Introduction
In sociology, culture is an important study in which we get to understand and embrace the diversity between groups of people based on their ideal set of shared societal values and norms.
The sociology of culture helps us to identify the differences and similarities between two or more distinct cultures within a particular geographical location around the world. This paper analyzes the components of culture including language, material objects, behaviors, and symbols to compare and contrast the Chinese and American cultures.
Language
Language plays a crucial role in cultural identity. It is commonly used as a means of communication and expressing ideas. Moreover, language serves as a means of cultural transmission from one generation to another. Through language, children learn about their cultural heritage that helps them to develop a sense of personal identity in association with their cultural group.
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Chinese people mainly speak Cantonese, especially in most parts of the Southern Guangzhou province, in Guangxi and the neighboring areas of Macao and Hong Kong. The Mandarin language is spoken by most Chinese living in northern and eastern regions (Chen, 2014).
As a multilingual nation, American English is the most spoken language in the United States. Given that China is largely occupied by the Chinese-speaking people, differences in culture and language do not exist- all the Chinese people see each other as one family in the nation. In contrast, social issues such as discrimination against the race and minority groups are more common within the Americans as the society comprises of different people from diverse cultural backgrounds (Ballard, 2010).
Material Objects
Material objects involve various physical things used or shared by members in a given culture such as food, clothing, arts, and among others. In Chinese culture, food consists mainly of rice, noodles, and vegetables. The chopping sticks are commonly used during eating while the Chinese encourage a communal dining system. For the Americans, they pay more attention to aspects of food such as convenience, nutritional, and cleanliness.
Besides, Americans use an individual dining system and it is common to carry off the rest of the food as they consider it unacceptable to leave the food leftovers. The thick cotton garments are Chinese traditional clothing for the common people as expensive garments were used to distinguish the status of a member in the Qing Dynasty in the past.
In contrast, the Americans lifestyle is characterized by expensive, high-quality, personalized clothes with outstanding features and the total trend for diversification, particularly for middle-and high-income population (Yang, 2014).
Behaviors
Behavior as a component of culture encompasses a set of norms, values, and beliefs that influence how a group of people think, act, make decisions, and interact with each other. The mainstream of Chinese culture is developed on the ancient Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism, which forms the basis of their traditional family and social structure.
In particular, the Chinese society and family structure emphasize on patriarchy and hierarchy where obligations are based on superiority. The senior or older generations are superior to the juniors or younger generations, and men are the head of the family structures and superior to women. It is expected that the will of a family superior prevails over the will of the family inferior (Jinxin, 2017).
The Chinese culture stresses the importance of collectivism or low individualism within the family and society structures. Every child is brought up knowing the importance of respecting their distinct cultural group, especially the in-group members of the family lineage. Chinese people emphasize the importance of relationships between parents and children built on love and respect (Wong and Mun, 2006).
On the other hand, Chinese culture also shares a collective society-centered orientation where they emphasize loyalty to the group, emotional interdependence on groups and organizations, as well as the concern about the needs and interests of others. Immediate and extended members of the family embrace strong family ties where they depend on each other for support to demonstrate loyalty, love, and respect (Darwish & Huber, 2003).
Similar to the Chinese people, the Americans also attaches great importance to their families through love and respect to the parents and authorities. Nevertheless, the American culture is centered on egalitarianism, a democratic society where values and beliefs of individuality and self-reliance are reflected within the family and society structures.
American society tends to encourage people to think and act individually, make independent decisions and be self-reliant. The Americans are responsible for their own success and failure where an individual’s ability and hard work are the keys to success. Therefore, American culture encourages people to compete and do better than others in schools and at work in the efforts to gain wealth, power, and prestige (Jinxin, 2017; Darwish and Huber, 2003).
Symbols
Various symbols give a special meaning to the individuals who share the given culture. Chinese annual Flower Fair during Spring Festival and the New Year Flower Market are unique cultural events held in China. Dragons are commonly used during the New Year celebrations as a symbol of wealth and good fortune for the coming year (Shen, 2017).
The flowers in the festivals symbolize love and unity among the Chinese people where families and relatives are invited to “visit the flower street” and attend the happy feast. Furthermore, the ancient Chinese tradition of drinking tea “Yum Cha” symbolizes closeness and togetherness among people such as enhancing friendships, family gatherings, and business meetings (Crouch, 2010).
In American culture, there various days set aside as federal holidays that symbolize honor and special memories created in American history. For example, Americans mark July 4th as a day they received their independence from Britain. The third Monday in January, also known as floating Monday is used to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a leader who contributed immensely in American civil rights.
Both Americans and Chinese join the rest of the world on 1st January to mark a new beginning of another year, with new fulfilments (Zimmermann, 2017). Furthermore, the national flags act as a symbol of national unity and also symbolize the sovereignty and self-governance among the Chinese and American people, respectively (Shen, 2017).
Conclusion
Although both the Chinese and American cultures have some values and norms in common, the majority of these cultural values differ significantly. The components of culture analysed in this paper demonstrate why the Chinese culture is distinct from the American culture and what they share in common. For this reason, the information presented is crucial in enhancing a culturally-sensitive social interaction, relationships, and co-existence between individuals from the Chinese and American societies.
References
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