文化维度视角下中美纪录片的比较研究——以〈美国：我们的故事〉和〈复兴之路〉为例

1、摘要纪录片不仅是对事实的客观记录，其中蕴含了不同文化的观察视角和价值体系。从文化维度视角出发，有助于揭示中美纪录片各自不同的文化特征和文化内涵。复兴之路，是为迎接党的十七大的六集大型电视政论片，是中央电视台第一部全面、系统地梳理中国近现代历史的系列节目，讲述了以鸦片战争以来一百多年的重大事件为视角，展示一幅幅振兴图强的全景画面。美国的故事是一部12集的史诗纪录片，美国评论普遍认为，这部电影的历史事实相对可靠，反映了美国学生的主流历史观。本研究试图研究文化维度理论下的中美纪录片复兴之路以及美国的故事。本文以霍夫斯泰德的文化维度理论为主要框架，从个人主义与集体主义，男性度和女性度和，时间导向性等方

2、面入手，以对主要事件的描述为中心，并通过对比分析方法对这些片段展开深层次研究。本文从文化维度理论下进行复兴之路和美国的故事的材料进行对比分析，具有一定独特性和意义。通过研究，文化维度理论在分析纪录片时，能够通过旁白的描述得出不同背景下的文化倾向以及其间关系，通过了解不同文化特征和内涵能够更好的促进跨文化交流。同时，此理论框架也为纪录片的评价分析提供了一个新的角度。关键词：文化维度理论；对比分析；纪录片；复兴之路；美国的故事AbstractDocumentary is not only an objective record of facts, but also contains the obs

3、ervation and value system of different cultures. From the perspective of cultural dimension, it is helpful to reveal the different cultural and cultural connotations of the Chinese and American documentary films.Road to Revive, is for the Partys 17th national congress of the six sets of large TV pol

4、itical, CCTV is the first comprehensive and systematic series of Chinese modern history, tells the story of the opium war to the perspective of more than one hundred years of major events, yield panoramic picture of the revitalization of the hard. America: The Story of Us is a 12-episode epic docume

5、ntary, and American critics generally believe that the historical fact of the film is relatively reliable, reflecting the mainstream view of American students history. This study attempts to study the sino-american documentary Road to Revive and America: The Story of Us under the theory of cultural

6、dimension.Based on Hofstedes Cultural Dimension Theory as the main framework, from individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, time orientation and other aspects, centering on the description of the major events, and through the contrastive analysis method for deep research into thes

7、e segments. This thesis makes a comparative analysis of the materials of Road to Revive and America: The Story of Us from the perspective of cultural dimension, which has certain uniqueness and significance.Through the research, Cultural Dimension Theory on the analysis of the documentaries can get

8、its deep meaning, by understanding the different cultural characteristics and connotation can better promote the cross-cultural communication. At the same time, this theoretical framework provides a new perspective for the evaluation and analysis of documentaries.Key words: Cultural Dimension Theory

9、; Contrastive analysis; Road to Revive; America:The Story of Us2目录Chapter1 Introduction 11.1 Research Background 11.2Research Purpose and Significance 2Chapter2 Literature Review 32.1 The history of the documentary 32.2 Relevant studies of Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory abroad 42.3 Relevant st

10、udies of Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory at home 52.4 Summary and Limitation of Previous Researchers. 7Chapter 3 Research Design 93.1 Theory Framework 93.2 Research Questions 113.3 Research Instruments and Methods 113.3.1 Contrastive analysis 113.3.2 Research Procedures 123.3.3 The documentarie

11、s: America: The Story of Us and Road to Revive 12Chapter 4 Data Analysis and Discussion 144.1 Long-term Orientation vs. Short-term Orientation 144.1.1 Short-term Orientation in America: The Story of Us 154.1.2 Long-term Orientation in Road to Revive 164.2 Masculinity vs. Femininity 174.2.1 Masculini

12、ty in America: The Story of Us 174.2.2 Masculinity in Road to Revive 184.3Individualism vs. Collectivism 184.3.1 Individualism in America: The Story of Us 184.3.2 Collectivism in Road to Revive 20Chapter 5 Conclusion 215.1 Major Findings and Implications 215.2 Limitations and Future Suggestions 22Re

13、ferences 23Acknowledgements 25IIChapter1 IntroductionWith the cultural exchange and social development, more and more people understand the art form of documentaries. In recent years, more and more Chinese people are concerned about foreign documentaries, and understand the countrys cultural knowled

14、ge, historical knowledge and so on through documentaries. The birth of the film begins with the creation of a documentary, it is enough to prove the value of the documentary. Documentaries on historical themes especially reflect the national spirit of this country. For example, America: The Story of

15、 Us, it is an epic documentary with 12 episodes, which has more ratings than most American dramas. It was not only popular in the United States but also attracted the attention of the world.The history of Chinese documentary is from the photographer of western countries to China to shooting newsreel

