A Comparative Study between Chinese Collectivism and American Individualism

Abstract： To achieve good communication， we have to first understand other cultures and their people. As the core of culture， ethical values permeate every culture and are guiding principles for people’s thoughts， behavior， language and communication. Individualism and collectivism， two main-stream ethical values， are the specific concern owing to their significance in their own culture. As family is the basic unit of society， individualism and collectivism are first taught through the family. It naturally follows that family structure is a practical version of individualism and collectivism.

Key Words： Culture; Ethical Values; Individualism; Collectivism; Family Structure

I. Introduction

Cross-cultural communication has now become an unavoidable trend. To achieve good communication， we have to first understand other cultures and their people. As the core of culture， ethical values permeate every culture and are guiding principles for people’s thoughts， behavior， language and communication. In this paper， individualism and collectivism， two main-stream ethical values， are the specific concern owing to their significance in their own culture.

A central claim of the present paper is that family structure is a particular version of individualism and collectivism in their respective culture. The American author William Thayer once wrote， “As are families， so is society” （Zhang 206）. His words clearly express the importance of family to both culture and individuals. On such basis， the paper discusses individualism and collectivism through its influence on family structure of America and China.

II. Family Structure in Individualist Culture and Family Structure in Collectivist Culture

2.1 Family Structure

We Chinese always hold it strange that American parents offer less support to their child. Besides， Chinese people find it difficult to understand that sometimes when a rich father dies， he only leaves a small portion of his property to his children whereas the majority is devoted to society for charity purpose. However， Chinese parents often work hard to support their children or to make a better life for them. The Chinese idiom “Wang Zi Cheng Long” carries the meaning that parents hope their children will have a bright future. It is a tradition for Chinese people to try their best to leave their children with as much property as they can earn.

In America， when the child grows up， he will move out of his parents’ house and establish their own households. Even in the extended family， this doesn’t exist： several generations may live in the same dwelling and depend on one another financially. More often than not， the old people are sent to nursing homes or they have to live on their own. However， we Chinese cherish the concept of “the more children， the more blessings”. In China， many people still live under the same roof with their parents after their marriage. Moreover， filial piety is long held as the most important cultural value in China.

2.2 Individualism vs. Collectivism

2.2.1 Relationship

Family structure is closely integrated with the two ethical values—individualism and collectivism. Family is the basic unit of society. Individualism and collectivism are learned through family， which teaches children whom they must obey and who the dominant figures are in their life. Within each family， children begin to learn if they are from a culture that values individualism or one that stresses collectivism. （Zhang 211） As the Swedish proverb tells us， “Children act in the village as they have learned at home.” The interaction patterns in the family offer clues as to communication patterns found outside the family. （Zhang 208）

According to Song Li， individualism-oriented cultures hold individual interests and goals as most important and therefore an “I” consciousness prevails; while in collective-oriented cultures group interests and goals precede over those of the individual and a “we” consciousness prevails （56）. Individualism and collectivism are two conflicting views of the nature of humans， society and the relationship between them. And the remainder of the paper will discuss individualism and collectivism as well as their influence on family structure from two aspects—people’s identity and their relationship.

2.2.2 Analysis

Individualism holds that the individual is the primary unit of reality and the ultimate standard of value. Collectivism holds that the group is the primary unit of reality and the ultimate standard of value. American culture emphasizes individualism and people strive hard to achieve individual identity featured by reason， self-esteem and freedom. This can be partially illustrated by such sayings like “God helps those who help themselves”. Chinese culture holds that one’s identity is determined by the groups one interacts with. It focuses on the social value of the individual and his/her membership （Xu 81）. Therefore， decisions are often made for the sake of group interests. And if necessary， individuals have to sacrifice their own interests to achieve what is good for the group. But Americans believe that people are born equal， and they can achieve what they want relying on their ability and initiative. They believe the story of “rages to riches”. Individualism is expressed in values about the importance of doing your best， reward for individual achievement and the chance of success…， and the importance of solving problems yourself， not waiting for others to do it for you. （Zhang 78） Therefore， in America， parents would rather create a harsh environment for their children with an aim to practice them and teach them how to work and live independently. However， this is not the case with collectivism， which is characterized by a rigid social framework that distinguishes between in-groups and out-groups. People count on their in-group （relative， clans， organizations） to look after them， and in exchange for that they believe they owe absolute loyalty to the group. （Zhang 84） In China， parents regard it their obligations to look after their children and care about their seniors. In return， their children should carry down these obligations. They leave their children with as much wealth as they can earn， hoping that their children will strengthen the family cause.

Individualism and collectivism also set the patterns for how people relate to one another in social life. Individualism holds that every person is an end in himself and that no person should be sacrificed for the sake of another. Moreover， it holds that people are dealing primarily with reality. Collectivism holds that the needs and goals of the individual are subordinate to those of the larger group and should be sacrificed when the collective good so requires. Furthermore， it views that people are dealing primarily with other people. For example， in America， people are defined in terms of their own personalities and achievements rather than their relationship with others. （Song 70） The individual’s choice of behavior， time and place are highly respected. People make response to one another as individual persons instead of as social connections of others or members of social groups. It’s thus understandable for them to hold opposing attitude towards living together with their seniors. However， Chinese define each other in terms of their relationship with others. A person is often referred to not as an independent personality but as someone’s son， husband， or a former boss or colleague. Moreover， respect for the elder is taught ever since childhood. S/he who fails to show love to his/her parents will be condemned by the public. According to Chu and Ju， “An important Chinese cultural value is filial piety. Traditionally Chinese children felt a lifelong obligation to their parents， ideally exemplified by an unreserved devotion to please them in every possible way.” （Zhang 212） Having four generations living under the same roof is an ideal family structure for traditional Chinese， as is displayed in the novel of Laoshe， Si Shi Tong Tang （four generations live under the same roof）. Hence， in China， many people still live with their parents after marriage to better perform his obligations to their parents.

III. Conclusion

Ethical values are tightly integrated with cultures. Individualism and Collectivism represent the American and Chinese cultures respectively. In the former， personal interests， happiness and achievements are fully emphasized; things such as independence， equality and freedom are cherished. In the latter， the interests， goals and achievements of the collective are strongly stressed rather than the individual’s. As is discussed in the paper， family is the basic unit of society， and individualism and collectivism are first taught through the family. It naturally follows that family structure is a practical version of individualism and collectivism.

As is demonstrated above， America is characterized by nuclear family—the youth seldom live together with their seniors after marriage， and they offer less support to their seniors; moreover， the children are taught since childhood to work independently and make achievements relying on their own ability and initiative. In China， it is an ideal family structure to have many generations living under the same roof; the children can count on their parents’ help during difficulty， and in exchange they must show their loyalty to their parents—filial piety is set as a lifelong obligation of the children. A better understanding on such differences can help English learners better understand American culture and ethical values， thus avoiding misunderstanding and awkwardness during communication with English natives.

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作者簡介：

周祥艷（1983.6- ），女，湖南婁底人，湖南人文科技學(xué)院外國語學(xué)院講師，英語語言文學(xué)碩士，從事文化與翻譯等問題研究。