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Thread: Individualist and Collectivist Cultures
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[quote=WCTMAN,331381]Like all cultures, the Chinese demonstrate features of both. As a collective culture, immediate family is absolutely first and foremost. To a lesser extent, collectivism extends to family relatives and family friends. Outside of this, the individual culture takes over. To the Chinese, individual culture is expressed as a complete disregard for the rights of the community or other people. In the absence of a civil code of behaviour, as expressed thru and enforced by a culturally accepted and respected system of laws, written or unwritten, what else is to be expected? Without civil ( read social ) sanction, a culture which is centered in the belief that what other people do is "none of my business", we witness all manner of behaviour which, to western ( read non - Chinese ) eyes is beyond explanation. Examples include: full throat, cough your lungs out spitting on the streets, in restaurants, buses, gym locker rooms, in short, wherever people congregate; full nasal clearance in the same fashion as public spitting; public urination; anarchy on the roadways, with no enforcement of any rules which may or may not actually exist; littering; no concept at all of "first come, first served", whether it be for service in a bank, or getting on or off buses or elevators. I am sure we have all seen the Chinese guy who takes a break from polishing his car, inside and outside, to spit on the street, clear his nostrils, walk over to the nearest fence or bushes to take a leak before proceeding back to his car to continue polishing and scrubbing it. You may be thinking that the writer is bitter about living in China. On the contrary, I have been here for over 3 years, and will likely be here for a few more. I have nothing but respect and admiration for my Chinese friends, as I see them with their collective faces on. Yes, it is true that I loathe the public Chinese, but I have long since learnt to accept them. It is hopeless to change them, and besides, it is "none of my business".[/quote]
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