Bibliography of Cultural Differences between Chinese and Western Business Etiquette

Etiquette is the foundation of the whole social civilization and the most direct and comprehensive expression of social civilization. China is a country of etiquette, with a splendid 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization and far-reaching influence in the world. Mr. Qian Mu, a famous scholar in China, once said: "The core of China culture is ceremony". In the past 200 years, with the rise of western countries, the west dominated the world. Nowadays, international etiquette is basically western etiquette. The reasons for this phenomenon are not only the strength of the west, but also the unity of western values and the westerners' high recognition and profound consciousness of their own culture. In the process of the integration of Chinese and western etiquette culture, we in China still learn more from the West. But it is not difficult to learn western etiquette or create our own etiquette system. What is difficult is that we can also have a complete value system, a high degree of recognition and profound understanding of our own culture. We should learn western etiquette, not only its form, but also its inner soul. Only in this way can we establish self-confidence and superiority and establish appeal. The revival of the nation is not only the revival of strength, but also the revival of culture. Only when others agree with our culture can we really make our manners popular in the world.

Keywords: China and the West, etiquette, differences

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Etiquette is a rule of communication between people, a language and a tool. Due to the important source of etiquette-different religious beliefs, people who believe in different religions in the world observe different etiquette. China is one of the four ancient civilizations, and the Chinese nation is the only civilization and nation that has been passed down for thousands of years. China's etiquette began in Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties and flourished in Tang and Song Dynasties. After continuous development and changes, it gradually formed a system. Western society, the inheritors of several ancient civilizations, has been echoing China in the East. After the darkness of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance finally came, which gave birth to capitalism and modern civilization, and produced modern technology and culture. China and the West have completely different etiquette cultures.

With the acceleration of China's reform and opening-up and the increasing cross-border exchanges, the differences between Chinese and western etiquette culture are becoming more and more obvious, and the influence brought by these differences can not be ignored. It is necessary for us to understand these differences before the perfect integration of Chinese and western etiquette. Due to the different historical and cultural backgrounds of different countries, people in different countries have many different habits when communicating with each other. Especially between China and the West, there are great differences in etiquette, and misunderstandings and jokes caused by not understanding these differences are common. There are two stories in modern history that I believe you will be familiar with. The first story is that Li Hongzhang once went to dinner at the invitation of Bismarck. Because he didn't know western etiquette, he drank a bowl of water to wash his hands after eating fruit. Bismarck didn't know the reality of China at that time. In order not to embarrass Li Hongzhang, he also gulped down the washing water. When other officials saw this, they could only laugh. Another story is that a Kuomintang officer and his wife went to the airport to meet an adviser from the United States. After the two sides met, the American consultant said politely, "Your wife is really beautiful!" "Embarrassed, the officer couldn't help saying politely," Where, where! "In China, this is a very common polite expression, but it is poorly translated. It has been translated into: Where? Where is it? Hearing this, the American consultant was puzzled and thought, I just praised his wife politely, and he actually asked me how beautiful his wife was. So he had to say, "Beautiful from head to toe! "These two stories are etiquette jokes caused by cultural differences between China and the West. It can be seen that it is necessary to understand the differences between Chinese and western manners. Generally speaking, a country's understanding of the manners and customs of another country, whether politically or economically, will be beneficial to the exchanges between countries. From a small point of view, a person's understanding of each other's etiquette and folk customs is a respect for each other, and it is easy to leave a good impression on each other and make communication go smoothly. With the continuous development of eastern and western cultures, eastern and western etiquette is merging with each other. Westerners gradually accept the reasonable factors such as attaching importance to emotion in eastern culture, and Oriental Renye Fang gradually accepts the etiquette and communication methods of advanced civilization in western culture. However, in real life, due to the cultural differences between the East and the West, there are still many influences on etiquette.

1. Study the differences between Chinese and western etiquette and their reasons.

1. 1 background of etiquette differences between China and the West

Both eastern civilization and western civilization have emerged and developed under certain social and historical conditions, and there is no question of which is better or worse. As far as the west is concerned, its history is only 200 years, and its people have immigrated from various places, blending many different nationalities and races. The oath they believe in is: "As long as we can dream, it will definitely come true!" This is the spirit of the west based on heroism and dedication. With a short history of 200 years, it has created a splendid civilization in human history, and its productive forces have surpassed all the productive forces created by all previous generations. This is the charm of the west. The fundamental reason for the difference in etiquette between China and the West is the difference in cultural environment between China and the West, which makes people in different countries have completely different moral norms and values.

