On-Differences-between-Chinese-and-Western-Privacy

龙源期刊网作者：SunGengmeiSunPeng来源：《校园英语·中旬》2015年第09期【Abstract】WiththeemergenceofglobalizationandChinahosting2022winterOlympics，cross-culturalcommunicationisbeingeagerlyrequiredtostrengthen.FurtherunderstandingofdifferentprivacyviewsbetweenChinaandthewestiskeytoconsciousnessofprivacyprotectionandsmoothinterculturalcommunication.【Keywords】Chinese；western；privacy；views；differencesGlobalizationandhosting2022winterOlympicsmayofferChinamoreculturalcommunicationswiththeworld.Privacyisaninseparablepartofcultureandpeoplearemoreandmoreawareoftheimportanceofprivacyprotection.Differentconceptionsofprivacymaybeacauseofmisunderstandingincross-culturalcommunication.Sodifferentprivacyviewsneedtobecomprehendedandunderstoodwell.1.GeneralConceptionofPrivacyTheword“privacy”comesfromLatin，meaningindividualstrytogetawayfrompubliclifeandresignfromoffice.Generallyspeaking，privacy，apsychologicalconcept，istheabilityofanindividualorgrouptosecludethemselvesorinformationaboutthemselvesandtherebyrevealthemselvesselectively.AccordingtotheModernChinesedictionary，“privacy”means“thepersonalinformationthatisintendednottotellothersandjustkeptsecret”.Alongwiththedevelopmentofglobalization，peoplearebecomingmoreconsciousoftheirrightofprivacy.Nowadays，privacyisaculturalphenomenonalsoamentalphenomena.Privacyhasdifferentmeaningamongcountrieswithdifferentvaluesandcustoms.2.DifferentPrivacyPerceptionsBetweenChineseandWesternCultureEverynationhasitsuniqueculturalbackground，viewsofvalues，socialcustomsandhabitswhichcausedifferentunderstandingofprivacyandleadtodifferentcommunicationmethods.Thenpeoplewillobeydifferentrulesduringtheinterculturalcommunicationtominimizeoravoidculturalconflictandachievethegoalofself-improvement.2.1WesternViewsonPrivacy.Westernersattachagreatdealofvaluetoprivacy.Theythinkprivacyisinrelationtoone’sbasicdignityandindependence，losingprivacymeanslosingapartofoneself.Thesenseofprivacyinthewest，whichisbasedonthevalueofprivatism，putsindividualisminthefirstplace.Individual-coredviewofprivacycoversbroadsenses，containingpersonalinformation（personaltimeandspace，individualaffairs）andembodyingtheinterestsof龙源期刊网，maintenanceofprivacyisrespectforhumanityandhumanrights.Theviewofprivacygraduallybecomesakindofsocialconvention，sooccidentalsviewpayingavisittoothers’withouttellingthehostaheadoftimeasarudeandinappropriatebehavior，violatingprivacyofothers.Occidentalshaveastrongsenseoftheboundaries，invisiblespaceactsasaprivatesphereforthem.Theyarespace-sensitive，withspecialattentiontoprotecttheirprivatepropertyandprivatespacesoasnottobeviolated.Theywouldneverentertheothers’roomeasilywithoutanypermission.Inotherwords，people’snonpublicroomisapartofprivacy，whichotherscannotcomeintoarbitrarily.Thestrongsenseoftheboundariesembodiesapartofwesterners’viewsofprivacy.2.2ChineseViewsonPrivacy.Chinesetraditionalcultureisatypicalgroupculture，whichhasformedthegroupprivacyview.Chineseprivacyexistsinbetweengroupsandcommunities.Theaimofprotectingprivacyisforregulatingthebenefitsbetweengroupsandmaintainingsocialstabilityandharmony.CollectivismisthecoreofprivacyviewinChina.Chinesethinkhighlyofthegroupprivacy.Thestatusofindividualislessimportant.ThegroupinterestsarethemainstreamofChinesevalues，peoplevaluegroupprivacymuchmorethantheindividual’s.ThiscausesChineseindividualprivacytobeviolatedeveryminutewithoutbeingnoticed.Theconversationbetweentwopersonsmayinvolvetheirfamily，career，salary，marriageandsomeotherpersonalinformation，whichisseenasanimpolitebehaviorandunrespectforothers’privacyinthewest.ThisprivacyviewmakesomeChineseneglectthesenseoftheboundariesandpersonaltimeandspace.AgoodexampleoflackofrespectforprivacymaybeChineseparentsareeasilyaccessibletotheirchildren’roomwithoutpermission.Tolearnthepsychologicalstatusoftheirchildren，Chineseparentswouldreadchildren’personaldiaryarbitrarily.Inaddition，relativesandfriendsusuallydropbypeople’shomeswithouttelephoningaheadoftime，whichChinesepeopleconsideranintimacy.Actually，thesurprisevisitnotonlyviolatesothers’personalspace，butalsotheirprivatetime.Withintentionsofstrengtheningtheculturalcommunicationandreducingthebarriersincross-culturalcommunicationasmuchaspossible，discrepanciesofsensesofprivacybetweenChinaandthewestshouldbecomprehendedandunderstoodwell，thenasmoothinterculturalcommunicationandsuccessfulOlympicscanbeachieved.【基金项目】张家口市科学技术研究与发展计划项目（1411058I-2）作者简介：孙耕梅（1966.8），女，河北北方学院副教授，硕士，研究方向：从事英语教学和英语语言文学研究。