Direct Vs Indirect Communication

Some of the junior English students have been taking a class over the last three weeks called American Culture: learning about the differences between Chinese and American culture and then experiencing it first hand by spending a lot of time with the new teachers when they get here.  Last night they did a presentation on the difference between direct and indirect communication, something I found very interesting.

Chinese culture promote indirect communication. Most all of Chinese culture is the same all around the country and a huge part of their culture is the idea of 'face.'  I'll write more about face later, but in general its like one's reputation and self esteem.  Chinese people are very very careful to make sure that they don't lose face in front of others.  So they communicate indirectly to be sensitive to everyone's face.  Most ideas are presented as sugestions, with deference that the other person probably has the better idea.  Most answers to yes or no questions are 'maybe,' giving both parties the chance to back out or change plans without losing face.  Conflict is prevented at most costs, Chinese people do not want to rock the boat at all.

To Americans, this type of communication can be very frustrating.  We value straight talking; equating direct communication with honesty.  Conflict is something to be dealt with and then move on.  In China, direct communication is used only with very close friends or by employers to employees.  Americans can easily overstep bounds in China that they didn't know where there, seeming overpowering and superior in a culture where very little is said outright.

The way things happen in China is often not the most efficent way things can be done.  Unlike America, efficiency and problem solving are not top priorities for the Chinese.  Providing the most amount of jobs to people is a much higher priority.  This can create efficiency: the entire garden in front of Peter Hall was torn up and replanted in three hours because there were 40 people working on it.  However, mostly it creates a drag because things need to go between more people.  But, that's the way things are and those people are getting paid and feeding their families, so the line has to be drawn somewhere.

I remember this story from my ELIC training discussing this idea: a group of Americans were driving around the country side and watching workers in the field.  One of them commented that farm machinery would be able to cut the number of people in the field in half.  Their Chinese guide looked at him and said "But then where would all those people work?"  Just because farm machinery would be more efficent, it is not necessarily the best way in China.

Having the Chinese Culture students be able to articulate this to us was very informative and will help with dealing with a culture as different as China's.