Cultural Distinctions of Chinese and American Families—Analysis of the Movies Pushing Hands & Everybody’s Fine (5)

Chapter 4 Social Aspects Leading to the Cultural Distinctions between Chinese and American Families

4.1. Cause

As mentioned above we can judge that family education difference is the main cause of family cultural distinctions and in reverse family cultural also has a great influence on family educating value’s formation in turn.

4.1.1 Different Historical Backgrounds

American, which is an emigrant country with a short history, has less old culture. Affected by multi-culture and multi-value, it can accept new thoughts and culture more quickly without restriction. So compared with Chinese people, they possess more adventure and creation sprits. However, China had a long history, at the same time, it reserves more old culture, especially is affected by feudal farmer’s idea for a long period. Its culture value is conservative and cautious, which lacks of adventure spirits and creation consciousness. Chinese people are educated to be obedient, comparative and lack of an environment to accept new ideas on the whole.

4.1.2 Different Economic Patterns

American productive force is advanced. Its commodity economy is flourishing. There are a lot of opportunities to get jobs. The pressures of living are limited. Moreover, The United States is a society of capabilities, where the system of is perfect, staff are free. And they have a lot of opportunities of changing a job. It means there are several of jobs for Americans to choose. In American parents’ opinions if children can base themselves on the society, no matter the job is highly valued or not. Besides, commodity economy is changing in every minute, jobs are changing too. So parents never think their children can live a smooth life. Consequently, American family education’s aim is to focus on training children into “human” It seems more macroscopic and wide-ranged. It meets all changes by remaining unchanged. By contrast, “China is a developing country. The pressure of living is great. China is a society of diplomas. Jobs are stable, so Chinese always put all their happiness on a job. Their choosing is limited. Chinese parents think good study achievement can bring a good job for their children. It is a smooth way of life, and it is also the best way for a person.” Therefore, Chinese family education’s aim is to focus on training children into “talents”.

4.1.3 Different Social Conditions

American has good economic conditions, perfect old-age social system. American parents don’t have the idea that rearing children against old age. Instead, they think when they become old; they can go to old people’s home to live the rest of their life. So they rear the children to 18 years old, who become independent persons, and they finish their jobs without considering what the children will be in the future. They don’t care about whether the children will bring honor to them or not. By comparison, China, a nation which economic condition is poor, has incomplete social old-age system, and exists some old conception questions. Chinese parents consider that children’s education is connected with the rest of their life. They treat the children as their own property; require children to pay back for them. And the thing that presents it in their ways is education. Many Chinese parents treat the thing of beating children as a personal affair. They think no one can interfere, let alone the law.

4.1.4 Different Traditional Cultures

4.1.4.1 Different Value Orientations

Americans pay attention to personality, their value orientation is based on the individualism. They lay stress on their own benefits, advocate individual improvement and find their own true value. It is the core of American culture. An American scholar pointed out: In a democratic society, every citizen has his own goal, which is himself. In the family, individual is the most basic one, which is the valuable, independent from his family relation and doesn’t depend on others. So in American family, parents used to treat themselves and their children as two separate individual. “Self” doesn’t only include parents themselves but the children selves. To carry out children’s self-value; parents should respect children’s willingness, interest and hobby first. But American parents attach importance to enjoying their life. They wouldn’t give up going to cinema because of the children.

Chinese pay attention to general character. They have a conception, which is the most important. The conception is collective spirit. In other words, it means considering things as a whole. It emphasizes collective interest more important than individual interest. Chinese consider that a person is living in contrast with other people. From ancient time to the present, “self”, this conception results from contrast with other people, that is, individual value only can live with others’ relations in Chinese society. In Chinese family, parents lose themselves at the same time, they don’t respect their children. “The way that Chinese parents lose themselves presents as following: they consider children as their own, as a continuation of themselves; their children seem to be their whole lives and hopes; they put all their hopes on their children. This kind of parents would use their determination to replace their children’s.” They think from adult’s view. So we can find Chinese parents always set an impractical goal for their children.

American pay attention to personality while Chinese pay attention to general character. It has its economic background. In the structure of modern capitalism, American’s commodity economy defeated nature economy. And it exists for more than a hundred years. In the condition of commodity economy, individual is independent relatively. One person, if he wants to develop in the competition of commodity economy, he must improve himself. Therefore, in the commodity economy society, people keep a tradition which is to value self the most important. By comparison, Chinese’s nature economy existed for thousands of years. Chinese are get used to tying on the land. Individuals lack of the condition of developing by themselves. Through dozens of years planned economy, even more than twenty years of market economy, Chinese can’t get rid of the dependency. Individual’s development often needs other people’s help. Even evaluating an individual is carried out by comparing with other persons. So Chinese like taking part in community, in order not to be isolated.

4.1.4.2 Different Ways of Thinking

Americans encourage rationalism. Their family education praise rationalism highly, which they treat as a basic principle to deal with family members and family affairs. Most of American parents consider the obligation of raising a child the same as the obligation to the society. It does stand not only in an individual position but the social position. In Americans’ opinions family education is considered as an obligation, so Americans never want to get something back from their children. They consider that they ought to go to the old people’s home. Of course, it is based on American perfect social security system and their culture.

Chinese encourage affection which is considered to be the most important thing in Chinese society. Chinese family education, human relation is the base and emotion is the rule to deal with the relation of family. Chinese parents consider the children as their own private property, from the angle of their honor. Chinese parents take the greatest care of their children but with a conception of getting back something from their children. From this point of view, we can understand why more Chinese parents expect their children to be talented than American parents does. They put too much material gain in the aim of family education.

In summary, these aspects listed above have well implied in these two movies. All the differences are originated from the truth that economic basis determine superstructure, while in turn, superstructure will affect not only economy but almost all aspect related to culture. Each system has its good aspects as well as shortcomings. What we have to do is very simple, that is we learn from each other and make the useful aspect our vantage and abandon aspects that doesn’t go well with our own condition. Thus we will build a more multiple nation of cultural diversification.