the grade only

Final Paper Proposal Guidelines

Final paper proposal will be due Thursday 11/07 at 11: 55 pm.

Your final paper should discuss one idea, concept or practice important to Chinese culture, and compare it with a similar or related idea, concept or practice in American culture or your native culture. Based on your discussion, provide some suggestions for effective cross-cultural communication.

You can write either an individual paper or a group paper with ONE other classmate. The reason for offering the group paper option is to encourage you to further understand the course topics through discussions with other people, especially those who are not from your native culture. An individual paper should be typed (12-point font), 6-8 pages (double-spaced) long, and includes at least 4 references. A group paper should be typed (12-point font), 7-10 pages (double-spaced) long, and includes at least 6 references. The group paper will receive one grade and both members of the group will receive the same grade.

The final paper proposal should include the following components:

1. A working title A working title simply means a title for your term paper that best describes what the term paper is all about.

2. A thesis statement A paragraph to summarize the issues you want to explore.

3. A bibliography of possible references A list of references that address aspects of your thesis question.

4. If you decide to write a group paper with a classmate, your proposal should also describe who will contribute what to the paper.

Please submit your proposal to Isidore->Assignment->Final Paper Proposal.

Some examples of the thesis statement: Confucius’s concept of Benevolence and Christian Charity

Confucius (551-491 B.C.) was the first self-conscious philosopher in the Chinese tradition. In Confucius’s teachings, he emphasized the importance of character cultivation to become a gentleman who shows good behaviors and high moral standards. One of the important characters of the gentleman is benevolence. For Confucius, practicing benevolence means to be empathetic, caring and always seek to help others when it is needed. The application of benevolence can be seen in the people who practice Lei Fung’s spirit, the altruism in modern China. Similar to the Confucius’s concept of benevolence, Christianity which is one of the most common religions in the Western society promotes the virtue of charity. God said, “Love others as you love yourself.” All Christians are called to always put into other’s shoes and help the poor and vulnerable ones in our society. The application of Christian charity can be seen through the different community service opportunities that are established by different non-profit organizations in America.

Chinese and American Meals

There are many rich and enduring cultural practices that take place in China and one that is central to many people’s lives is the practice of sharing meals. Although fancy business dinners emphasize particular customs that may be different from the everyday meals that take place, there are some similarities in these practices. These events are also very different, yet in some ways comparative to the ways that meals occur in the United States. For example, the invitation to a banquet is one of the most contrasting parts of the two cultures. The seating arrangement is also quite specific in China, but is comparable to the idea of the arrangement in the United States. There is something intimate about the way that Chinese meals take place. Their humility and generosity are also established in the way that they serve food.

Harmony and the American National Ideology

When reviewing all the material we covered throughout the semester concerning Chinese culture, one thing that seems to be a common reoccurrence is the idea of harmony. Confucius started this idea with his humanity and righteousness ways of life and that was shortly followed up by Yin and Yang in Daoism. Living in peace and doing what is right is the basis of what harmony is all about. The principles mentioned above are the basics of the Chinese national idea that forms the culture and how the people and government want the country to be perceived as. America has a similar idea to that of the Chinese. America wants to be identified as a country who has people very loyal and proud of the place they live. The American national ideology, known as patriotism, was developed from America’s short history, much like China’s did.

Collectivism vs Individualism

One of the most prevalent and defining characteristics of Chinese culture is collectivism. Collectivism is at the very core of Chinese culture because it is not only embodied through ancient Chinese texts and philosophy, using Confucius as an example, but also through modern China with Lei Feng and the ideas spread from the Communist Party through Chairman Mao. The combination of new and old philosophies is what combines to create the collectivism that exists today in modern China. However, this is in stark contrast with the values of the United States, since Americans place much greater value on individualism. Since the era of Deng Xiaoping, China has become a major economic force on the global stage and faces constant struggles to maintain these collectivist traditions that have benefited the country’s people for so long. This paper will examine collectivism in Chinese society and contrast it with the individualist mindset of Western society.

Western and Chinese Educational Systems

Modernization has resulted in a remarkable homogeneity in curriculum structures and practices around the world. Individual countries with diverse historical and cultural traditions, such as China, have developed very similar curriculum structures according to a universal (Western) model of schooling. Nevertheless, ‘modernization’ of education is by no means a linear or unproblematic process; both Western thinking and Chinese indigenous tradition have to undergo a process of adaptation. Therefore, this essay will aim to answer how Chinese educational culture has transformed throughout history to current day as it has interacted with Western culture.

Chinese and Western Concept of “Face”

In Chinese and western culture, the role of one’s face factors into both cultures. More specifically, both cultures value reputation to a great degree. However, in both China and the west, face means something different to each culture. Compared to western culture, in Chinese culture face is much more specialized and integrated into a formal teaching structure than in western culture, as well as it having a greater influence on communication styles. However, face in both western culture and in Chinese culture has some similarities, including the fact that an individual’s actions can influence the face of a wider group and that face can be based on an individuals conduct.

Guanxi in China and Networking in the United Sates

Guanxi is a very significant concept in the Chinese business culture and networking in the United States business culture is similarly important, but there are some key differences. Guanxi in China is “the system of social networks and influential relationships which facilitate business and other dealings”, according to the oxford dictionary. It is crucial to understand the concept of Guanxi when attempting to do business in China. On the other hand, in the United States there is no specific term like Guanxi to describe peoples’ social networks, however, networking is still extremely prevalent in the American business culture. Whether it be finding jobs, businesses deciding whom to partner with, or other business related decisions networking (Guanxi) is important in both China and the United States. The difference between the two lies in the scope of the influence that each holds. While networking is necessary in the American workplace, it does not possess quite as much influential power as its Asian counterpart Guanxi.