由《喜福会》看中美文化差异和冲突

Cultural Gaps and Conflicts Between China and America from a Study of The Joy Luck Club 由《喜福会》看中美文化差异和冲突 By Feng Die （冯蝶） Supervised by Associate Prof. Guo Xihua （郭锡华） Jiangnan University Wuxi Jiangsu China June

2007

ContentsAcknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………iAbstractampKey

Word………………………………………………………..………………………ii1.

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………12. Analyzing the Cultural Gaps and Conflicts between China and America in Detail from a Studyof The Joy Luck Club……………………………………………………………………………….4 2.1.

Different

values…………………………………………………………………………….5

2.2

Different concepts of family………………………………………………………………..8 2.3 Different ways of speaking and behavior………………………………………………….123. Looking forward to the future of cultural differences between China and America…………...18References…………………………………………………………………………………………20 Acknowledgements I am greatly indebted to my thesis supervisor Associate Prof. Guo Xihua. She not only guidesme to write this thesis in time but also provides me with useful reference materials. Without herpatient assistance and friendly encouragement it would not have been possible for me to completethis thesis in such a short period of time without reducing its scholarly quality. My special thanks should go to my friend Lee who has generously shared his referencematerials with me and exchanged ideas on this subject. I especially thank my family and myroommates who have supported me during my research on this topic. i Abstract amp Key Words Abstract: This paper mainly discusses different cultures. As a rule interculturalcommunication refers to the communication between people from different cultures. Underdifferent cultural

circumstances there are tangible differences in people’s both values and modesof thinking. Consequently cultural gaps and conflicts are apt to come into being. From this pointof view this article intends to approach and analyze some concrete manifestations of differencesin Chinese and American cultures by means of the novel The Joy Luck Club which is ChineseAmerican female novelist Amy Tan’s maiden work. This article can be divided into three parts.The writer of the paper tries to explain the definition of intercultural communication and similarlythe history of studying it in both China and America in the first part. It also chiefly passes onAmerican cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall’s theories with respect to interculturalcommunication. His most famous theory on high context and low context cultures is includedwhich has usually been adopted and cited by other experts to research into interculturalcommunication. In the meantime the brief introduction of the novel The Joy Luck Club is equallyhelpful for readers to better understand the reason why this novel is chosen to be as the analyticalsubject. The second part is to make good use of Hall’s theory on high context and low contextcultures to analyze the concrete manifestations of distinguishable cultures between China andAmerica. Firstly there are differences between Chinese and American values. Chinese cultureadvocates collectivism on the contrary American culture supports individualism. SecondlyChinese concept of family differs from American one. Chinese culture emphasizes traditional andconservative concept on the premise of collectivism while American culture stressescomparatively modern and open concept on the premise of individualism and self-development.Thirdly it is impossible to doubt that the ways of speaking and behavior are different for Chineseand American cultures. Chinese culture lays special emphasis on implicit and indirect ways. Bycontrast American culture gives

prominence to explicit and direct ways. The writer looks forwardto the future of intercultural communication at the end of paper. With the globalization of theworld the coexistence of various cultures is an inexorable trend.Key words: The Joy Luck Club different cultures high context culture low context culture摘要: 通常我们所说的跨文化交际，就是指来自不同文化群体的人们之间的交流。在交流过程中，由于各自所处的文化环境不同，价值观念和思维方式有着明显的差异，因此很有可能产生文化隔阂甚至冲突。 而本文主要以此为切入点，借助美籍华裔女作家谭恩美的处女作《喜福会》，对中美文化差异的具体表现进行深入的分析和探讨。文章主要分为三部分：首先，就跨文化交际学的定义以及中美研究发展史做一番说明。 其中主要介绍多年来一直努力研究跨文化交际学的美国文化人类学家霍尔针对文化差异所提出的相关理论， 包括最著名的高低背景文化理论。同时，对小说《喜福会》的内容做个介绍，从而让读者更好的明白选择《喜福会》作为研究分析对象的原因。其次，利用霍尔的高低背景文化理论，借助《喜福会》 ，对中美文化差异的具体表现来进行分析， 文章从中美文化价值观念的差别、 中美文化的家庭观念的不同以及中美文化说话行为表达方式差异等三个方面进行了详细的分析。 本文作者最后对跨文化交际进行展望。随着全球化的进程，各种文化之间的融合将是一个必然的趋势。关键词：《喜福会》；文化差异；高背景文化；低背景文化 ii Cultural Gaps and Conflicts between China and America from a Study of The Joy Luck Club Cultural Gaps and Conflicts Between China and America from a Study of The Joy Luck Club1. Introduction In its general sense intercultural communication refers to the communication between peoplefrom different cultures. It takes place when a message is produced by a member of one culture forunderstanding and response by a member of another culture. As cultural variations are many andgreat the potential for misunderstanding and disagreement can likewise be serious and great 杜瑞清等 2004: 22. To put it another way cultural gaps and conflicts are very likely to break out afterundergoing a period of time during the communication

