A Preliminary Study on Body Language Communication between Chinese Culture and Western Culture(二)

3.2.2 Ambiguity
Speech language only can use sounds to be stretched on the linear of time and it has the single linear feature. But it cannot be stretched on the space level(文教論壇,2007). Therefore, it is single latitude. However, body language has both the linear feature of time and the stereoscopic feature of space. Its mutilatitudes and mutidimensions make itself have more meanings. Every behavior of people in different situations often has different meanings. The feature of ambiguity makes some meanings which cannot be expressed by speech language have various expression forms and thus it makes the language of human beings more active and vivid.

3.2.3 Cultural Features
Speech language and body language are two basic methods of communication for people. Therefore, both of them are the carrier of human’s culture and have changes as the development of culture. Different social groups have their own special race features, thus their cultural features are quite different. Then the different cultural features make the race have their own different speech communicative methods. Body language also its obvious cultural features. On one hand, a body language sharing the same meaning has different expression means in different circumstances and situations. For example, when people meet with each other, the Chinese are used to shaking hands or nodding their heads, and the Japanese like to bend and nod, while the European are costumed to shake hands, embrace and kiss each other and the Samoa smell each other to show their friendliness. On the other hand, the same body language in different cultures has their own cultural features.
 4. Similarities and Differences in Body Language between Chinese Culture and Western Countries’ Culture 
 
4.1 Similarities
The meanings and expression means of body language have similarities and differences between Chinese culture and Western culture. Some body languages referring to physiological instinct are accumulated by mankind for a long time. These have the same meaning in all ethnic groups and transmit the information what is understandable for people from the different cultures and ethnic groups. For example, human beings open their mouths to smile when happy, open eyes wide when angry, frown when suffering and so on. Therefore, these are native facial expressions for human beings. And physiological instinct of human beings’ communication is interlinked, not constrained by culture. Besides, there are many similarities of body language between Chinese culture and Western culture. Such as nodding means “Yes”； headshake means “No”; handshake means “Congratulation” or “Goodbye”. And take Charlie Caplin’s silent films as an example, his funny body language were accepted and understood by Chinese people deeply. It is obviously known that body language of China and western countries are certainly shared together

4.2 Differences
Since in the process of historical development, people in China and Western countries formed their own values and behavior patterns on the basis of different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, it is inevitable to gain the different body languages. The followings are three aspects of those differences on body language.

4.2.1 Different body languages sharing the same meanings
After a dinner, Chinese people often pat their stomachs to show that they are full. But Americans like to put their hand with palm down on the top of the throat to show that they are full. The two behaviors express the physical reaction after dinner. It is easy to understand its meaning for Chinese and Americans

4.2.2 The same body language sharing different performance level
Handshake means “Greeting” to both of Chinese and American. But Americans care about the position and intensity of the handshake. They believe that the strong handshake can show their confidence, sincere and enthusiasm. However, the strong handshake for Chinese often makes them lack confidence and enthusiasm.

4.2.3The same body language sharing a different or opposite meaning
The gesture of palm up and forefigure hook inside is the American gesture to call someone to come here. But it is unacceptable for Chinese because the gesture means to call dogs in China. Along with extensive inter-cultural communication, to some extends, body language in Chinese culture is influenced by western culture. The victory gesture of “V” from western countries is widely used by young people in China.

4.3 Reasons leading to Differences
In  people’s communication, human being’s expressions behaviors and gestures play an important and indispensable role. Just like speech language, body language also exits in the tradition of history and culture such as nation and religion, etc. It is a communication symbol with clearness and mode that forms inside of its culture. Therefore, for gaining a good communication, it is indispensable to understand the certain body languages of the certain cultural in the inter-cultural communication. Deng Yanchang and Liu Runqing pointed out, even if you both use the same language to make a communication, you should properly use some suitable body languages to aid your speech

4.3.1Religious Culture
Religious culture is a vital part of the social culture. It influences every aspects of people’s life. Especially in the western countries, religious culture controls people’s social life. Almost all the people in the western countries believe in Christian. English originated from the ancient Greek culture. Christian culture is the mainstream culture in the social life, which penetrates into all aspects of life. The belief of Christian is that all people are the sons of God. Everyone has the supreme dignity and intrinsic value. Thus their behaviors are based on the concept of equality and freedom, but not grades. For example, Americans when having a talk are with free styles. Sometimes, they lie in the chair with crossed legs to talk. But to Chinese, the behavior is rude and uncultivated. Meanwhile, some gestures with religious culture often appear in their daily life. Cross says Christian. So when the people of Anglo-American countries enter the church or be in the emergency situation, they often make the Cross in the front of their chests. And they also use the way of putting their hands in the front of their chests to express the appreciation, respect and acquiescention. Some western Muslims believe that the left hand is not clean so that it can not be used to deliver food and other things. Therefore, they do not use the left hand alone.
 
