Submitted By: Sarah Ybarra

By this point in the MBA program, we have clearly determined that China is a nation of never-ending contradictions. This is a land that is communist in its politics, capitalist and extremely competitive in business, and still clings to its seemingly arcane traditions, values and superstitions. And how do they reconcile all of these different facets of life? Well, in many cases, they don’t. It seems to many outsiders that the Chinese are living unexamined lives, with no desire to reflect on the contradictions that run their world. The Chinese traditions, in particular, run in stark contradiction to the newly adopted capitalist values. These beliefs are often hardwired into the Chinese psyche, such as the belief that male children are more desirable than are female children, as explained by Amy Linker, even though this belief is now wreaking havoc on the country’s economy and family structures.

Another striking contradiction I found was in the CNN article An Olympic Sized Baby Boom, in which the author describes the rise in pregnancies to coincide with the opening of the Beijing Olympics. Some mothers are even requesting to schedule their c-sections at the exact time and date of the opening ceremonies. It seems that, even though China is currently in the year of the rat (an unpopular sign under which to be born), a birthday associated with such a prosperous event for China would surely result in the baby itself prospering later in life. And since next year is the Year of the Ox (commonly associated with the bull), the obstetricians will be having another very busy year. ‘”With the stock markets in the doldrums, I bet many parents would love to have a ‘bull baby’ to bring about a bull market,” Dr. Xu predicted. “I am sure I’ll be busy as ever.”’

Such superstitions seemingly have no place in what we have come to learn is a marketplace of practicality, self-made destiny, no-frills hard work and very little room for the humanity that we expect in the American workplace. All mothers want to give their children the best possible opportunities, however, and in China, this still includes giving a baby the best possible birth sign. This tradition, as out of place as it might seem, can do nothing to hurt the baby’s chances of success.

Drinking on the job, on the other hand, is a Chinese tradition that might be meeting its demise in the future, due to its adverse effects on productivity and on public sentiment. In the New York Post article, Got a Mint, Comrade? Chinese Ban Liquid Lunch, the typical Communist civil servant’s daily schedule is described as including a very lengthy and alcohol-soaked lunch banquet in the middle of the day. The Chinese consider it bad form to not entertain their business partners, and so they engage in heavy drinking, often on the government’s dime, in order to impress their clients. The public, however has grown very weary of being stuck with the bill, and the leader of the Xinyang Communist Party has assigned roving “booze squads” to administer breathalyzer tests on the civil servants in the province. Many feel as though these crackdowns violate their rights as civil servants, but others are grateful that they no longer are expected to partake of the heavy drinking required as part of the job. Said one party official, ‘“They felt obligated to drink at these lunches. If they didn’t, they would be accused of not treating their guests warmly.’”

It seems as though in this case, the demands of the marketplace have resulted in crackdowns on the traditions that have long contributed to government corruption and inefficiencies. The leader of the booze squads admits, however, that this is a deep-rooted tradition and that it will be next to impossible to persuade the old guard to forego the custom.

There is no disputing the fact that it is much easier to pick out the hypocrisies and contradictions of others than it is to see them in one’s self or one’s culture. The New York Post article Major League Baseball Arrives in China, but Traditions Don’t Quite Translate, the author describes his trip with his son to see the Dodgers and Padres play in China’s new Olympic stadium. He tells of how he instructed his hesitant son to throw his peanut shells on the ground, as is custom in the United States. A Chinese woman working at the stadium quickly came up and began scooping up the peanut shells with her hands, and the boy looked horrified to have committed such a faux pas. It became obvious to me that Americans must have many seemingly contradictory customs and traditions, and that we simply do not see them because they have been so ingrained into us. The Chinese woman might have thought to herself that it seems quite odd for an American, who espouses the ideals of politeness and civility, to throw their refuse on the floor in a public place.

If we were on the outside looking in, what other contradictions would we see in ourselves and in our culture? Would we find some that adversely affect our gross national product? Are these traditions more important than the bottom line? These are all questions that we are waiting for the Chinese to answer about themselves, but it might be that they do not recognize many of these contradictions because they are living them. So I think what we should do is go over there and tell them what they’re doing wrong! Who’s with me?

What might be the most valuable is that we view the Chinese culture as a whole, rather than as a sum of its parts. The pieces should be considered and examined, but cannot be discarded as easily as might be suggested. The Chinese culture is one of traditions and one of ambition. One without the other is not desirable or possible.