中美孝文化对比论文

A Comparative Analysis of Chinese and American Filial
Piety Cultures
School of Foreign Languages, CWNU, Nanchong, China, 637002
Abstract: It is important for us to know the differences of filial piety cultures between China and America in cross-culture communication. This paper focuses on the differences between the two countries' cultures of filial piety and analyses the reasons for these differences which are different in the aspects of cultural origination，social values and old-age insurance system. From the comparative analysis, we can have a good knowledge of the two countries' filial piety cultures and learn each other's advantages to facilitate the harmonious development of our filial piety culture. Key Words: Filial Piety, Obedience, Cultural Difference, Reasons.
I Introduction
Filial Piety, an indispensable component of Chinese traditional cultures, puts more emphasis on the moral responsibilities. It is based on the blood bonds of a family. As a part of traditional cultures in China, filial piety possesses abundant cultural connotations and receives much importance in the long history of China, however, it receives less importance in America. There is no real filial piety in American cultures. Filial piety shows the relationship among family members and social attitudes toward elders. Arthur Henderson Smith( Arthur Henderson Smith:Chinese Characteristics，1991，Page 5-6）said:" Relationships in western families tend to desalinate, so we westerners should pay more attention to Chinese filial piety. Respecting the elder is good general mood of society, but we westerners haven't been changed by it. In western countries, children choose their own way on which they can develop themselves very well, without worrying about their parents. Social habits like this are unnormal in China."Filial piety can be regarded as a primary virtue in Chinese cultures. In the Chinese ancient book The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, there are
many stories about filial piety, which told us that how the ancient children practised filial piety. In Chinese ancient history, people put much emphasis on it, however, in America, there are few such books on filial piety and it received less emphasis than in China, what's more, America does not have such a strong cultural atmosphere of filial piety as China.
The comparison of Chinese and American filial piety culture can reveal the cultural differences and similarities between the two countries in those aspects to help us learn the advantages from each other's culture and have a better communication. In this paper, I use the method of comparative analysis to study the differences and similarities of Chinese and American filial piety cultures. In the first part, I make an introduction of filial piety cultures to have a basic knowledge about it. In the second part, I make literature review, including previous studies on filial piety, definition, classification and social meaning and cultural connotations of filial piety. In the third part, I compare the differences of filial piety cultures between China and America, and I also point out their similarities. In the fourth part, I point out the reasons for their differences. In the last part, I make a conclusion.
II Literature Review
A Previous Studies on Filial Piety
There are many studies and researches on filial piety, such as Filial Piety in Chinese Thought and History wrote by Chan·Alan·Kam-leung and Tan·Sor-hoon(London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2004, Page45-50), Filial Piety Practice and Discourse in Contemporary East Asia wrote by Ikels·Charlotte(Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2004, Page57-61)，The Ways of Filial Piety in Early China wrote by Radice·Thomas(University of Pennsylvania, 2006, Page23-25)，and Chinese Filial Piety wrote by Traylor·Kenneth Land(Bloomington: Eastern Press, 1988, Page34-35). The studies are mainly focused on its history and development. They studied the filial piety from the aspects of how filial piety were practised and what role filial piety played in people's behaviours. In this paper, my study is different from the previous stduies.
I firstly study the differences of filial piety cultures between China and America,
then I analyze the reasons for such differences. My study mainly focus on the differences between the two countries and reasons of cultural origination and old-age insurance system by using the method of comparative analysis, which is the difference between my study and the previous studies.
B A Brief View of Filial Piety
1 Definition
In CiHai(Page 2376), a well-known Chinese lexicon and character dictionary, the definition is "ancient moral standards".
In Confucian ideas, we can get the definition is " no disobeying".
In Chinese literary outputs, there were many classics and books which gave definition to filial piety. In the book Erh Ya (ancient book containing commentaries on classics, names, etc), the definition was "taking good care of parents is filial piety". In the New Book, written by JiaYi who lived in Han Dynasty, the definition was "chinldrens' loving their parents was filial piety". In addition, in the Ten Commandments of Bible, article v, there is a sentence: "honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land which the lord your god gives you", which we can regard it as a definition of filial piety.
