Abstract With the development of technological and economic integration , inter-cultural communication has attracted more and more concern. As the differences of region, language and tradition, cultural differences have caused difficult communication to nations. And it is inevitable that cultural conflict will follow. This paper takes the movie guasha for example. It expounds the differences and conflicts between Chinese and American cultures from the aspects of family, friendship, and society. Some strategies have been reached finally, such as ability to cross-cultural communication, development of cultural empathy and consciousness of ethnorelativism. This movie aims to communicate how to overcome cultural conflicts and the inevitable trend of cultural integration to people rather than allow the people to enjoy or reject one culture. 56980
Key words: cultural conflict; cultural blendings; guasha; cultural empathy; ethnorelativism
摘要 随着技术进步与经济发展,跨文化交际也越来越引起了人们的重视。由于地域、语言、传统等方面的不同,文化差异造成了各国交流的困难,文化冲突必然随之而来。本文即以电影《刮痧》为例,从家庭,友情,社会等方面阐述中美两种文化间的差异和冲突,最终达成文化融合的一些策略,如跨文化交际能力,文化移情的培养以及民族相对主义的意识。该电影旨在克服文化冲突,并论证文化融合是文化交流的必然趋势,而不是为了让大家喜欢或排斥一种文化。
毕业论文关键词:文化冲突;文化融合;电影《刮痧》;文化移情;民族相对主义
Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Theoretical Foundation: Cultural Conflicts and Blendings 1
3. Cultural Background between China and America 2
3.1 Traditional Confucianism in China 2
3.2 Egalitarian in American culture 3
4. The Potential Source of Cultural Differences between China and America 4
4.1 Differences on family education in guasha 4
4.2 Differences on friend view in guasha 5
4.3 Differences on social view in guasha 6
5. Communication and Blending between China and America 7
5.1 Overcoming “ethnocentrism” and advocating “ethnorelativism” 8
5.2 Accelerating the integration of multiculturalism 10
6. The Importance of Inter-cultural Communication 11
7. Conclusion 12
Works Cited 14
1. Introduction
As an art form, a movie involves abundant cultural contents, and an intuitive carrier to culture, including the movie guasha. The culture of a country or a nation has been showed completely in the movie. It tells the hero Xu’s cultural sufferings in a foreign country, America. Xu Datong has acquired a certain achievement on his business during eight years’ life in America. He is full of ambition, and he makes a speech excitedly on his company’s annual prize ceremony: “I love America and my American dream has come true finally.” However, a series of culture shocks knock the family completely off balance with bewildering rapidity. For example, Xu Datong smacks his child in front of his boss John Quinlan; the court concludes Dennis suffers violence at home because of red marks on Dennis’ back caused by scraping; in order to let the old father see his grandson, Xu Datong steals out his son Dennis from welfare homes. The movie contains dramatic stroys, stressful rhythm, poignant plot, theatrical performance, and happy ending. In order to express cultural conflicts better, Zheng Xiaolong chooses the shot location in Missouri (one of America's states) which is famous for its obstinate residents, rather than the familiar city New York and Los Angeles. Because the two cities are too international and they can not represent the real American culture. Actually, they are nothing in Americans’ eyes. Restatement: in America, a place which holds local knowledge, it must resist the foreign culture. That’s why the so-called cultural conflicts not only attract our own attention, but also Americans’ interests.