The Chinese perception of self, as discussed in class, is mainly collectivism where there is higher value placed on group cooperation and individual modesty. Also, the Chinese are most comfortable in the presence of a hierarchy where they know their position and the customs or rules for behavior in the situation. The Chinese also puts societal needs above individual needs as they feel that it was important to maintain harmony and emphasizes a lot on “guanxi” or People-Relationship.
On the other hand, the America’s perception of self is individualism where higher value is placed on self-reliance and “freedom” from externally imposed constraints. The Americans are most comfortable working with their social equals and are seen as being more task-orientated as relationships seem to be less important than getting the work done.
The tutorials of Socia-Economic Studies allowed me to understand why the two countries are so different, be it in their way of management or their way of viewing things. For example, I understood that China’s perception of self may be influenced by certain Confucius teachings while the mindset of an individualist may be influenced by the American War of Independence which started mainly because the people were treated with inequality.
Many countries seemed to be influenced by their beliefs, including Singaporeans. Being a Singaporean, these beliefs have affected me in many ways such as the way I do things and the way I behave.
The Chinese perception of self has affected my behavior in a way that, when a teacher or my fellow classmates praise me, there was no way I could turn around and say, “Thank You for Your Compliment”, but instead my first reaction would be I am not good enough to deserve your compliment. This may be due to the fact that our country is influenced by the belief of “modesty” in China. I personally feel that this should not be how we behave, as we should learn to accept the compliments of others, and not constantly feel that we are not good enough, as this would lead to a low self-esteem.
Also, the Chinese perception of self of following the instructions of the people who are of higher rank has influenced the way we Singaporeans do things. For example, in Hwachong, we have a lot of homework, project work and other commitments which makes life very stressful. However, nobody really stands up and say that we do not want to do all these work, or negotiate for lesser work. Instead, we silently get all the work done and this is very similar do China’s way of doing things where one leader speaks, and the subordinates follow with no opinion. I feel that there would be a negative impact on our society if this carries on, as nobody would dare to oppose the current system, thus leading to no new progress in the country as the system is not constantly improved.
However, there is the positive side of the Chinese perception of self. For example, as one of the Chinese teachings is that we should always contribute back to the society which aided us in our success, we can see many successful entrepreneurs contributing to the society by donating to needy funds and non-profit organizations which help the needy. I have been affected by this belief as well as I find joy in doing Service-Learning projects. For example, I used to help teach dyslexic kids at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore last year, going down to Queenstown Primary School once a week.
Similarly, the America’s perception of self has also have a positive impact on the society of Singapore. For example, Singaporeans now know exactly what they want for the country and are more willing to speak up and also show it through their actions. This is evident from the fact that in the recent general elections, Singaporeans show their discontent to PAP’s way of management by voting for the opposing party. Then, Singaporeans voiced out their discontent such as having an influx of foreign talents who compete for jobs and resources with them, traffic congestion and also the high ministerial pays which does not seem to match with the quality of work produced by them. This is a very positive impact on our society as when our citizens are more willing to voice out their discontent, or rather ways of improvement, the country would be able to improve faster.
In conclusion, I feel that both the America and China perception of self has affected me. However, the China’s perception of self seems to suit me better, as being a Chinese, I have been brought up with Chinese beliefs and the Chinese perception of self, which probably explains why many things I do now can be related to the Chinese perception of self.
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Dear Darrel,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that when others praise us, we would seldom thank them for their compliments but instead we just say that we do not deserve their praise. I feel that this is not that good and we should be more open to accepting praises. I also agree that the Chinese perceptions of self encourages people to help and contribute back to the society and this helps people to find joy in helping others. However, I would like to ask you why you prefer the Chinese perception of self because your explanation above is a little vague since you only said it suited you because you are a Chinese and you are brought up with Chinese belief. Does that mean you just simply follow those belief or do you question them at times. I hope you can clarify my doubts. Overall, you did give me the overall view of the different perceptions of self and you also gave your personal views and experiences and also stated some advantages and disadvantages of the different perceptions of self.
