A Comparative Study Of Chinese And American Cultural Values Based On Intercultural Communication Theories

China and the United States are the most important developing and developed countries in the world.As the representatives of Eastern and Western cultures,it is of great importance to study Chinese and American cultural values.This thesis tries to analyze their cultural values with the help of Chinese and American public service advertising(PSA),which,as a cultural carrier,has been under great attention from the perspective of intercultural communication.308 pieces of Chinese PSAs are collected from IAI Yearbook of China's Advertising published from 2005 to 2014,and 250 pieces of American PSAs are collected from American Ad Council.The paper attempts to analyze the dominant cultural values embodied in Chinese and American public service advertisements and the similarities and differences in Chinese and American cultural values with the help of the collected materials on the basis of Kluckhohn&Strodtbeck's value orientations.Both China and America vigorously promote environmental protection in the PSAs.Animal protection is the common theme shared by both countries,which indicates the value orientation of harmony with nature.America puts much more emphasis on recycling than China in public service advertisements,which manifests that Americans make the best use of nature with the help of science and technology.America puts much more effort on the propaganda of health awareness than China.China and America highly value activity and action in the face of diseases.China puts more emphasis on the advocacy of health issues caused by smoking and drinking than America,which is closely related to Chinese collective culture.America and China lay stress on public's safety issues to a certain degree,which reflects the importance of responsibility,China pays greater attention to morality than America in advocating dominant cultural values.Both China and America advocate showing care and love for others,supporting and assisting the disabled and week,which reflects the value of human-centeredness.America give more weight to the publicity of education in the PSA than China.Americans puts emphasis on the education of independent consciousness and equal individual rights,which reflects individualistic value orientation;while Chinese PSAs concerning civic education are more related to equal opportunity of education for children,supporting and assisting the students in need,which reflects collective value orientation.As for cultural values reflected in PSAs with special topics,China and America have different concerns due to historical and cultural differences.By comparing cultural values embodied in Chinese and American public services advertising,it is expected to enrich the study of Chinese and American cultural values from the angle of public service advertising,to further understand Chinese and American mainstream cultural values advocated in the new century,to deepen the understanding of the Chinese and American cultures,and to contribute to the exchange and cooperation between China and America.