Sino-American Cultural Value-Differences And Mutual Understanding

Interest in communication studies between different cultures grows out of two assumptions. First, we live in an age when changes in technology, travel, economic and political systems, immigration patterns, and population density have created a world in which we increasingly interact with people from different cultures. And those interactions will continue to grow in both frequency and intensity. Second, people now know that the influence of culture affects communication in subtle and profound ways. Our cultural perceptions and experiences help determine how the world looks and how we interact in that world.With the expectation of enhancing Sino-American cultural communication and mutual understanding, I intend to start the research with the comparative analysis of cultural value. After presenting Sino-American cultural value differences, exemplifying cultural manifestation and tracing to its source respectively, my discussion will focus on exploring ways to better mutual understanding. Value is the core of culture. It guides our behaviors. When we spend some time analyzing another culture, however, we begin to see our own more clearly and to understand some of the subtleties that motivate our behavior and our opinions. The more information we learn about cultural differences, the better will we understand it fully and adapt. The real goal of Sino-American cultural study is to help us become more sensitive to cultural differences and be adaptable.This thesis contains five parts: Introduction; Chapter 1, Understanding Cultural Values and Value Orientation; Chapter 2, Comparative Analysis of Sino-American Cultural Value Differences; Chapter 3, Sino-American Cultural Mutual Understanding; Conclusion.The part of Introduction points out the importance of Sino-American cultural value difference studies. China and the United States, as the two most influential countries in the world, are integrated in this intercultural value studies.Chapter 1 begins with general explanations of definitions of cultural value and value orientation by illustrating different understandings from cultural scholars followed by an explanation of the close relationship between value and cultural communication. Value guides cultural communication and understanding.Chapter 2 cites the five aspects of cultural value theory offered by the American scholar Kluckhohn, i.e. human nature orientation, relationship of humankind to nature, time orientation, activity orientation, relational orientation. These are the problems all human need to tackle with, and the cultural differences are attributed to the divergent ways people choose in essence which is the value orientation differences. In this thesis, we deal with the cultural differences existing in Sino-American dominant cultures which control and dominate the major institutions, and determine the flow and content of information.Chapter 3 concerns Sino-American cultural communication and mutual understanding. Influenced by the tendency of globalization, the gradually intensive and frequent contact of the two countries affects each other in the course toward prosperity. Form our parts, we should develop foreign language competence with the acquisition of cultural knowledge, and be flexible by overcoming cultural stereotypes. Last but not least, detailed the points that may block the successful communication with the intention of enhancing mutual understanding to the best of our ability.The conclusion is the summary of the whole thesis plus personal views.