Author(s)

Shuxin Lin ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

Corresponding Author

Shuxin Lin

ABSTRACT

The Concept of Face, as a significant part of cultural psychology, holds paramount importance in Chinese and Western social interactions. Grounded in Cultural Dimensions Theory and Face Theory, this paper examines Chinese and American concepts of face through the plot and character behaviors in the film and specifically investigates their differences within the frameworks of Individualism and Collectivism, Power Distance, and Long-Term and Short-Term Orientation. The analysis reveals that the Chinese concept of face is intimately connected with hierarchical power, whereas Western culture accentuates individualism. Collective "face" garners more significance in Chinese culture, in contrast to the individual-oriented approach of the West; furthermore, Chinese culture focuses on positive "face", while Western culture is more concerned with negative "face". From a cross-cultural communication standpoint, this paper posits strategies to promote individual inclusiveness, improve heterogeneous cultural awareness, and enhance cultural adaptability. Such strategies are set forth to bolster cross-cultural comprehension, advance cultural sensitivity, and elevate communicative proficiency, thereby facilitating a more effective adjustment to the variegated cultural milieus of China and the United States.

KEYWORDS

Hofstede's cultural dimensions, Concept of face, Chinese and American cultural differences, Communication strategies

CITE THIS PAPER

Shuxin Lin, A Study on the Differences between Chinese and American Concepts of Face Based on Cultural Dimensions Theory—Taking the American Film The Farewell as an Example. Lecture Notes on Language and Literature (2024) Vol. 7: 78-85. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/langl.2024.070214.

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