16、s. Since 70s, television has been developing rapidly and popularized throughout the country, providing a more timely means for news recording and broadcasting and expanding a broader field, it gradually attracted more and more public attention. Cultural dimension theory is a framework for measuring

17、the cultural differences of different countries. This study is a comparative study of Chinese and American documentaries under the theory of cultural dimension.Research BackgroundDocumentary is not only an objective record of facts, but also contains the observation and value system of different cul

18、tures. The influence and the power of documentaries are becoming an unique cultural landscape and a key to the interpretation of western social politics, economy and culture. It always used to publize national culture and national spirit. In China, especially after 199s, the documentary has been gre

19、eted the golden development period. The documentary has become a new bright spot. The opening of the 2011 CCTV record channel marks a new era of television development in Chinas television documentary, which helps to promote the development of the documentary industry. It helps to show and reflect t

20、he reality of China in a more facet. The appearance of the documentary has undoubtedly brought many conveniences to the human life, and it also gives many different classes of people the opportunity to understand each other, and is also a direct expression of the social status and social features of

21、 the time.Documentary is an important part in social life, especially in the cross-cultural communication. The America:The Story of Us and Road to Revive reflected the true history.1.2Research Purpose and SignificanceThe study will help people understand that language is just a tool of communication

22、, and the way people express themselves is cultural, social and cognitive. On the basis of previous studies on the theoretical analysis of cultural dimensions, this thesis makes a comparative study through the analysis of the plot of the two documentaries and have a conclusion of its cultural connot

23、ation.The study is also of great significance to English learners, especially for English major students. First, as an English learner, English is the main language of communication, so when watching documentaries, English learners can immerse themselves in the English environment. Second, the docum

24、entaries contain different knowledge and different history, so the economic, political and cultural areas are different actually, which makes it possible for English learners to gain access to the expertise they cannot get from textbooks. Third, through cultural dimension theory, English learners ca

25、n know culture between America and China directly. From the perspective of cultural dimension, it is helpful to reveal the different cultural and cultural connotations of the Chinese and American documentary films. Last but not least, this form of TV show is easier for English learners to accept inf

26、ormation. The image can more directly and apparently show the history development process.Chapter2 Literature ReviewThe main purpose of the literature review is to introduce to readers the previous relevant researches both at home and abroad. And it focused on three parts. The first part consists of

27、 the history of documentary and abroad and in China. The second part consists of the relevant studies of analysis from Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory and abroad and in China. The third part consists of the summary and limitation of previous researchers.2.1 The history of the documentaryThe doc

28、umentary is based on real life as a creative material, to the real performance of the object, and the art processing and display, in order to show the real nature and true inspired movie or TV art form. The core of the documentary is true. A. L. Kroeber and K. Kluckhohn(1952) defined that Culture ex

29、isted in various internal and external modes and it was learned and transmitted through the use of symbols, and constituted special achievements of human groups. These achievements include all kinds of specific styles of their products.Nie Xinru（2010） pointed that the origin of documen22tary is clos

30、ely related to the origin of movie. At the very beginning of its birth, the movie is not the movie what we think of today, but a kind of juggling. The main trend of the change of documentary aesthetics in social ideology is to separate the works with documentary nature from the original art categori

31、es and become an independent style. The record film is a new thing appearing under the birth of the mainstream ideology. It is in line with the needs of social and cultural progress, and the time of appearance is about in 1920s to 1930s. Up to now documentary is an important part in social life, esp

32、ecially in the cross-cultural communication. International documentary filmmaker Evans has said more than once that documentaries record the current events and become the future history. The most important feature of documentaries is its non fictitious nature, whether its recording characters or nat

33、ural landscapes. The French movie dictionary defines the documentaries: the documentary produced on the basis of documentary data and documentary data is called documentary film. In the American movie terminology, the definition of documentaries is like this: documentaries are a kind of film that ex

34、cludes fiction. It has an attractive and persuasive theme, which draws material from real life and increases the appeal of works with clips and sound. In our Encyclopedia of Chinese and foreign broadcasts and television, the definition of video recording film is: through non fictitious artistic tech

35、niques, directly from the real life to obtain images and sound material, the real expression of objective things and the authors understanding and evaluation of a matter of documentary film. Theauthenticityofthedocumentaryfilmandthedocumentaryfilmisfirstmanifested in its non fiction. The documentary

36、 film must be a real person. Secondly,thebasictechniqueofthedocumentaryistherecord,notthe play.2.2 Relevant studies of Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory abroadConsequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations, published in 2008, said that the long term orie

37、ntation and short-term orientation reflect the value of a nations long-term interests and recent interests. It shows whether a social decision is influenced by traditional or past events or is influenced by the present or future. Long-term guidance emphasizes thrift and perseverance, in order to ach

38、ieve the goal, with strong perseverance lasting patience, struggle to the end. This is thought to be the embodiment of Confuciuss Confucian thought. Short term orientation emphasizes personal integrity, respect for tradition, emphasis on immediate interests, and responsibility for burdens of society

