A study on differences between western friendship and Chinese friendship

AstudyondifferencesbetweenwesternfriendshipandChinesefriendship TableofContents IntroductionDifferentConceptsofFriendshipFactorsthatHinderInterculturalFriendshipsConclusion Introduction Researchsuggeststhatunderstandingoftheconceptoffriendshipvariesasaresultofage gender region andculturalbackground Interculturalfriendshipsarecharacterizedbydifferencesbetweenindividuals culturesthatbringuniqueculturalknowledgeandbroadentheirperspectives Moreover variousculturalgroupshavedivergentmeaningsystemsthatmakeexchangeofinformationmorechallenging Thus thepotentialformisunderstanding uncertainty frustration andconflictisincreased DifferentConceptsofFriendship 1 ThefriendshipandfriendsintheeyesofChineseandAmerican 2 Whatcanyouexpectfromyourfriend 3 Howlongcanfriendshiplast 4 Howmuchcanyoudependonyourfriend 5 Howmuchcanyouexpectfromyoufriend 1 ThefriendshipandfriendsintheeyesofChineseandAmerican FriendshipandfriendsintheeyesofChinese althoughChinesemoregentlehumility butintheirheartforthedefinitionoffriendandfriendshipisquiteclear Itisaveryseriousforfriendsandfriendship Chinesepeopleownthefriendshipwithlike mindedfriendswhosharethesimilarinterests similarpersonalities otherwisetheycannotberealfriendsandtheycanonlyberegardedasordinary FriendsandfriendshipintheeyesofAmericansisquitedifferentfromtheChinesepeople IntheAmericandictionary thedefinitionoffriendsisverywidely IntheOXFORDfriendare 1 personyoulike2 supporter3 notenemy4 sillyorannoyingperson Thepeopletomeetbychancelikepatchesofdriftingduckweedcanbefriends Thus forthefriendship theAmericansmoreopentomorecasualcomparedwithChinese 2 Whatcanyouexpectfromyourfriend InChineseculture Afriendinchinaissomeonewho sensingthatyouareinneedinsomeway offerstoassistyouwithoutwaitingtobeasked Inchinatherearefewlimitsonwhatyoucanaskorexpectofafriend Youcanfeelfreetotellyourfriendwhatheorshecanorshoulddotohelpyouorpleaseyou InAmericanculture IntheUnitedStatesyoucancertainlyaskafriendtodosomethingwithyou butyouwouldnotexpectafriendtorecognizeandrespondtoyourwisheswithoutstatingthem Norwouldyouexpectafriendtodropeverythingtorespondtoanon urgentneedsuchasgoingshopping InfactanAmericanfriendwouldfeelthattheyhadimposedtoomuchifthefriendgaveuparealneedtostudytogoshopping Therearelimitstowhatyoucanexpectfromafriend IntheU S Youfeelfreetoaskyourfriendforhelp butyourecognizethatthefriendmaysayno iftheygiveyouareason 3 Howlongcanfriendshiplast InChineseculture Chineseseemtoexpecttheirfriendshipstostaythesameoveralongperiodoftimemaybeforalifetime Atruefriendshipisarelationshipthatenduresthroughchangesinthelivesofthefriends InAmericanculture IntheUnitedStatesapersonislikelytochangeeven bestfriends severaltimesovertheyears Eventhisrelationshipinwhichpeoplefeelcloseemotionallyandtelleachothertheirsecretsandpersonalproblemsmaynotsurvivelifechangessuchasmovetoanothercity graduationfromaUniversity asignificantchangeineconomiccircumstances orthemarriageofoneofthefriends Thereasonisthatfriendship likesomanyotherrelationshipsintheUnitedStatesincludingmarriage dependsonfrequentinteractionwiththeotherperson Ifthepeopleinvolveddonotseeeachotherandinteractregularly therelationshipislikelytowitheranddie 4 Howmuchcanyoudependonyourfriend InChineseculture Chinesefriendsgiveeachothermuchmoreconcretehelpandassistancethanwesternfriendsdo AChinesefriendwillusepersonalconnectionstohelpafriendgetsomethinghardtoobtainsuchasajob anappointmentwithagooddoctor aneasierpaththroughanofficialprocedureoranintroductiontoanotherpersonwhomightalsobeabletogiveconcretehelp Chinesefriendsgiveeachothermoneyandmighthelpeachotheroutfinanciallyoveralongperiodoftime Thisisrarelypartofwesternfriendships becauseitcreatesdependenceofonepersonontheotheranditgoesagainsttheprincipleofequality InAmericanculture Aswithsomanyotherthingsinthewest peopleprefertobeindependentratherthandependent sotheydonotfeelcomfortableinarelationshipinwhichonepersonisgivingmoreandtheotherpersonisdependentonwhatisbeinggiven 5 Howmuchcanyouexpectfromyoufriend InChineseculture Chinesepeopleoftencommunicateindirectlywhilewesternerstendtobemoredirect Inclosepersonalrelationshipsasfriendship theoppositeisoftenthecase TalkbetweenChinesefriendswouldprobablysoundtoodirecttowesternears AswehaveseenChinesecodesofetiquetterequiremoreformalandpoliteinteractionswithstrangersorgueststhanistypicalinthewest butinchinarelationshipswithfriendsaremuchmoreinformalthansimilarwesternrelationships InAmericanculture Americansapologizetotheirfriendsforminorinconveniencessuchastelephoninglateatnightoraskingfordomespecifichelp EveninclosefriendshipsAmericansusepoliteformssuchas couldyou And wouldyoumind BecauseChinesedonotusethesepoliteformsintheircloserelationships theyprobablydonotusethemwhenspeakingEnglishwithwesternerstheyknowwell Asaresulttheymayseemtobetoodirectordemandingtotheirwesternfriends AtthesametimeaChinesepersonwhoisfriendswithanAmericancontinuestobeformallypoliteaftertwohaveestablishedtheirrelationship FactorsthatHinderInterculturalFriendships 1 Self PerceivedLanguageCompetenceofChineseStudents 2 FaceconcernofChineseStudents 3 ChineseStudentsNotBeingProactiveEnough 4 ChineseStudentsLimitingThemselvesinTheirEthnicGroup 5 AmericanStudentsLackingofFamiliarityandInterestswithChineseCulture Conclusion Becauseofthedifferencesamongthedefinitionoffriendship thewayinthetreatmentoffriendship thefriendshipintheprocessingandmaintenanceofattitudes theexpectedreturnonthevalueoffriendshipbetweenChineseandAmerican thedifferenceshaveledtofurtherexchangesbetweenthetwocountriesandexchangeofpeople orevenaproblem Althoughthisproblemhasaffectedbyallaspectsofthefactors butultimatelyconstitutiveelementorduetoindependentandinterdependentself constitutiveelementofselfarethemainreas