A Comparison Between Chinese Etiquette and the Western Etiquette

“Etiquette is all human social behavior. If you’re a hermit on a mountain, you don’t have to worry about etiquette; if somebody comes up the mountain, then you’ve got a problem…” This quote from American journalist, Judith Martin, illustrates the concept that the presence of others creates or inspires expectations. Social norms, or specific cultural expectations for how to behave in a given situation, are practiced throughout various societies and cultures across the planet. People relay on social norms to provide order and predictability in social situations. Social roles are the part people play as members of a social group. With each social role one plays, the behavior changes to fit the expectations both you and others have of that role. It is most common for people to conform to the guidelines provided by the roles we perform. When one does not conform to the social norms, it is considered abnormal behavior. For this assignment, I faced the challenge to disregard expectations of social roles and norms in society.

In the Korean culture, the young people show respect to the elderly by bowing (Lee 117-133). However, when they are both in the same age bracket or levels of leadership, both will bow for each other as a sign of respect. Furthermore, in the Korean culture people refer to each other using titles such as Master and can only use names in case they are very close of from the same family (Kim 365-372). On the other hand, in the American culture hand shake is used for greeting and as a sign of respect between two individuals. The titles of reference are common to every individual except for the people in political positions. These include Mr. Miss. Sir. or Ma'am to show respect to the elderly.

Politeness is able to show a person’s feelings towards others and awareness of a social custom. There are many purposes of politeness including: creating a public self image, creating solidarity, threatening people to send a negative message, not threatening people or upsetting them, indicating social relationship, showing awareness of social context, and power dynamics. The value of polite speech in a culture has the purpose of creating solidarity. Polite speech in a specific culture is very important and should be practiced as much as possible.

One aspect of English social etiquette was the set of strict rules for how one was to act to appear as a socially adept person and therefore a desirable match for marriage. They were for the most part unspoken rules, but during the 19th century there began to be a growing selection of etiquette books available, for instance, Dr.

Judge Paul Heath Till’s essay “Morals, Manners, Customs, and Public Perception” has a very unique structure that helps the effectiveness of the authors argument. He starts off by giving reasons why people are lacking manners in everyday life. He also gives definitions of the words manner, manners, moral, and customs and then goes further to discuss the true meaning of these words. He also relates his life experiences and his personal beliefs to the topic at hand.

Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation is a detailed summary of the proper etiquette of the time. The book covers everything from actions to avoid in public to mannerism expected

The first idea of proper ways to act were believed to be inherited from Greece and Rome. The original idea of etiquette derives from when people started to live together in large groups and little things made people realize that getting along was better and easier than fighting and arguing constantly. The word “etiquette” originates from King Louis XIV. He would have a letter posted on a door to inform guests of what they were to wear, how they

ln our western culture today, society is not as strict about manners or proper etiquette. This is

I remember, the day that I called, one of my service users “mummy” in my workplace (calling her mommy was a sign of respect in my culture). I was stunned when she got annoyed and started cry because I called her mummy. I quickly realized that the problem was the cultural difference between us. So I patiently explained to her that I did not mean to be rude but was actually being respectful and would not call her mommy going forward.

Using my ancestral background and my country of origin as the basis for my claim, I am going to present some differences as to why I am in agreement. In Guyana (my homeland) I am not allowed to call an adult by their given name. I would have to refer to them as uncle or auntie and then insert their name. It is disgraceful for a younger person to call adults by their name. The reason is that the culture dictates that you are not on equal grounds or have earned the right to call them on their real name. In America it is okay to refer to someone regardless of age by their given name. Another difference is chivalry. As time progresses humans forget to be polite to one another. I was brought up to say, ‘good morning,” “please” and “thank you.” Opening doors and letting people finish speaking instead of interrupting and cursing in public or at parents. Today these rules do not apply to others because they are considered redundant. There is no obligation to commit to these standards and it is socially acceptable in todays

Before many things, my parents taught me the most valued words in the South: “yes ma’am,” “no, sir,” “please,” and “thank you.” They show a sign of respect to adults who are in my company or to anyone older than I. It is also respectful that children and youth never address adults by their first name, but with a title prefixing their first or last name. On one occasion when visiting a friend from The Potters School, who lives in Missouri, I had addressed her father as “Mr. Pannett” and followed my sentence with a “yes sir.” With a chuckle he said, “No need to be fancy and say “sir” and “Mr.” You can just call me by my first name.” I thought of how different respect was displayed in the North to the

Manners are knows as the appropriate ways of behaving, speaking, and dressing in a culture. Manners are something that could ruin a business meeting if they are not practiced in the right way according to the foreign country’s guidelines. Customs are habits or ways of behaving in specific circumstances are passed down generations (Wild). Examples from the book are: sharing foods gifts during the holy month of Ramadan, as is the Japanese tradition of throwing special parties for youth women and men who turn age 20.

Why do you think it is important to follow specific etiquette when composing email? Why is it important to include a greeting and sign every email you send?

In a world as overwhelming with differences, individuals are molded by many factors, and culture is one that follows up on each person. Diverse societies instruct different values, and what may be well mannered in the U.S. could exceptionally offend in China. As people from different cultural groups, individuals can misjudge each other; therefore, the U.S. and China can learn to collaborate across cultural lines as individuals and as a society. Becoming aware of cultural differences can enable both countries to deal with each other more

Few people know how to conduct introductions in a proper fashion, yet they are an important aspect of our daily life. In the social realm, men are introduced to women. In the business realm, the less important person is introduced to the person of greater importance, regardless of either gender. Though a key aspect to remember is that the name of the person being introduced is mentioned last, and the person to whom the introduction is made is mentioned first. It is also critical to remember that the client is the biggest priority, even if he/she holds a lesser title.