between people of different cultures. Although as a formalized and defined area of study intercultural communication has acomparatively short history it is gratifying to see that more and more emphasis and importancehave been placed on intercultural communication both in and outside the academia all over theworld. In detail let us have a more deep-going comprehension of the history of the study ofintercultural communication in detail. From the angle of region intercultural communication in China began as a serious disciplinefor study in the early 1980s with the nation’s reform initiatives and opening up endeavors. Thestudy of intercultural communication in the United States can be traced to post-World War Ⅱwhen business and government were expanding and rebuilding globally. Government and businesspersonnel overseas often found that they were ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of workingamong people of different cultures. The language training they received for example did little toprepare them for the complex challenges of working abroad. In response to this situation the U.S.government passed the Foreign Service Act in 1946 and established the Foreign Service Institute.The Institute hired Edward T. Hall and other prominent anthropologists and linguists includingRay Birdwhistell and George Trager to develop “predeparture” courses for overseas workers.Intercultural training materials were scarce so they developed their own. In so doing the Institutetheorists formed new ways of looking at culture and communication. Thus the field ofintercultural communication was born 杜瑞清等 2004: 22-23. With the aspect to academia there are many outstanding experts from many fields who aredevoting themselves to doing research into the history and development of intercultural 1 江南大学学士学位论文communication. Among them the achievements of scholars from cultural anthropology andliterature are probably

particularly outstanding in spite of their different research angles. Cultural anthropologists possess powerful profession and they are working hard inintercultural communication at all times so that their research theories and consequences are moreauthoritative. For example Edward T. Hall Walliam B. Gudykunst Larry A. Samovar Young YunKim and Ting-Toomy are all splendid cultural anthropologists especially Edward Hall whosetheories in view of intercultural communication are usually adopted by other specialists. EdwardHall has described three important concepts and theories with regard to cultural differences that istime space and context. “Time is one of the fundamental bases on which all cultures rest and around which allactivities revolve. Understanding the differences between monochromic time and polychromictime is essential to success.” Monochromic time is characterized as linear tangible and divisible.In monochromic time events are scheduled one item at a time and this schedule takes precedenceover interpersonal relationships. Polychromic time on the contrary is characterized by “thesimultaneous occurrence of many things and by a great involvement with people.” 杜瑞清等2004: 20 Here space refers to the invisible boundary around an individual that is considered “personal.”This sense of personal space can include an area or objects that have come to be considered thatindividual’s “territory.” This sense of personal space can be perceived not only visually but “bythe ears thermal space by the skin kinesthetic space by the muscles and olfactory space by thenose” as well 杜瑞清等 2004: 21. Concerning Edward Hall’s theory on high-context and low-context cultures it may beconsidered as his most significant achievement in the research of intercultural communication.Edward Hall categorizes cultures as being either high or low context depending on the degree towhich meaning comes from the settings or