2 Classification
In Chinese classic Book of Rites, Filial Piety has three principles:" firstly, respecting elders; Secondly, no shaming; Finally, being able to support your parents." Filial piety can be divided into many categories. Respecting and honoring elders, loving elders and so on can be regarded as behaviour of filial piety. In the book Filial Piety is Priceless , written by Bi Shumin(a Chinese female literary author, born in 1952), we can know that children should honor and pay filial piety to their parents immediately, if not, they will regret because of the temporality of time and human life. Whatever you do, it is filial piety. Maybe it is a luxurious house or a rubble; Maybe it
is a sumptuous feast or a wild flower; Maybe it is a gold or a coin, but on the scale of filial piety, they all have equal values.
3 Social Meanings and Cultural Connotations
Filial piety is Chinese traditional virtues and it was closely related to Confucianism, even it can be seen as the core of Chinese traditional culture. In the long history of China, it plaid an important role in society. Almost all rulers in every dynasty advocated filial piety for the benefit of their ruling, because they were prone to "govern the state by filial piety". We are familiar with such sayings as the "three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues", "Let the king be a king, the minister a minister, the father a father and the son a son". They were conducive to maintain a harmonious ruling orders and establish a cohesive feudal society to enhance imperial power, therefore, the feudal rulers vigorously advocated the ideas of loyalty and filial piety. In ancient times, the rulers extraordinarily put emphasis on candidates' moral virtues when they were choosing feudal officials. In Han Dynasty, the rulers established a system of choosing placemen—recommending people noted for their filial piety and moral records, which primarily judged whether people were filial or loyal. The degree of being filial to their parents is a main factor of whether they could be in that place.
In addition to the benefits of the rulers, the common people also advocated filial piety. They particularly paid attention to moral self-cultivation, seeing filial piety as one important part of their moral virtues. When they were young, they should respect their parents. When they grew up and had a family, their parents became old, so they should support their parents. When their parents passed away, they should buried them and be in mouring for three years.
III Comparison of the Filial Piety Cultures in China and America
A Differences
1 General Obedience to Parents and Status Equality
In China, general obedience are concerned to be one's basic doings if they were
filial to their parents. Parents have a higher status in a family and shows a little patriarchalism. Confucius once gave brief definition that filial piety is "don't disobey your parents", which taught us that what we simply do is to obey our parents. In Chinese ancient claasic book XiaoJing and Analects of Confucius, it pointed out that children should be obedient to their parents unconditionally. If their parents are wrong, children should correct them, but if they don't accept, children should only be obedient and deferential. In addition, children should not disagree with their parents. When it is time to decide a important issue in the family, the power of decision is grasped in the hands of their parents who have the absolute right to decide everything, especially parents always want to decide their children's marriage. It is called "arranged marriage". In ancient times, children can not choose their spouses freely, which was arranged by their parents, therefore, the sayings " dictates of parents and words of matchmakers" was spreaded from dynasty to dynasty, even now, parents have certain effect on their children's marriage. Obedience is that children should not disobey their parents' wishes, what they say, and do according to what they think you should do. There is a traditional saying that "there are three forms of unfilial conducts, of which the worst one is to have no descendants". It explains that children should have a descendant to carry on the Stewart name because every Chinese parents want to have grandchildren in their later years. What's more, our parents are elders and we can't address them disrespectfully by name, including other relatives, which is a reflection of filial piety. We live with the traditional concepts of the proper formalities between young and old and we should obey such a tradition. Therefore, filial piety is concerned as not just as a behaviour but also a sort of affection in Chinese traditional filial piety culture.
In America, children are filial to their parents to a certain degree, but mostly they are more focused on the equal status in a family. Children don't need to be submissive to their parents who don't occupy a commanding position. Their relationship is more equal and democratic in the family. American don't have such a strong concept as Chinese. Their children don't have to have descendants and their parents don't exert pressure on their children. Parents and their children even can be friends and they can
talk their inner thoughts and feelings to each other. What's more, children can call elders name directly, especially between strangers, because they consider it embodies equality and democracy,which can not be imagined in China.
2Compulsory Tasks for Children and Responsibilities for the Old-age Insurance System
In China, parents put children in the most important place and they think that fostering children is their primary task, because China is an agricultural country from the ancient times to now and there is no perfect old-age insure system. The idea that bringing up children for the purpose of being looked after in old age is entrenched in their hearts. Even in today's society, it still has its meanings. They consider children as their whole life, therefore, they are willing to take every expense to raise their children, which can not be imagined and understood by American. Children rely heavily on their parents before they became an adult, so parents bring up them until they get marraried. When parents are at their prime time, they paid everything to raise their children. The only goal of Chinese parents is to bring them up and give a good education to their children. It is really a big burden and project for Chinese parents to raise a child, therefore, it is not strange at all that parents seen their children as their whole life in China .When parents became old and can not do things, now they depend on their children in return, which become a compulsory task for children. Reciprocating for the love and care of their parents' bringing up is a reflection of filial piety. Supporting our parents is regarded as one's moral virtues of filial piety.
