in order not to make li hongzhang lose his face, he drank the water too. other officers also followed him and refrained from laughing. here is another story: a kmt officer and his wife went to

30、 the airport to meet a consultant from the united states. after the meeting, the consultant said “your wife is really beautiful!” the officer felt embarrassed and replied: “哪里，哪里！” it is just a polite way which is very common in china for the kind of the words he addressed. but the clumsy interprete

31、r translated: “哪里，哪里!” like “where, where?” american consultant couldnt understands, he thought” i just praised his wife, and why he asked me where his wife is beautiful”. then, he said: “she is beautiful from head to toe.” these two jokes are due to the lack of etiquette knowledge about the differe

32、nces between china and the west.this shows that the understanding of the differences of the western etiquettes and chinese etiquettes are absolutely necessary. to the officers, to understand each others customs will be conductive to the exchanges between the different countries. a person who underst

33、ands others rituals and folk customs can be seen as respecting for others and can be easier to make a good impression on the other side. along with the constant development of chinese and the western cultures, chinese ritual and the western ritual are fusions. the westerners have accepted the reason

34、able factors in chinese culture and other important feelings. at the same time chinese people have gradually accepted the advanced civilization of the western culture and etiquette style.however, in real life, the impact on etiquette due to cultural differences between china and the west still exist

35、s. so the study of the western etiquette and chinese etiquette is very valuable and reasonable.iii. differences in factors affecting etiquette between the east and the westthere are three main factors that caused the differences between chinese etiquette and the western etiquette. the first one is d

36、ifferent origins of chinese etiquette and the western etiquette. the second one is the different of cultural backgrounds. and the third is the difference of educations.a. the origins of chinese etiquette and the western etiquettethe difference of origin in chinese and western cultures is very large,

37、 chinas protocol to the idea originates from myths and legends, people consider that all things are controlled by the ghosts which can not be seen. to make people believe in ghosts, and western manners are derived from moralizing, the meaning of etiquette would later include the ticket to court func

38、tions that lists the instructions on which a person would stand and what was to be done. etiquette the preacher thought the protocol into the mind, next, we will find the details of chinese and western manners1. the origin of chinese etiquettein china, etiquette is equal to courtesy and ceremony. th

39、e essence of etiquette is the method of dealing with people and the belief in ghosts and spirits. people consider that all things are controlled by the ghosts which can not be seen. therefore, the etiquette is originated from the belief in ghosts and spirits, as well as a special form of belief in g

40、hosts and spirits. china is a state of ceremonies. back to five thousand years ago, etiquette used to be the core of traditional culture. up to now, the etiquette has been really reformed. thus it becomes rituals of modern civilization. chinese etiquette in chinese culture plays a “quasi-legal” role

41、. etiquettes origins can be traced back to the early time of human beings. it should be said that at the very beginning of the history of the chinese nation, etiquette was generated along with the human activities and with a primitive religion. etiquette is the system to deal with the three relation

42、ships among the people, god and the ghosts. it is said that there were “five ceremonies” in ancient china. in fact etiquette can be divided into two main parts, one is politics, and the other is life. chinese legal system was bred during the establishment and implementation of the protocol. the esse

43、nce of etiquette is the way how to deal with people and the belief in ghosts and spirits.2. the origin of the western etiquettein the western countries, the word “etiquette” used to mean “keep off the grass”. louis ivys gardener noticed that the aristocrats were walking through his gardens and then

44、he put up signs (etiquette) to warn them off. the dukes and duchesses walked right past these signs. due to this blatant disregard, the king of versailles decreed that no individual was to go beyond the bounds of the etiquettes. the meaning of etiquette would later include the ticket to court functi

45、ons that lists the instructions on which a person would stand and what was to be done. etiquette, like language, has evolved, but it still means literally “keep off the grass”. until the 1960s, the importance of good manners was taught without question, but with the liberated 70s, it come a decline

46、in the popularity of teaching proper etiquette. in 2004, a new emphasis has been placed on returning to traditional values. proper etiquette and protocol have given children and adults a vital tool that provides not only a competitive edge, but a sense of confidence. b. different cultural background

47、 of etiquette between the east and the westas regard to the different cultural background of etiquette, four points will be analyzed: the impact of different modes of social interaction on etiquette, the differences between the personal philosophies of etiquette, the impact of different social custo

48、ms in etiquette, and his impact of different hierarchism of people status on etiquette.1. the impact of different modes of social interaction on etiquettechinese cultures and the western cultures have attached great importance to interpersonal relationship. however, they were clearly different in ex

49、changing ideas. chinese are very warm and hospitable, which contained in relationships, being not seemed to be preserved. it is granted to understand the age, occupation, income, marital status, children and other issues with each other. the westerners will generally not do like that. chinese will a

50、sk the price of goods which is bought by others directly. in the eyes of chinese people, the price is only for items or rank. it is said that the quality of goods. in westerners eyes, if you do the same thing, it may be regarded as the inquiry of others economic conditions. it is also the privacy of

51、 the westerners which should not be asked directly. chinese prefer to ask “where are you going?” when they meet others. this is just a form of call in china. if you want to know the price in details, you can only tactfully praise the achievement of the goods. under such circumstances, the westerners

52、 will tell you if it is cheap or expensive in general, but they normally do not tell you the price. and if it happens in the united states, it might make the other feel embarrassed, because it belongs to others privacy you should not interfere in. in addition, the distance of the interaction between

53、 people can be divided into four types. there are close distance, individual distance, social distance and public distance. chinese peoples kind relatively belongs to close distance. we often see two chinese girls walking on the street arm-in-arm which is rare to see in the west. the westerners thin

54、k that the chinese are too close. on the contrary, the chinese feel that the westerners are very cold, arrogant, distant with others, and unfriendly. if chinese people find that there is a thrum in others clothes, they will naturally pick it off. it is a bad behavior in the eyes of the westerners. w

55、hen chinese meet a friend who wears very pretty clothes, he will stroke the clothes before asking price or texture. the westerners will not do like that but directly praise his friends and his beautiful clothes. 2. the differences between the personal philosophies of etiquettechinese and the western

56、ers have differences in the personal philosophies of etiquette.the westerners are proud of the achievements of individuals. they never cover up their self-confidence, and are always proud of the accomplishment and the ecstasy of themselves. conversely, the promotion of chinese culture does not flaun

57、t personal honor. generally, chinese people usually oppose or defy the people who are proud of themselves. however, the westerners are dissatisfied with the chinese self-denial or self-modesty. “your english is very good!” “no, my english is poor.” for chinese people, it is a modest response. but for the westerners, it is not only denying himself but also denying people who appreciate him. this shows that the modesty of chinese style is not feasible in the west.the westerners have a strong sense of independence and self-center. one should be responsible for himself.