Essay Example on the Social Significance of 'Face' in Chinese Culture

The aspect of "face" (Mianzi) in Chinese culture is quite intriguing. While the English expression in Western parts of the world the same as in the English expression, "saving face" means "concealing any hint of failure." The "face" in the social culture is not exacting (Shi, Furukawa, Jin, & Zhu, 2010). Or maybe, it is an allegory for an individual's popularity among their peers and in the community in general. In the Chinese culture, when somebody is said to "have a face," that implies that they have decent popularity. Somebody who does not have a face is somebody who has poor fame (Lau, & Goldblatt, 2007). Even though there are special cases, all in all, Chinese society is very aware of the chain of command and social structure among social groups. Individuals who have great popularity can float the social status of others by "giving them face" in different ways. At school, for instance, if a famous student decides to play or do a venture with another one who is not well popular, the well vast child is giving the new student a face, and improving their popularity and social status within the groups (Lau, & Goldblatt, 2007). For those people in the Chinese society who try to join a famous group but are rejected are said to have lost face. In Chinese culture, it is not a desire but a need to uphold not only one's perceived face but also the face of the community.

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There is a general cognizance of reputation that is very normal in many parts of the world, particularly among specific social gatherings. The distinction in China might be that it is every regularly and straightforwardly talked about and that there is no genuine shame related to effectively seeking after improving one's own standing and reputation (Lau, & Goldblatt, 2007). Chinese people quickly comprehend the desire of individuals to have a popular face in the public arena. As a result of the significance that is put on the support of face, a portion of China's generally normal and most evident ridicule additionally spin around the idea. lamentation of "loss of face" is a typical outcry from the group at whatever point somebody is making a ridicule of themselves or accomplishing something they ought not, and on the off chance that somebody says that you do not need face, at that point you realize that they have a low assessment of you undoubtedly; the society will claim "What a loss of face!" (Lau & Goldblatt, 2007).

The element of "saving face" is also common in the Chinese professional sector. One of the most evident manners by which the noticeable prominence of a face in China plays out is the evasion of open criticism in everything except the worst of conditions. Where in different societies over the globe, in a conference a supervisor may censure a worker's thoughts or proposition, in opposition to that, upfront criticism would be unprecedented in a Chinese conference since it would cause the individual being condemned to lose face (Lau, & Goldblatt, 2007). Criticism, when it must be, is mainly done in private with the goal that the reprimanded party's reputation and credibility will not be harmed. It is additionally basic to communicate reprimand in a hushed way by just keeping away from or diverting conversation of something as opposed to recognizing or concurring with it. Just in case that one contributes to a group, and a Chinese executive says, "That is exceptionally intriguing and worth considering" however then changes the subject, odds are they did not like the entire thought by any means (Shi et al., 2010). They are simply attempting to assist the person with concealing any hint of failure and to leave them with some pride and "face." Since most of China's business culture depends on close social connections, giving face is additionally a means that is used in making advances into new groups of friends. On the off chance that one can get the support of one specific individual of high social standing, that individual's endorsement and remaining inside their friend gathering can give one the "face" that they should be all the more extensively acknowledged by their companions (Lau, & Goldblatt, 2007).

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the idea of the face (mianzi) in Chinese culture is a mind-boggling one. It can maybe be most firmly characterized as "nobility" or "eminence," however; no interpretation can suitably cover all its fine subtleties. It is simple for any outsider visiting China to accidentally cause a humiliating circumstance because of the obliviousness of the need to watch the pride in the Chinese culture. One of the most exceedingly awful things that can transpire in Chinese culture is to "lose face," be it socially, politically or economically (Lau, & Goldblatt, 2007). The most well known Chinese aphorism that states, "Men can't survive without a face, trees can't survive without bark." For the Chinese, making somebody lose face deliberately can make a foe forever and is at the basis of severe contentions. As a visiting outsider, be it for business or a tourist, it will regularly be expected and acknowledged that one does not intend to make somebody lose face (Shi et al., 2010). In any case, to maintain a strategic distance from awkward circumstances for Chinese companions and partners, it is critical to attempt to learn at any rate the essentials of this principal part of Chinese culture. This is additionally significant while working together in China.

References

Lau, J. S., & Goldblatt, H. (2007). The Columbia anthology of modern Chinese literature. Columbia University Press.

Shi, Z. M., Furukawa, I., Jin, C. J., & Zhu, L. (2010, July). Chinese face: MIANZI and LIAN: And their influence on Chinese consumer behavior. In 2010 2nd International Symposium on Information Engineering and Electronic Commerce (pp. 1-5). IEEE. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5533283/