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The Cultural Differences in Chinese and

Western Face Perception

[Abstract] Politeness is a symbol of human civilization, the core is the face. Face perception is an observable social phenomenon, but also the cultural values reflected in the specific language. Since the Sino-US cultural understanding of the face, the degree of concern as well as different ways to deal with the issue of face, people under the two cultures encounter difficulties in exchanges or misunderstanding. Analyzing the West “face view” cultural roots and differences in this paper, to make people more in-depth understanding of face perception, to raise awareness and sensitivity to socio-cultural differences in social language, in order to reduce cultural conflicts. [Key Words] culture；face perception; politeness principle

1. Introduction

Politeness is a symbol of human civilization, which face is the core. Face perception is an observable social phenomenon, but also the cultural values reflects in the specific language. Lin Yutang (Lin,1994:204)once said, the face is psychological rather than physical, it was not only abstract and can not touch, but as the most delicate standard of Chinese regulate social interaction, which goes to the Chinese people the most delicate and singularity social psychology place.

Westerners believe that face refers to the specific social interactions, a personal values obtained successfully, but also everybody should get social value. It is an intention to be self-described as to be recognized by the community property. “Face” for the Chinese people, like “self-esteem” for Westerners. Chinese people’s “face” give prominence to social groups, the westerners “face” stress much on self-realization, self-spiritual pursuit.

2. Differences in Chinese and Western Face Perception 2.1Chinese Face Perception

As Chinese anthropologists, Hu Jin (Hu, 1944:46) believed “face represents a social importance of reputation, which is the life experience through success backgammon and get fame, also, through personal effort and ingenuity accumulated

will contribute to reputation.” Chinese people have always been too proud, put the best face with life viewed as equally important things. Chinese people face is an important and typical social psychological phenomenon. China’s “face” contains two main ideas: the first one is the honor and prestige; the second is self-respect and dignity. This is what the Chinese people maintain at all times at any cost, not only strengthen the ethical standards of social precepts, but also maintain a personal moral integrity assurance. Chinese people in social situations tend to pay more attention on “compliment” to avoid “losing face”, to “give face” “face-saving”. The Chinese language is always belittle yourself, raise others, showing humility and integrity everywhere, even if you have to criticize each other, you need to praise at first and then after the first affirm points out the shortcomings that strive to maintain “face” of others. Actually, such a “face” stands for a person’s position in society, acceptance in the population and their image in the eyes of others. 2.2 Western Face Perception

Goffman (Goffman, 1967:5) defined “face” as the individual positive and social positive values by. He believes that face is the positive social value of social interaction in which people from their effectively winning, represent a personal self expression. In the process of communication, face has expressed the social image for the individual. This image must reflect the consistency and prescriptive nature, if someone does not follow this “face of the Statute”, he or she will be considered to be strange and anomalous. British scholar Brown and Levinson (Brown.G.Levinson.S.

1978:42) put forward the “Face Theory” in 1978 based on the definition summarized

by Goffman and amended the theory, proposed face-threatening speech acts, explained the difference between positive and negative face, expatiates systemically on the problems of politeness and face. Positive face refers to obtain recognition and praise from other people, this desire once achieved, positive face would be protected; negative face means that to have independent freedom, avoid oneself fall into intervention and hinder from accommodating others. Positive face shows the principles that people need to abide and support in the communication, concerns others show in communication, even more, usually performed as agreed with other

people’s views, to reach a consensus with the other party or to express our appreciation and compliment, etc. Besides,

negative

face

refers

to

the

communicator’s personality, emphasized on the rights of the individual, which does not fully subjects to the group.

2.3 The differences between Chinese and Western culture

It’s easy to see that face perception in Western countries emphasizes on individual，but in China, we have paid more attention to social groups. In western, they highlight on self value, self spiritual pursuit, satisfaction of self will and freedom. However, the most prominent is social awareness and self social status in China. In western countries, individual consciousness always overtake the collective, groups and individuals will not be reluctant to pursue the spirit of self, while in China, group consciousness beyond the individual, the individual must subordinate social groups. So, what the Chinese people mainly defend is the “positive face”, namely, hope to get the respect and recognition from others and social organizations. However westerners defended more on a “negative” face in the hope of freedom and power of independent, not in subjective to compromise and make their rights affected. Therefore, in many cases, Chinese people’s face is for others to “give”, while westerners face is to “earn” for oneself.

2.3.1Chinese culture focused on the maintenance of positive face, emphasizing on social groups

From Brown and Levinson’s positive face theory, we can learn that every rational person is longing to get praise and licensing from others. (Brown，P.&Levinson, 1987:42) Compared with westerners, Chinese attach more importance to the positive face for self or others. Besides, paying more attention to others, thus, they have been recognized and affirmation of others, in order to ensure a good image of themselves or others in the public, elaborated from the following aspects.

First of all, there are some differences in title between Chinese and Western.

In the west, excepting on important occasions, people in different ages, occupation, title, or even in different areas always call names directly.

Even in formal occasions after being formally introduced, they often say “Call me Jim,