1.2 Differences between Chinese and Western Concepts

Oriental culture advocates collective and group spirit, and people are more dependent. Western culture advocates independence and individual freedom. For example, China people pay attention to self-cultivation, and their personality is very important, which is based on caring for the country, loving the collective, family harmony and harmonious interpersonal relationships. If you only consider personal interests, your character will be greatly reduced.

In the west, people have a strong legal concept. On this premise, they advocate personal freedom, do not want to be interfered by the government, church or other organizations, and like to go their own way. In the family, children are instilled with the concept of self-reliance and self-improvement from an early age. Young people always want to be independent as soon as possible and get rid of their parents' control. They don't want to rely too much on their families and parents, otherwise they will lose their freedom and respect from others. At this point, China culture is different. Family is the life collective that China people value most. Parents cherish their children so much that they hate thinking for them, so that when they grow up, they have to give them a big job when they get married. When they have children, they have to sacrifice their old age to take care of their grandchildren, that is, they put all their hopes on their children and care too much. As a result, their self-care ability is poor. Even in today's China, employees of state-owned enterprises are extremely reluctant to lose their iron rice bowls during the transition from planned economy to market economy. This dependence is. This cultural difference leads to the great difference between Chinese and western concepts, so that there is a fundamental difference between Chinese and western etiquette.

Etiquette corresponds to local ideology and culture. Due to the differences in religious beliefs, people who believe in different religions in the world observe different manners. Liang Qichao said in the famous "Persuasion of Learning": "Middle school is internal learning, and western learning is foreign learning; Middle school is connected with the body and mind, and western learning has to deal with the world. " In the performance of etiquette, the west pays more attention to behavior and language; In the long-term historical development of Chinese etiquette, not only the language and actions of the actors have discourse significance, but also something needs to be "understood" from the language and actions of the actors, and at the same time it needs to be understood. Both eastern civilization and western civilization have emerged and developed under certain social and historical conditions, and there is no question of which is better or worse.

2. Differences between Chinese and Western etiquette.

Westerners don't necessarily shake hands when they meet, just smile and say hello, even if it's the first time they meet, but China regards holding hands as the basic etiquette. However, there are not too many restrictions on shaking hands in China, and westerners have certain manners to shake hands. For example, between men and women, the woman reaches out first. If the woman has no intention of shaking hands, the man can only nod and bow. Between the old and the young, the elders reach out first; Between the superior and the subordinate, the superior reaches out first; Between the host and the guest, the host holds out his hand first. And look at each other when shaking hands and take off your gloves, otherwise it will be considered impolite.

2. 1 Differences between Chinese and Western Appellations

In the west, the address is more general, but in China, an address can cover many addresses. For example, in the west, men are called gentlemen and women are called ladies or young ladies. In China, the first explanation of "Mr" is "teacher", which is the oldest title for teachers. With the reform and opening up, Mr. Wang has become the most popular honorific spoken language in society. Westerners call him "uncle", which can cover aunts, aunts and aunts in China. Their relationship with these aspects is not as clear as that of China. China's father is an uncle, aunt and cousin, and her mother is an uncle, aunt and cousin. In the west, people like to call each other by their first names, which is a friendly gesture. Even though they may call each other by their surnames at the beginning of the conversation, they will change their names later. In China, people like to be called so-and-so manager and so-and-so president, because it is a symbol of status and status. But in the west, people rarely use formal titles to address others. Official titles are only used for judges, senior government officials, military officers, doctors, professors and senior religious figures. It is worth noting that the west never uses administrative titles such as directors, managers and responsible persons to address others.

2.2 Chinese and Western views on privacy

In addition, when talking with people, you must not talk about personal affairs, such as age, marriage, income, beliefs and so on. Don't ask the price of what others buy; When you see someone coming back, you can't ask him where he went and where he came from, otherwise he will be disgusted. Westerners often use the phrase "nose sticking out of someone's private life" to show contempt for the questioner. In China, however, the boundaries of personal privacy are far less profound, and people don't care about others' general understanding of their lives. However, when dealing with Americans in China, it seems common for China people to ask each other some family information. Americans may think that you have violated his privacy and have ulterior motives, and such a business may be ruined.

