1、The comparison between eastern and western family cultureAbstract: For the human society, family plays very important roles in the life, because it consists of all aspects of the social life. Although the structure of family has much similar situation and function, different history, culture and geo
2、graphical dimensions cause particularity within the certain limits. Key words: family concept, filial piety, marriage, education.1 Introduction 1.1 The difference between Chinese and western views on filial piety and why the attitudes are different.The Chinese nation filial piety culture has a long
3、history and the filial piety is the important part of the family. The traditional Chinese society holds the concept that the structure of home is similar with the structure of country, just like one of the famous sayings of Confucius is let the emperor be an emperor, the subject a subject, the fathe
4、r a father, and the son a son. Therefore, the filial piety has political significance, the implication being that within the family as within nation. Chinese people always have shown respect for grandparents or elders, which derives from the filial piety culture.However, we cant find the same or qua
5、si proverbs in western culture. The western family treats every member in the home equally and they usually dont live with their parents, especially after they are marriage, so they dont care for the whole family members relationship. Therefore, the filial piety culture cant show legibly.Why they ar
6、e so different? I think that we can use the theory, Hofstedes value dimension, to explain the reason. Hofstede deems that the western family culture is in the centre of individualism while the China is in the centre of collectivism. Individuals in the society tend to form a larger number of looser r
7、elationships. But collectivism typifies societies of a more collectivistic nature with close tie between individuals. These cultures reinforce extended families and collectives where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group.1 1.2 The difference between Chinese and western view
8、s on marriage and why the attitudes are different.Compared with western marriage, Chinas marriage is relatively stable. Because for Chinese marriage is the most of important things in ones whole life, Chinese are cautious to treat it and they usually dont change their mating view. Marriage is treate
9、d as a moral problem, so people dont accept and hate the fact that his or her spouse affair with others. Also, when his or her spouse does this thing, all relatives and friends will criticize him or her. However, the western people deem that marriage is the personal privacy and other people have no
10、rights to dominate it. At the same time, they dont think that marriage is a moral question and they think that every people have rights to find their happiness. When wives or husbands cant achieve happiness from their spouses, they can look for another. From their perspectives, if the lovers cant li
11、ve in together, it is inhumane for themselves. Moreover, from Christian doctrine seeing, individual exist not according to the family, society and country, while the family, society and country are used to meet the individuals needs.Why their attitudes are so different? I think that maybe western fa
12、milies maintain many characters in primary society, such as equal rights. Also, there is a strong religious influence in western life, due to the fact that they pursue personal happiness. However, in traditional China power holders belong to the male and the female is treated as a tool, giving babie
13、s, so the females status is very low. Therefore, women belong to subordinate position in families and they have no rights and capability to change marriage and find their true love. In this situation, for protecting womens benefits and the purity of family blood, people pay more attention to make th
14、e families relationship more stably. 1.3 The difference between Chinese and western views on education and why the attitudes are different.Chinese family educations aim is to train the child into a talent, in order to make their children have a bright future. A bright future means to get a good job
15、and to lead a simple life all their life time. Because of the aim, Chinese parents especially pay concern about childrens study achievements. Therefore, parents enforce children to memory knowledge and let children attend to different training courses. At the same time, parents always let their chil
16、dren follow their mind and ask them not to be troublemakers.However, western family educations aims are to train the child into a social man who can deal with all kinds of events and own independent ability. Western parents have a relaxed attitude to educate their children. They are good at finding
17、out the active parts from their childrens individuality. And the children can find their value from family education. Why their attitudes are so different? I think that we can analyze it into different aspects.Firstly, Chinese parents produce a great impact on childrens future. When a baby born in a
18、 family, his parents often design a future for him, no matter the child likes it or not. That is to say, the Chinese parents would enforce their children living under the designed future instead of considering childrens feelings and abilities. Therefore, it makes children lose interests in studying.
19、 Secondly, parents have highly expectation for their children. Nowadays the social competition is intense, each family are an only child, hoping for the daughter to grow up into a phoenix, is each guardians desire. Thirdly, in modern China, a child is probably the only child in a family, and parents
20、 give too much love to the child. It leads to a situation that the child cant live without their parents. However, the western parents seldom interfere their childrens studying. They want children freely to grow up and do their like things. In summary, owing to the differences between eastern and western civilization birthplace of different, it causes diametrically family cultural.Works Cited:1 the book named log into the world of cultures, page52 and 53.
