TheChineseConceptofFace

1、1The Chinese Concept of Face Intercultural Communication2AgendaThe meaning of FaceFace and the Family Different situations of Face Tangible and intangible Face Reactions of face-losing peopleExplanations for the importance of Face Tips for avoiding face-losing situations3Some Idioms of Face 樹有皮，人有臉

2、銀錢如糞土，臉面值千金 打人不打臉，罵人不揭短 打狗還看主人面 (不看僧面看佛面) 人必須對自己臉負責（美國） 死要面子活受罪 Lose face Save face41. The Meanings of “Face”Literally, face means your facial expressions. If you have sallow complexion (面黃肌瘦), you suffer from malnutrition, or a hard life. If you look in the pink, you are having a smooth and prosper

3、ous life Therefore, your facial expression is, in a sense, the reflection of your living situations. Your face is an indication of your wealth, your power, your influence, and you gain a lot of FACE for possession of these. By definition, “face” means ones claims about his/her own characteristics an

4、d traits which he/she presents to others and expects others to understand.5 Face is a concept not hard to understand because, even as Westerners, everyone has face. When equated to Western values, face is very similar to the notion of reputation. But as the Chinese idiom goes, “a person needs face j

5、ust as a tree needs bark”. This shows how important “face” is in China. Face is the relative importance of a person among people of relevance to him. People of relevance: people you know and people who know you. Face is meaningful when you are with relevant people.62. Face and the familyIf other peo

6、ple feel you are important, then you are important. If you feel you are important while other people dont acknowledge this, then your importance is meaningless.Whether you have “face” or not depends on whether or not you are admired. Face is vested in the value of a family, or the honor and reputati

7、on of the family. A individuals face is shared by the entire family. When a man gets to the top, all his friends and relations get there with him.(一人得道、雞犬升天) A mans livelihood or career is assured if he has influential friends (大樹底下好乘涼) when the tree falls the monkeys scatter (樹倒猢孫散)73. Different Si

8、tuations of Face To have face Good family background, outstanding children (good at study, even if poor), big house, etc. The hope to get the recognition, favor or approval of others, or to be considered as a member of a group. If these are obtained, the person gets positive face. To lose face Make

9、a mistake when answering the teachers questions, especially when he/she volunteers to answer the questions. Direct contradiction of another person is seldom seen in China because of the role of face. 8To save face Saving face is an action whereby one is able to prove that he was not wrong, or show t

10、hat the degree of his wrongdoing was only very small - not such a big deal. This restoration is usually done with the help of someone else with good face -usually by making some kind of announcement before ones peers, exonerating or endorsing the person who had lost face.To lend face In a case where

11、 a person has no face or no recognized reputation within certain circles, this person may be required to seek out and borrow a certain measure of face from someone willing to lend it to them. 94. Tangible and intangible “face” My son scored high on national matriculation exams, I can gain a substant

12、ial lot of face! (even if Im very poor) Your daughter scored very low on the exams, you lose a lot of face! (even if you drive the BMW). Although I take the bus while you drive the BMW to go to work, you are downgraded by your daughters poor performance on the test. Anyhow, the BMW can not ensure yo

13、ur daughter can be admitted to a good university in China. So, if I invite you to my celebration banquet for my son, you may not come because you feel your face is lost. So, face can be used to compare with one another. Is FACE tangible or intangible? 105. Reactions of Face-losing PeopleFeel greatly

14、 depressed, ashamed, even lead to death A raped girl may commit suicide (what if she does not do so?) Grave face-losing situations will cause people to commit suicide A slap on the face will cause a person to take immediate revenge, or cause someone to commit suicide For integrity and righteousness,

15、 a person would rather die than to live in disgrace. After theft, impiety, betrayal, divorce, etc., people will chose to stay at home, or choose a less trodden road with the face lowered downward to avoid eye contact with neighbors. Community members will look at him or her with various kinds of fac

16、ial expressions that display chill, disdain, displeasure.Face, in a sense, is a communal check!116. Possible Explanations for High Importance of Face Lack of mobility Chinese people tend to spend their entire lives in the company of the same friends, neighbors and relatives. Consequently, face-savin

17、g behaviors take on great significance: they maintain harmony, avoid conflicts, and protect the integrity of the group. Great importance of li (禮) Li （禮）means “right conduct in maintaining ones place in the hierarchical order”. Anyone who acts against accepted norms of li will lose his/her face.127.

18、 Emotion and Face Human feelings in Chinese culture （七情） Enjoyment 喜 Anger 怒 Sorrowfulness 哀 Happiness 樂 Love 愛 Disgust 惡 Desire 欲 Six senses Visual, audial, smell, taste, touch, sense (意)13 Lian（臉）/mian zi （面子） 給面子，give 增面子，add 掙面子，earn 賞臉，reward 留面子 save Situations concerning face: Fear of express

19、ing love Fear of talking about sex Fear of talking with authority figures Fear of revealing ones own shortcomings Fear of speaking and performance148. Communication and Face The concept of face is deeply interactive Inseparable part of communication A product of communication A motive and means for communication The fewer written legal codes that people create for regulating a peoples interaction, the more significant the unwritten concept of face becomes in such a community. Face func