People in China usually like to nod, shake hands or bow when they meet, or lean slightly to shake hands, while westerners feel that leaning seems inferior. In the west, especially in Europe and America, hugs are very common meeting gifts and farewell gifts, and kisses and hand kisses are also common meeting gifts in the west. The handshake ceremony originated in the semi-barbaric and semi-civilized period of western human beings. This habit has gradually evolved into a "handshake" etiquette for meeting and leaving today, which is accepted by most countries. In our country, the handshake ceremony is not only used to meet and say goodbye, but also to express congratulations, thanks or mutual encouragement. Therefore, it is the most widely used greeting etiquette in social intercourse. Courtesy when meeting and saying goodbye has evolved into two phrases: "hello" and "goodbye" today. Politeness can only shake hands with each other, which is concise, hygienic and appropriate in today's strange diseases. In western countries, we are not used to and can't accept the face-to-face, kissing and kissing hands in front of us.

3. Differences in table manners between Chinese and Western diets.

There is a saying in China that "food is the most important thing for the people", which shows the position of diet in the minds of China people, so China people regard eating as a top priority. Chinese food pays attention to the color, aroma, taste, shape and meaning of dishes, even exceeding the emphasis on nutrition. As long as it tastes good, nutrition is not important. Western diet pays more attention to the collocation and absorption of nutrition, which is a scientific concept of diet. Westerners pay more attention to the nutrition of food, ignoring the color, fragrance, taste, shape and meaning of food. Their diet is mostly for survival and health, and it seems that they don't pay attention to the enjoyment of taste.

3. 1 Differences between Chinese and Western dining table atmospheres

In terms of dining atmosphere, China people like to be lively when eating. Many people get together to eat, drink and laugh, and jointly create a lively and warm dining atmosphere. People in China don't have any special manners at the dinner table, except at a very formal banquet. Westerners, on the other hand, like an elegant and quiet environment when eating. They think that they must pay attention to their manners when eating at the table, and they must not lose their manners, for example, they must not make ugly noises when eating.

3.2 Differences between Chinese and Western Catering

Chinese and western banquet etiquette also has its own characteristics. Traditionally, Chinese people treat guests, regardless of length, respect, host and time. The table is full of rich tables and drinks, and the host frequently urges them to drink, and the guests are polite. People in China think that this kind of banquet can reflect the enthusiasm and sincerity of the host. In addition, when entertaining guests, advocate a lively and cheerful atmosphere, pay attention to face and ostentation and extravagance. The pomp and lively atmosphere are often breathtaking. A more casual form is that the host invites three or five confidants, and the hostess cooks some dishes and drinks at home. This kind of casual banquet does not pay attention to etiquette, seating and meals, but only pays attention to the harmony of the atmosphere, the enthusiasm of the host and the speculation of the dialogue between the host and the guest. Of course, in recent years, some western banquets, such as cocktail parties, receptions, buffets or cold meals, have also spread to China, but these banquets are mostly organized by officials or units, and ordinary people rarely practice them. In the west, respect rights, men and women sit separately, and couples sit separately. The seats of female guests are slightly higher than those of male guests. Men should pull a chair for the lady sitting on their right to show their respect for the lady.

In addition, westerners should sit up straight when eating. They think it's impolite to bend over and eat with their mouths together, but this is the usual way of eating in China. When eating western food, the host does not advocate binge drinking. China's table wine is a must, and it is used to entertain guests. Sometimes, in order to show respect for each other, they will drink one cup after another. China's dining table should be lively, while westerners' dining table should be quiet. China people should persuade people to drink and eat with words and deeds, while westerners only persuade people to drink with words. Wine culture has a long history in China, and it is considered indispensable in social occasions such as doing business and making friends. The glass is not empty and the tea is not satisfied. In the west, people usually drink beer and wine and don't like to persuade wine. In China, banquets similar to * * * table * * dishes are considered unsanitary in the west, and the system of separate meals is implemented. When Chinese people entertain, there will be many song and dance performances. In the west, there is less noise and movement and more dining procedures.

