Identity And Social Capital In International Relations Case Study:Family Values In China And United States

The family is a microcosm. It mirrors not only the social organization of a nation, but also the beliefs and moral values on which a healthy society stands. From Confucius and Aristotle to recent studies, the family is known to produce social trust, harmony, and confidence in the political interests of the state. Family relations produce social capital, whereas family values construct the identity of a nation. Identity and social capital are forces that promote the interests of nations in international relations.The present study compares the basis for identity and social capital in China and United States by recurring to cultural and historical features of the family in the aforementioned societies. The research is sustained by relevant studies such as Wendt’s social constructivism (1992,1999), Lin’s (2001) and Putnam’s (2002) theories and application of social capital, Granovetter’s social networks theory (1973,1985), and Zhao’s approach of Chinese worldview (2005), as well as the major contributions in family studies brought by Tocqueville (1835) and Fei (1947).The findings show that the Chinese family is a circular structure with the self at the core and the political concept of tianxia as worldview ordering principle. In contrast, the American family is a hierarchical structure that submits the individual to the political organization of the state. However, both societies value the family and the morality within. At international level, this conclusion translates in different approaches to development and cooperation.