A Comparative Study On "Face" Features Between American And Chinese Advertisements

This research is from a cross-cultural perspective and applies the related theories of face in Pragmatics to analyze the face features between Chinese and American advertisements. Its purpose is to examine whether the face features of American and Chinese advertisements could completely reflect the difference on cultural characteristics, structure and value system in these two countries.35 American and 35 Chinese advertisements are chosen as samples in this research. And the features have been classified in three couples, namely Positive face and Negative face, Individual face and Collective face, Self-face and Other-face and these features are regarded as supra-features. Meanwhile, each supra-feature contains two opposite face values, one of the face value is chosen with two others from the other two couples of face values will make up 8 sub-features. Then both the supra-features and sub-features would be analyzed to collect data and the data would be used for further conclusion and findings.The findings in this research illustrates that Chinese advertisements contain more Positive face, Collective face and self-face concern, which correspond to the Chinese culture that emphasizing the concept of group and community meanwhile reflect the vertical social structure and high context of China. One thing needs noticing is that Chinese advertisements tends to use more Negative and Individual face strategies, which has a close relation with western cultures' flooding in after the reform and open of China. The traditional culture is changing bit by bit and more people could accept western culture, especially the young Chinese, some of whom even cherish individualism and materialism. As to American advertisements, more features of Negative face, Individual face and other-face concern are shown there, which reflect the western culture and its emphasis on individualism, equality and low context.The findings of the eight face sub-features shows that Negative face/Collective face/Self-face concern and Positive face/Collective face/Self-face concern are the most frequently used strategies in Chinese advertisements while American advertisements often use Negative face/Individual face/Other-face concern, Negative face/Collective face/Other-face concern and Positive face/Individual face/Other-face concern. These findings generally go along with the cultural structure and value system of America and China. In other words, advertisements mirror cultural difference and change to some extent. The result of this research is expected to benefit advertisers and manufacturers in both China and America and offer something useful for their future reference. In addition, this research is a example of interdisciplinary study and has made a basis for further research in this field.