4. Differences between Chinese and Western dress etiquette

At all times, clothing has always embodied a social culture, a person's cultural accomplishment and aesthetic taste, and is a silent letter of introduction to a person's identity, temperament and internal quality. In a sense, clothing is an art, and the emotions and meanings that clothing can convey are even irreplaceable by language. On different occasions, people who dress appropriately and moderately will leave a good impression, while those who dress improperly will lower their status and damage their image. In social occasions, proper dress is a courtesy, which directly affects the harmony of interpersonal relationships to a certain extent. An important factor affecting the effect of dressing is to have cultural literacy and elegant aesthetic ability, which is the so-called "belly with poetry books". The second is to have the quality of exercise and fitness. Bodybuilding is a natural condition for beautiful clothes. The third is to master common sense of dress, dress principles and knowledge of dress etiquette, which is an indispensable condition to achieve the harmony and unity of internal and external beauty.

4. 1 Chinese and western costumes pay attention to key points and representative costumes

Westerners pay attention to identity and turn clothes into symbols, while China pays attention to charm. If western costume culture deliberately pursues the expression of human beauty and completely ignores costume ethics, then China costume culture still retains some moral integrity more or less due to the influence of traditional ethical values. The best representative of our country is the Zhongshan suit, and the representative of the west is the suit.

Wearing a tunic suit requires not only buttoning all the buttons, but also tying the collar buttons, and it is not allowed to roll up the sleeves. When wearing a double-breasted suit, all buttons should be buttoned. When wearing a single-row three-button suit, you can buckle only one button or two buttons; When wearing a single-row double-button suit, only one button can be buckled; Single-breasted suits are not allowed to be buckled completely. When wearing a suit, you should wear a white shirt and tie. The standard length of a tie is that its lower end reaches the belt buckle.

Western men usually wear conservative suits, white shirts and ties in formal social occasions. They like black, so they usually wear black leather shoes. Western ladies should wear formal dresses on formal occasions. Besides, ladies have the custom of wearing earrings when they go out. In western countries, especially in America, people usually like to wear casual clothes, such as T-shirts and jeans.

Nowadays, people in China are wearing more and more westernized clothes, and the traditional Chinese tunic suit and cheongsam have withdrawn from the historical stage. The dress of men and women in formal occasions is no different from that in the west. In daily life, you will see many people wearing rude clothes such as vests, shorts and slippers.

As the saying goes, people are clothes and horses are saddles. Although it is not advisable to judge a person by his appearance, in modern life, clothing has increasingly become an important part of etiquette. Dressing appropriately or not is not only a reflection of personal taste, but also a yardstick for people to consider each other. Shakespeare, a great English writer, once said, "What a person wears is the truest portrayal of his education, taste and status". Then in daily work and communication, especially in formal occasions, the problem of dress has attracted more and more attention of modern people.

5. Concluding remarks

Etiquette is a kind of culture, which has vertical inheritance and horizontal reference and integration.

In the process of the integration of Chinese and Western etiquette culture, China still draws more lessons from the West. But it is not difficult to learn western etiquette or create our own etiquette system. What is difficult is that we can also have a complete value system, a high degree of recognition and profound understanding of our own culture. We should learn western etiquette, not only its form, but also its inner soul. Only in this way can we establish self-confidence and superiority and establish appeal. The revival of the nation is not only the revival of strength, but also the revival of culture. Only when others agree with our culture can we really make our manners popular in the world.

If people are rude, they will not stand, if things are rude, they will not succeed, and if countries are rude, they will be uneasy. A society lacking etiquette is often an immature society. And a society with inconsistent or even contradictory etiquette standards is often an unharmonious society. Etiquette is the foundation of the whole social civilization and the most direct and comprehensive expression of social civilization. To create a harmonious society, we must start with etiquette. Today, China is facing unprecedented challenges. No matter in material, spiritual and cultural aspects, there is an urgent need for a complete and reasonable set of values to unify. Etiquette culture is undoubtedly this unified "Depth Charge". Only by recognizing the differences between Chinese and western etiquette culture and integrating them reasonably and effectively can we establish a etiquette culture system suitable for contemporary China society and realize the ideal of a harmonious society.

refer to

[1] Golden Business Etiquette Peking University Publishing House 2004

[2] Zhang Zhanyi's teaching and research attempt on anxiety culture and knowledge culture and language 1990.

[3] Liao Wenli metaphor cultural differences between China and the West Xiangtan University Journal of Social Sciences 200 1.

[4] Wu Bing, cultural differences between China and the West, Journal of Minxi Vocational College, 2002.

[5] Xing Dong, a glimpse of the cultural differences between China and the United States, National Excellent English Academic Essays 1997[6] Chen Ping, Business Etiquette, China Film Publishing House.