Gloria_Chapter 4_response

Last week, I used Chinese wedding as an example to illustrate how high-power distance is reflected within Chinese culture, this week, I want to continue exemplifying Chinese culture by using the concepts I learnt in chapter 4, I think it’s hard to associate how those concepts/terms are like without providing any examples. Thus, I’d like to cite Chinese wedding again to clarify my thoughts.

Chinese culture values harmony with others. For example, if you’re invited to attend a Chinese wedding party, you had better attend or you might be considered as impolite. It is a “must-go” party because the invited people want to stay in a good relationship with the bride and groom. They concern more about the long term relationship rather than the wedding party itself. To some degree people are motivated by duties and responsibilities to attend the party. If one really cannot attend the party, he/she still need to send the bride and groom a red packet to show the polite and blessing. Chinese do care the harmony with others because people believe that lives are composed of networks of relationships.

Moreover, preserving face is very important for Chinese. Having more guest and more precious gift means being more influential and wealthy. If parents may not be able to afford the precious gifts presented in the wedding tea ceremony, the bride and the groom will prepare it for their parents and let their parents present it to them during the wedding tea ceremony. There’s another way to solve the problem, if the families really cannot afford the precious gift, which is usually jewelry. People will rent it from others or from jewelry shops. Chinese will feel shame of casual marriage and they care about how people think of them. Their feelings and emotions involve others’. This is a strong evidence to prove that Chinese desire to “save face” in front of the group.