However, American parents are living a more relaxing and relieved life. In their eyes, children are not necessarily their whole life . They can either choose to have a child or not.If one couple don not have a child in China, they will be treated differently and gossiped by others,however, American parents will not be treated like that. Even American parents choose to have a child or more, they still live better than Chinese parents. Unlike Chinese parents, they do not need to take great expense to raise a child. Children can depend on their parents before being an adult, after which they can only rely on themselves, and parents need not to have the responsibility to
provide money or shelter to them. In return, when children grew up and establish a family, they do not have the compulsory task to support their parents who do not need to bother their children. In America, they have a perfect old-age insure system, American parents do not need their children to support them. When they became old, the only place where they will go is the old folks' home where they can get a better care and service than in China, therefore, the primary burden and task is undertook by government.
3 Emphasis on Blood Bonds and Stress on Individual Freedom Independece
Under the influence of clan and name cultures, Chinese people put extraordinary emphasis on blood bonds and own a strong concept of family cohesion. From ancient times to now, blood bonds occupy a demanding position between interpersonal relationship. For the traditional concepts of Chinese people, children resume their parents' life. Relatives are connected with each other on basis of blood bonds. Paying attention to blood relationship and kinship is Chinese historical and cultural tradition. The interpersonal relationship in the most stable factors is the blood relationship, so Chinese people believe in "blood is thicker than water " in the traditional sense. Chinese people's family value is particularly strong, thus they advocates the extended family of "four generations living under one roof", and they are content with the "flourishing population and having many children and grandchildren". In a Chinese traditional family, parents have the absolute authority, and maintain the relationship between family members, respecting and honoring elders. The traditional idea that "you should not go on a long journey when your parents are still alive" fully embodies the Chinese traditional family clan concept. In addition, the thoughts of "being sentimentally attached to homeland" and "one wants to return to his home in his old age" is the ideological reflection.
American people, on the contrary, put more emphasis on individual freedom and they respect and advocate individual freedom. With such a concept, American people do not hope others intrude into their own space. Unlike in China, when children grow
up and have a family, no matter how their parents are old, they will not live with their parents together,even they live far away from their parents. Only when it is a festival, a family can get together temporarily. On the Mothers' Day or Fathers' Day, parents can get some gifts from their children. For most American parents, they are very lonely and can not enjoy the happiness of their family when they became old, therefore, American elders are more prone to suffer psychological problems and autism than Chinese elders.
B Similarities
1 Respect for the Elders
Respect for elders is a universal moral virtue of humans. Both in China and America, it is a common sense that we should respect our elders, including other elders. Confucius described old age as a "good and pleasant thing" which caused you to be "gently shouldered off the stage, but given a comfortable front stall as spectator." This honorable sentiment paints a melancholic image of how senior citizens should be treated, given peace in their twilight years while able to freely dispense their wisdom to younger generations.
2 Love for Parents
There is no human being who is unaffectionate. Love for our parents is a great love in the world. When we are children, our parents pay much love to us, and we grow up healthily and happily under their love. When our parents became old, they also need love. No matter he is a Chinese or an American, he should love his parents. Love for our parents is a common love between Chinese and American people.
IV Reasons for the Differences
A Cultural Origination
Chinese filial piety idea originated in the patrilineal clan commune period, and the culture of filial piety formed in the Shang Dynasty. Chinese modern filial piety culture mainly originated from Confucian ideas and its classic books. Now Confucian
ideas is seen as a standard of Chinese traditional moral virtues.
American filial piety culture belongs to western cultures which originated from the ancient Greek culture, ancient Hebrew Jewish culture and ancient Rome culture. Bible has always been regarded as the source of western literature and art. Many ethnic standards are also stemmed from Bible. According to the records of Bible, Christians believed in the ten commandments that was issued by Lord God.
B Clan-standard and Individual-standard Difference
The difference between clan-standard and individual-standard was firstly pointed out by Chen Duxiu. In China, clan makes the standard of action. China is a patriarchal society. A basic trait of this kind of society is that family has the same structure with the country. Every aspect of life is included in the patriarchal system, such as politics economy, morality and education. Rulers ruled the country by ruling clans. In such a society, rulers paid attention to maintaining the peace and harmony of clans. It was not only because stable clans were the basics of a stable country, but also the country was a larger clan society. Filial piety, as the ethic basis of the patriarchal system, played a significant role in maintaining clan's unity and continuance.
