Chinese Ethnocentrism. Just As Hard To Accept As Western Ethnocentrism.
May 18th, 2008
Westerners can be ethnocentric (see, e.g., my previous post and our comment discussion, Cultural Knuckleheads in the Global World); but let’s be fair — so can others, including the Chinese. And per Dr. Morris’ lecture with us we learned that a fair bit of this stems from China’s historical “we are the Middle Kingdom” and our emperor has a “mandate from Heaven” cultural superiority/bias/thing and that house of cards. On either side of the Pacific, ethnocentrism is not terribly attractive, in my view.
I also see over-the-top nationalism to be a subset of ethnocentrism. Example: “I love my country” = okay and it seems to me is not ethnocentric and is legitimate patriotism. But “I love my country because we are the best at or we have the best ____” or “We’re Number One!” many times = obnoxious nationalism and hence ethnocentrism (particularly when said by one who has not traveled much to be able to have a decent sample size to gauge what the “best” or “No. 1″ is or by someone who is afraid to try new things and/or is not terribly adventurous).
Yes, the line between legitimate patriotism and obnoxious nationalism is fine, but it’s important. It’s easy to tip from one into the other.
See Dan Harris’ recent China Law Blog post on this very subject (Chinese nationalism) and how it relates to business. It’s worth the read.
Some will argue one side caused or led to the other’s grief. I have no idea how to sort out the casual chain. Others will offer excuses for their ethnocentrism (whether it’s western, eastern, northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere, or other) (e.g., “But you misunderstand me. I am not really that way as a person; and how can I be classified as ethnocentric for believing what I believe. That’s not fair. And in any event, I am right, you know.”). That stuff does not much matter to me. At some point, we all just need to get over the reasons and excuses, cut out the feeling of being right and/or superior to the other, and move forward.
Your thoughts?
Prof. Carr June 10, 2008 addendum: See the WSJ article that just came out relating to this very post, Victim or Victor? China’s Olympic Odyssey
Entry Filed under: China, Pre-Departure, Beijing
5 Comments Add your own
1. Simeon Trieu | May 20th, 2008 at 12:52 am
I’m not sure if ethnocentrism is the reason for China’s treatment of foreigners and who is to blame for all the pollution. First of all, what China does in their own country is largely dependent on them. If they really wanted to have cleaner cities, then they need to put more research into cleaner methods of production. Nobody is forcing them to take the contracts with foreign companies. Chinese have a nasty habit of doing things the most convenient way possible but neglecting what may be wrong in the process. If you can’t guarantee clean air when you manufacture something, and pollution is a major factor for you, then you must take it into consideration along with profit potential.
On the other hand, Westerners shouldn’t expect preferential treatment just because they are foreigners. In fact, they should expect to be treated worse than citizens. It’s how America operates also. Minorities are just not given the same opportunities as the majority. But that doesn’t stop the minorities from working harder and making a good living for themselves, does it? Stop crying and move on. What is fair? It’s the cards you are dealt and how you play them. A smart idea and a good amount of hard work will always get you what you want. But how badly do you want it?
2. Jeff Mohr | May 25th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I think the Ethnocentric attitude is ingrained in us as we grow up–you have to consciously try to avoid it. It isn’t just about race/culture either. I see it in things as simple as “the way I cook said item is better and you are thus doing it wrong.” I feel that growing up in the US you are pressured into believing your country is number one, and if you voice an opinion otherwise, many either look down on you or ignore you altogether. I am sure it is a similar situation in other countries as well.
What we need to do is take a step back and stop being judgmental. It isn’t easy because for most of us I believe that is the gut reaction. The easiest thing to do is to say that your own way is superior and condemn everything else. What is more difficult and more valuable is to take the time to see why other people do it a different way. Be ready to explore and look for the problems in your own culture. We are hard wired to pay more attention to information that reinforces our views than items that contradict. It is a constant battle inside our heads but a necessary one.
3. Brandi Eng-Rohrbach | May 28th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I think that ethnocentrism is a part of everyone. In River Town, Peter Hessler talks a lot about ethnocentrism. I thought one of the most interesting points is when he is talking about how Westerners view the Three Gorges Dam as tragic. He talks about this in reference to the town he is living in, Fuling, which is scheduled to be flooded. Since the city is being flooded by the construction of the dam, the government is building a new town for the residents. He talks about how it seems like such a loss of history and culture to the West. The Chinese, on the other hand, to his surprise view it as a good thing. The new town of Fuling that the government is building will be better planned and have new infrastructure. I thought this was a more interesting exploration of a subtle ethnocentrism. Sometimes we are biased even when we don’t realize it. The book is also very good in that it explores Chinese ethnocentrism and the generalizations they make about America.
4. Chris Carr | May 28th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Good connect to the Hessler book. I read the book and this had not occurred to me. Yes, that is exactly part of what he was facing and he too experienced ethnocentrism coming from the local Chinese in the river town he was in. No question. In fact, as I remember, some of it was pretty bad and blatant, and almost laughable in its absurdity.
5. Chris Kirk | June 5th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Ethnocentrism might be the biggest reason that the global economy has not caught on sooner. So long as there are Americans that are opposed to sending jobs overseas and citizens in China or any other country around the world that despise Americans, these people will be less inclined to submit to the idea of a free market economy. Obviously some people have been able to overcome this self centered attitude to see the benefits of outsourcing. I have always felt that nobody is any better or worse than any other individual in the world. I believe that you should be judged on the way you act and the way you treat others. There is nothing wrong with being patriotic- I am proud and realize how lucky I am to have been born in the United States. Being patriotic and respectful of others can be mutually exclusive ideologies however which many don’t seem to understand. I have said from day one that this trip will be one of perspective. I am looking forward to the perspective that I will gain and I hope my fellow students gain. I think our eyes will be opened to the work ethic and perseverance of the Chinese and Indian people. I think a few will be a little less quick to judge. I hope that a few less will subscribe to being “the egotistical American” after this trip.
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