39、.Frernandez(1997) thought that Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory provided a watershed research foundation for the future intercultural study. Trandis thought that Hofstede s research findings will be one of the most important milestones in cross cultural research for many years in the future. Bes

40、ides, Bhagat (1982)also thought that the research of Hofstede was the most important research in cross- cultural studies. Samovar (2000) pointed out that the values Hofstede studied refer to the deep structure of culture, which is relatively stable and has not changed much for a long time.In the Inf

41、luence of Cultural Differences on Facial Expressions, Eric and Friesen pointed out that general expressions have been changed in specific cultural acquisition rules, so cultural differences are the root causes of differences in facial expressions. People of different cultural backgrounds have obviou

42、s differences in the expression intensity of emoticons. In general, Westerners show greater intensity than the Orientals. Westerners tend to show their own joy and sorrow true or even exaggerate the surface of the face. The weeping of the westerners is a very natural expression of facial emotion. Th

43、ey not only do not control it, but even exaggerate the expression of the emoticons. But the Orientals can control the emotion so that they can control the facial expression better. Therefore, the intensity of the emoticons is revealed. The differences between individualism and collectivism in the in

44、ner group, and the influence of this difference on facial expressions. The inner collective refers to a particular group of groups: its values, rules and rules, which are essential to the effective function of the whole group in the society. Moreover, these guidelines are used as guidelines for dail

45、y behavior. Individuals in the group will feel comfortable and safe, so they will be free to choose facial expressions and accept more kinds of facial expression. The inner collective refers to a particular group of groups: its values, rules and rules, which are essential to the effective function o

46、f the whole group in the society. Moreover, these guidelines are used as guidelines for daily behavior. Individuals in the group will feel comfortable and safe, so they will be free to choose facial expressions and accept more kinds of facial expression. In collectivist culture, there are fewer inte

47、rnal groups, such as collectivism in Asia, such as work, unit, school, family and so on, which have great influence on their members. The existence of society under collectivist culture is more dependent on the effective operation of these internal groups, not the individual ability.2.3 Relevant stu

48、dies of Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory at homeZhang Yan (2008) from the power distance and uncertainty avoidance and individualism and collectivism opposites three dimensions in the interpretation of Western cultural differences reflected in Halloween.Jiang Yan (2014) pointed out that China is

49、 a representative of high power distance culture, focusing on power relations, while the United States is a representative of low power distance culture, focusing on equal relations. China traditional culture advocates the human relations and the world on and cosmic order, personal growth is a repea

50、tedly taught how to obey their superiors and elders, respect others in the process of. In China, people have a higher degree of recognition of the hierarchical differences caused by rights, and the interpersonal relationship is dominated by the hierarchical trend, and the bottom-up communication is

51、limited. In comparison, the culture of the English language is permeated by Christianity and advocates the equality of all people. In terms of uncertainty avoidance, the feudal culture based on small-scale peasants production of individual economy is the Chinese lack of broad vision and adventure sp

52、irit. Chinese people live in peace and happiness, do not like adventure, and do not like to change their living area and work place frequently. Do not go to extremes and maintain harmony in interpersonal relationships. The western culture belongs to the marine commercial culture, and has the spirit

53、of enterprising and outward development, and they are more willing to accept the risks and challenges. Collectivism is the root of Chinas culture, and the Anglo American country has established the central position of the individual in the society,andtheconceptoffreedomandequalityanddemocracyisingra

54、ined. In Chinese, male dominated culture, womens work is mothering, even I after the reform and opening up, women gained great liberation, but women in real life is still in a weak position, and Anglo American countries women in western culture occupies a space for one person. For Chinese, look at t

55、hings from a long-term perspective is very normal, people focus on the establishment of a long-term plan, rather than short-term plan, on the current situation of Anglo American countries, seek immediate results, that time, accustomed to short-term relationship, and even the big plan, they also hope

56、 that the preliminary results obtained in one or two years.Peng Shiyong (2004) said that Hofetedes cultural dimension theory transforms the very complex concept of culture into measurable operational variables, which enables researchers to directly compare cultural differences and cultural differenc

57、es. His theory has become one of the main tools of cross-cultural research at home and abroad, which has a great influence on cross-cultural research.In 1999, Earleys research further improves the study of power distance in the field of business management. Studying on 288 senior managers from four

58、different countries, Earley came to the conclusion that power distance may affect a members status on the collective decisions made by a group. And another recent useful study in the field of business was carried out by Merrit (2000). Though her study on 9400 commercial airline pilots in 19 countrie

59、s, she finds that, even it is considered that pilots are typically thought to be working in a highly regulated, high-technology environment, still exists the difference in the degree of power distance in the cockpit.Fang Jing said that in the HPD society, the patriarchal system is relatively popular, the child must obey their parents, and t