Western society was separated from clan society completely. It did not stem from patriarchal system like China and had no clannish color in the mind. Western family formed simply. Generally, it was a nuclear family taking the couple as the center. Family members had their own properties. Western families were looser than Chinese families. Western family had no such binding force to its members. Therefore, individual was the standard of their ethical and cultural conception.
C Integration and Fraction of Generations Difference
Chinese filial piety culture aims to maintain clan's stability. It stresses inevitable integration of generations. Western culture values men's freedom and equality, so it certainly stresses fraction of generations. The co-called "integration of generations" is a conception that stresses unity and harmony between generations. It is
the basic spirit of filial piety. The "integration" is conservative and unequal. As we mentioned above, filial piety stress the later subordination to elder generations . In ancient China, we could say that there was no "generation gap".
Western family is nuclear family in which there are only parents and children. Relations between generations are relatively simple. They need not to be responsible to each other. It is not strange for American people that children lead their own life and parents live in an elder's house. But in China, people may think that it is unreasonable and heretical. Western education emphasize freedom, for example, parents guide children to walk on their own way when they at a very young age. Mr. Fei Xiaotong thought that this kind of love needed repay. He said：“love to children was not free. Children in America understood that when they were very young, parents would't love you because you were their children. Children had no rights to gain love from parents. Love was trophy.
D Social Vales: Youth-supreme and Elder-supreme Difference
As we know, the youth is supreme in America and the elder in China. Different social and cultural values have different values which result from different choices. America is considered as children's heaven, youth's battlefield and elder's tomb. And China is children's playground, youth's training place, middle age's work-room and elder's kingdom. American anthropologist Xu Langguang said, when he compares the two different life styles between China and America, no country in the world attaches such importance to children as America. Compared with America, unexaggeratedly speaking, China paid less attention to children before 1949. He said that if an American person is proud of so many protect-children associations in his country, Chinese would have the same pride that filial piety is the highest ideal in their ancient national cultural heritage. American anthropologist Margaret Meader put forward the conceptions of "Qianyu culture", "Bingyu culture" and "Houyu culture". "Qianyu culture" means that younger generations learn from elder generations. "Bingyu culture" means the learning of the youth or the elder occurs in the same generation. "Houyu culture" means the elder learn from the youth. In fact, "Qianyu culture" is a
kind of youth culture. Therefore, people said the Chinese culture was a culture of respecting the elder, while western culture was a culture of paying more attention to the future and the youth's creativity. Certainly, this kind of difference has its own reason., such as natural geographic circumstances, economic patterns and cultural traditions and so on.
V Conclusion
Chinese people are more filial to their parents in the perspectives of ethnic responsibilities and blood bonds; The status of family members in America are more equal and they are less filial to their parents because of the perfect pension system.
The filial piety in China puts more emphasis on their children's ethnic responsibilities and the traditional blood bonds; The filial piety in America is shown in the religious cultures, and its pension system is more perfect than that of China.
In modern society, Chinese people are facing both traditional filial piety and western conception of relationships between parents and children. What to drop and what to adapt is a problem that many people should think about deeply. At least, we should consider it from two aspects: individuals and society. Individuals should try their best to love and respect the elder so that they can live a happy life in their rest years, and the society should establish "social filial piety" to patch up individuals' loopholes.
From the comparative analysis of Chinese and American filial piety cultures, we know that, despite the differences, we can gain advantages from each other in cross-culture communication. Meanwhile, American can learn more about Chinese filial piety culture to give more care to their elders and Chinese learn to give more attention to children.
References
Arthur Henderson Smith:“Chinese Characteristics”[M]. YanBian City: YanBian University Press, 1991, 5-6.
Xu Langguang：“American and Chinese: A contrast between the two lifestyles”[M]. HuaXia Press, 16Aug.1987:17-19.
Margaret Meader：“Culture and Commitment—A Research on the Problem of Generation Gap”[M]. HeBei People's Press, 1987,11
</wiki/Filial_Piety>
涂耀威. 论语中国“孝”的文化内涵[J].孝感学院学报, 5 (2005): 5-8.
朴钟锦.儒家“孝”道观念的时代价值[J].北京第二外国语学院学报, 2 (1999): 3- 4. 费孝通. 美国与美国人[M]. 北京：三联书店,1985 :7-8。