Thank you.
Regards,
John Loh (10)
3S1
Dear Darrel,
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of your points on how the Chinese and American perception of self influenced us. Many a times, it is true that when one praises me, we will tend to say we do not deserve the praise. You mentioned that it is not a good thing as it would lead to a low self-esteem. This might not be the case. Firstly, not accepting praise is an act of modesty, like what you have said, and this will give people a good impression that you are not a proud person. Also, when you are praised and you refuse to accept it, it is actually an act of modesty, but in actual fact, one will know that it is a praise, and not feel that they are not good.
I would also want to share with you my opinions on not questioning authority. I agree with you totally that when one does not share his or her opinions and follow what his superior says, there will be a negative impact on our society. This is a disadvantage as the leader may be corrupted, and thus cause the country to plummet economically. One example is Robert Mugabe, who have caused Zimbabwe to fall in poverty, and no one dares to rebel, or even voice out their opinions. However, what if there is too much opinions and discontent? If this happen, there may be a coalition government. Although it may not be a bad thing, there is a chance of the government collapsing, and the government may be held hostage easily.
Finally, I agree with you that contributing to the society is a good thing, as it benefit the society socially and economically. Tan Tock Seng is one example. He contributed a lot of money to help build Tan Tock Seng hospital. However, not many people contribute willingly to the society. Many a times, it is used to "la Guan Xi", or repay the society that has benefited him or her. Of course, not many will contribute to a society that has done harm to them!
In all, I find that this is a good reflective journal as you have expressed your view clearly and gave examples to support your point. You also have a conclusion that describes which one affects you more. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
Huang Weihao
Dear Darrel, thank you for the blog post. I do have some points I want to point out though.
ReplyDeleteIn paragraph 6, you mentioned that the Chinese perception of self has influenced the culture in Hwa Chong, where students would just obediently complete the heavy workload and not stand up and say that they do not want to do it. Well, think about it, if the homework has really no use, the students would naturally 'revolt' and not do them. But the very reason why the students accept the heavy workload is because they are useful, and the students are willing to learn. Another thing to note is that the opposite of Chinese perception, the Western perception, is not about standing up and saying that you do not want to follow the instructions. I believe that in our world right now, it equates to questioning the purpose of a given instruction and what use is it of, so rejecting work would not count as Western perception of self. It is questioning the purpose of the work that counts as the Western perception, and that is important in class, with the prerequisite being respect for the teacher.
Also, it is really interesting to hear that you are involved in a Service-learning project that involves you going down to Queenstown Primary School to teach dyslexic children. But perhaps you can elaborate more on that point. Consider questions such as, how has the experience shaped you and how does it relate to the Chinese perception of self? Also, where did the inspiration to start a SL project come from? Even more, could you have garner a better experience from other things with the Western perception of self?
I do agree with your point that as the country adopts the Western perception of self and learns to speak up to the government, the country would learn more ways of improvements and it will encourage growth within the country. Indeed, this affects you, but I feel that you could include in how does the Western perception of self affect you on a personal level, instead of focusing on how the Western perception of self affects the government and affects you with a rather, external impact. Are there any instances in which you have attempted adopting this perception of self? Perhaps these experiences could have enrich your journal, more so than how the government's actions can affect you, mainly because the government's actions would affect every Singaporean. Personal experiences with the aforementioned perception would be better.
But I really appreciate the blog post! Thank you!
Jack Tan
Hi Jack,
DeleteThanks for commenting on my blog. Firstly, may I know what makes you think that our students would "revolt" if they find the work not useful? Do you really think that our students are being brought up in such a way that they will do that? I believe that not everyone will find some Worksheets given out in class useful, however, do you find people "revolting"? Also, just to clarify, I did not say that the Western perception of self is about rejecting work, instead, I said that the Western perception of self is such that the students are more willing to speak up or express their views.