In China, Confucian culture had been the mainstream culture for two thousand years. And the powerful ethics programs had blocked and diluted the influence of religion to national consciousness. Confucian regards moral ethics more than Natural principles, humanity more than individual, justice more than profits, measures more than apparatus, which are considered as the primary value principles of Confucian. So there is the concept of grades for people to make communication to each other because of the traditional etiquettes. It is called “power distance”. In another hand, people always pay more attention to their behavior as humble movements.

4.3.2National Culture
National culture is increasingly formed and developed in the process of its history development. And it has own features. National culture is the deep structure of the culture. And it reflects the relationships between human beings and itself. (王娟，2004) Language is the vector of culture. Body language and culture have the inseparable relationship between them. This relationship reflects the people’s value options and the rule of behaviors. In communication using speech language, people always adopt a certain behavior way to suit a talk according to their own cultural norms. However, cultural norms always exist in the people’s subconscious which is not recognized by people. Mr. Fei Xiaotong said that all people’s behaviors do not happen as one likes. In fact, all kinds of behaviors have been being controlled a value system which gradually forms from the beginning of human being’ life. Therefore, to some extent, culture influences and restricts people’s behaviors. Hofestede (1991) thought that human being, behaviors and values have inseparable relationship. If wondering to understand the differences of the different cultural groups, the differences of their values should be understood clearly.

Eastern cultural values attach importance to the sense of group, the concept of a whole and the thinking way of intuition. But Western cultural values attach importance to the importance of personal awareness. They prefer to establish the theoretical system according to the individual ideas. (彭兆榮，陳向秦，1984) Body language can be analyzed from the different demand to space between China and Western countries. In China, almost all the people accept Confucian culture and the sense of group. People like to take a seat with their companies in a compact office. They think it is the symbol of friendship and consanguinity. But in western, people accept the education of freedom and democracy. So people hope to have their own space. One desk is far from another., it is said that people always try to avoid physical contact in the crowded traffic.

5. Conclusion
In the primitive society, human beings had many rich sign languages and sent messages by them. In the most every social culture, body languages exist all the time. But the frequency of use is quite different. In fact, body language goes far beyond the expression significance of speech language as people sent messages. Visibly, body language is in the great possession of communication in people’s daily life. However, to a larger extent, it restricts people to use and understand body language due to the restriction of geography and culture. And the specific body language is used in the specific ethic groups. In the cross-ethic and cross-cultural communication, people recognize the function of body language inadequately. And its function of cross-cultural communication has been neglected for a long time. Nowadays, Chinese people have face-to-face communication with western ones increasingly frequently. The cognition of body language has been increasingly gaining more attention in Chinese people. The inspection of body language not only is an academic research, but also makes the important practical significance of serving for the construction of socialist spiritual civilization in China.

In the period of new history, it is a hot topic about the civic virtue and the construction of socialist spiritual civilization in China. We should make body language link to the construction of socialist spiritual civilization so that it has a positive impact on real life. Furthermore, it is one of the aims to study body language. At this stage of China’s current circumstances, the phenomenon of uncivilized social behaviors occur frequently. Compared with the construction of socialist spiritual civilization of western countries, it is relatively backward in China and exposes many social problems, such as lacking of affection between people, lacking of public awareness, more uncivilized phenomenon and rising crime rate. These do not match with our country‘s image as a major power. Meanwhile, it also caused widespread concern.

In an increasingly globalized world, we are having close exchange with the outside. A number of Chinese go abroad and come to every corner of world. And people’s behaviors have a direct impact on our country’s image. It is a very urgent task to promote civic moral standards, establish progressive civic image and speed up the construction of socialist spiritual civilization.
 

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