from the words being exchanged. This can vary from ahigh context culture where background information is implicit to low context culture where muchof the background information must be made explicit in an interaction 杜瑞清等 2004: 21. In a high context style the talk tends to be indirect. Much of the message is expressed bymeans other than words and people learn to watch for and interpret non-verbal cues and hinted-atnuances of meaning. A great deal is left unsaid: silence is valued and is associated with 2 Cultural Gaps and Conflicts between China and America from a Study of The Joy Luck Clubself-restraint Fitzgerald Helen 2003: 81. In other words information is provided throughgestures the use of space and even silence. Meaning is also conveyed “through status age sexeducation family backgrounds title and affiliations and through an individual’s informal friendsand associates.” Samovar 2000: 79 Chinese culture and tradition are long continuous andunified and change very little over time. It possesses strong stability and solidarity so that Chinais viewed as the most typical country of high context culture. Low-context communication however is more direct and explicit: most of the message iscarried in the words and people are comparatively unaware of other contextual cues and less adeptat interpreting meanings other than those expressed verbally. They tend to take what is said at facevalue generally expecting people to say what they mean Fitzgerald Helen 2003: 81. In shortthe verbal message contains most of the information and very little is embedded in the context orthe participants Samovar 2000: 79. America its history and political organizations has beenbuilt for a relatively short time but develops quite fast. More and more people pay much attentionto rapid change and the idea of progress. Hence America can be considered as the representativeof low context culture. Eventually if people would like to discuss differences between eastern

andwestern cultures the study of Chinese and American cultures is an effective channel and a betterchoice. As the globalization of the world the influence of cultural diversity and variety on humancommunication has been greater than ever before. More and more people call for attention toappropriate principles and methods of communication when they have contact with others fromdifferent cultural backgrounds. For this purpose the research into gaps and conflicts generatedduring the intercultural communication has been the focus for most experts. In particular the studyof cultural gaps and conflicts between China and America becomes more vital. Therefore for thesake of aiding people to be awake to this point intuitionally a number of literary works ofexcellence have been presented to us. Especially in recent years Amy Tan and Maxine HongKinston have established a great reputation. Of course compared with the works of Maxine HongKinston the literary works of Amy Tan own more power to move the feelings and are morepopular with common readers such as her first effort The Joy Luck Club. The Joy Luck Club was Amy Tan’s first and perhaps the most well known literary work. Itbrought her great success and also made her name known around the world. The Joy Luck Club 3 江南大学学士学位论文was written in 19 a time of great change in the world and it was to show western society theculture and tradition of China at the time when most of the books being published involvedwestern society and culture with almost none showing the eastern world or perspective. Amy Tanhad thus written The Joy Luck Club in an attempt to unveil the mysteries of Chinese culture and topresent to the western society the traditions of China through the novel. The novel The Joy LuckClub delves into the complicated relationship between four Chinese immigrant mothers and theirfirst generation American born daughters. The novel alternates from the shocking lives

of themothers in pre-Revolutionary China to the complex and chaotic life of the daughters in thetwentieth century San Francisco. And additionally this novel gives prominence to conflictsbetween mothers and daughters husbands and wives owing to differences in cultures. ApparentlyAmy Tan draws support from describing real life vividly to reveal the possible consequencesnamely gaps conflicts and coexistence caused in the period of intercultural communication. Insummary The Joy Luck Club clearly shows to the readers the cultural gaps and conflicts betweenChinese and American cultures even within the family. With Edward Hall’s theory on high context and low context cultures this dissertation aims tomake good use of the means of literature analysis to look at differences in cultural valuesconcepts of family and ways of speaking and behavior with the reference to the novel The JoyLuck Club.2. Analysis of the Cultural Gaps and Conflicts Between China andAmerica from a Study of The Joy Luck Club As to cultural values the distinction between high context and low context is collectivism andindividualism. It is generally agreed that individualism and collectivism make up one of the mostimportant and extensively discussed dimensions in intercultural communication. They reflectcontrasting perceptions about knowledge cognition and the nature of man. The two conflictingorientations also lead to different behaviors because of personal preferences. Theindividualism-collectivism dichotomy is the key to understanding w.