Essay on China's Non-Verbal Communication: Differences in Low-Contact Culture

Introduction

Like other Asian countries, China is considered to pose more low contact and collective culture than the U.S this making their non-verbal communication different (Mast, Carrard & Hall, 2017). However, in China, it is evident that westernization and the change in their cultural norms made them different. Even though their non-verbal forms can be classified due to their low-contact lifestyle, some differences exist in their personality and religion because of their large country. The essay will elaborate more on the non-verbal culture in China.

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Kinesics

The Chinese are people known to use their eyes when recognizing and expressing their emotions. Based on a study conducted by the Western Europeans, they discovered that the Chinese non-verbal cues, information, and culture through their eyes rather than expressing them through frowns and smiles (Mast, Carrard & Hall, 2017).. This means that the Chinese perceive each other face as angrier and more unpleasant and unapproachable when making eye contacts.

Paralanguage

China holds specific gestures than other cultures when it comes to their vocal aspects. Their dialects and languages are usually characterized as analytic or linguistically in that the words they utter never change due to inflection. In other words, the character of every Chinese corresponds to one morpheme and syllable. For instance, their tones (which resemble their vocal pitch when they are pronouncing each morpheme) reduced the number of homophones (Mast, Carrard & Hall, 2017). An excellent example is that when a question is asked in Chinese, it is not a must for the interviewer to raise their voice at the end of the sentence or phrase. The effect of the tonal variations of their voice pitch has a different phenomenon from other languages.

Self-Representation

China has different dress codes when compared to other countries. China also contains many ethnic groups that dominate the type of dress code they will wear. For many years, China has devoted themselves to designing clothes that cover the human body. Since the 1930s, the Qipao has always been their fashion (Mast, Carrard & Hall, 2017). Most of them wear there traditional Chinese clothes that consisted of straight-cut jackets that had loose and long gowns or pants. Besides clothing, personal space is one crucial factor for Chinese.

In most cases, when someone gets into their physical space, they usually feel irritated. Based on their Chinese culture, the Chinese prefer having less physical space, especially if someone is not their friend or family member. Most of them also hate hugging or kissing each other on the cheek in the name of social gesture. This means that if a man touches a girl, then it shows that he has feelings for her.

Proxemics

In Chinese symbolism, color plays a vital role. In China, white is used during mourning and funerals. Black, on the other hand, is a color of evil and darkness and so many people avoid wearing black clothes. Not only did the prisoners wear them, but devils were depicted to have black-faced. Yellow or golden was an imperial color that was banned from ordinary people except for imperial buildings (Mast, Carrard & Hall, 2017). Red was an auspicious color that represents power, fire, and good luck. Mostly red was used for marriages, festivals or used as papers to wrap gifts. In other words, the associations of colors connect with the elementary principles of Chinese culture.

China uses a different lighting system as compared to other countries. Mostly they used lanterns that are oval-shaped, red, and have decorations that consist of golden or red tassels. Usually, these lights come in different shapes, including spherical, rectangle, and square. Initially, the Chinese use the lanterns as their primary source of light (Mast, Carrard & Hall, 2017). Most of them are placed inside and outside the houses. The decorative silk protects the lamps from being blown by the wind.

Other Cultural Considerations

Similar to other countries, gifts in China are given to people to show friendship, hospitality, love, and respect. For many years, China's etiquette has been passed down to many generations (Louie, 2017). For instance, when someone gives a gift to someone, courtesy has to be shown to demand reciprocity. This means that people who are well-mannered to others by giving them an award will receive favor and kindness. This standard interchange is known as 'Li Shang Wang Lai.' This type of behavior is also known to maintain and build friendships.

China is a town that has many religions, such as Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Even though the freedom of belief is a government policy, most religious activities are protected by the law. In China, the philosophy and religion of China are usually intertwined. Confucianism and Taoism are two examples of philosophical beliefs that have a vast religious element (Louie, 2017). This means that the opinions and rituals about the afterlife depend on the philosophies that create China's culture.

Chinese people are very conscious when it comes to titles and ranking. People that are near them are also cautious before according them with their names and titles. With these reasons, when one meets a person for the first time, they don't address them with their first name (Louie, 2017). For example, if a person has a surname Li, it means that he is a leader in a particular company. The best way to address, such as a person is by calling them 'Li Zong,' which means 'Boss Li.'

References

Mast, M. S., Carrard, V., & Hall, J. A. (2017). Gender, power, and non-verbal communication. Oxford Medicine Online, 2(11), 234-254. doi: 10.1093/med/9780198736134.003.0006

Louie, K. (2017). Defining modern Chinese culture. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Chinese Culture, 3(1), 1-19. doi: 10.1017/ccol9780521863223.001