An Analysis of Views on Friendship in Chinese and Americans from the Perspective of Long-term versus Short-term Orientation

【Abstract】There are different views on friendship between people of dissimilar cultural backgrounds. This article examines the different views on friendship between Chinese and Americans by referring to Hofstedes Cultural Dimension Theory. Particularly， the dimension of long-term and short-term orientation is used to compare differences in duration of friendship and attitudes toward old friends.

【Key words】Friendship; Hofstede cultural dimension; Long-term and short-term orientation

【作者简介】杨阳，首都师范大学外国语学院，在读研究生。

Ⅰ.Introduction

An important type of interpersonal relationship is friendship. The pursuit of friendship is impeded during cross-cultural interaction， however， because of cultural differences， particularly those involving values and ideologies. To ameliorate cross-cultural communication， its helpful to understand the differences in cultural views on friendship.

As for Hofstedes Cultural Dimension Theory， he initially developed four dimensions： power distance， uncertainty avoidance， individualism versus collectivism， and masculinity versus femininity. Hofstede later added a fifth dimension， long-term versus short-term orientation. He states that long-term orientation stands for the fostering of virtues oriented around future rewards， especially perseverance and thrift. Its opposite pole， short-term orientation， stands for the fostering of virtues related to the past and present， in particular respect for tradition， preservation of ‘face， and fulfilling social obligations （Hofstede， 2001）. Long-term oriented cultures， with roots in the ethical imperatives of Confucianism， emphasize education， frugality， and perseverance. Short-term oriented cultures emphasize expectation for quick results， respect for traditions， and social spending.

An approach of understanding views on friendship in different cultures is to study language as spoken by group members. Proverbs are linguistically idiosyncratic， which offers insight into unique viewpoints and values of a society. Therefore， this article aims to provide a better understanding of different views on friendship between Chinese and Americans with the help of proverbs as the auxiliary tool， with intent to help minimize cross-cultural misunderstanding and ameliorate cross-cultural communication.

Ⅱ.Views on Friendship in Chinese and Americans from the Perspective of Long-term versus Short-term Orientation

1.The Difference in duration of friendship. In China， friendship is often solid， stable and even life-long. Chinese are very careful about making friend， taking a long time to get in touch with each other. Chinese proverbs that reflect common views about friendship are “患難见真情” ， “患难之交永不忘” . Some people even think friends need to experience big events together in order to cultivate a deep friendship， such as the friendship in a Chinese folktale entitled “Taking Oath in the Peach Garden”. Friendship not only needs to be cultivated gradually but also requires a certain amount of time and dedication from both sides， for example “士为知己者死，女为悦己者容”; “肝胆相照，同舟共济”; “为朋友不惜两肋插刀”.

Americans generally make friends more quickly， but also forget friends more quickly， and can easily become indifferent to each other. Alison Lanier claims the United States is a very mobile country. Americans frequently move to new areas in search of employment and education. With each move， they make new friends while decreasing contact with old friends. The friendship of Americans may be intimate， continuous， intense， generous， and sincere， but once the environment changes， all that may disappear. Americans are accustomed to this and therefore are not hurt by loss of companionship. Since America is so mobile， Americans personal relationships are relatively weaker and more sporadic.

The durable friendship that Chinese prefer requires much time to develop， which many Americans are unwilling to commit. The reason why Chinese pay much attention to the time length of friendship is that they value long-term commitment and contend that friendship which survives the test of time is the most precious. The virtue of perseverance is championed by cultures with a long-term orientation. Alternatively， Americans feel more comfortable with a short-term friendship because virtues directed at the present and expectation for quick results are championed by cultures with a short-term orientation.

2.The Difference in attitude toward old friends. Several Chinese proverbs about friendships are as follows： “人惟舊，衣惟新” ?——汉·王符《潜夫论· 交际 》 ?; “衣不如新，人不如故”。 ?——乐府《古艳歌》 ?. From the proverbs above， its evident that old friends are valued in Chinese proverbs under any circumstances and that new friends are rarely regarded as good as old friends. Huang （2013） notes that friendship in China is very stable and may last for a lifetime. Chinese expect long-term and unchanging friendship which doesnt fade with a change of circumstances.

One particularly telling English proverb about friendship is “To get on/along like a house on fire”. The meaning is that people can experience rapid and intense friendship， in stark contrast to the patience and steadfastness encouraged by Chinese proverbs. But as discussed above， Americans friendship is often associated with certain circumstances， as soon as the situation changes so do the friends.

Chinese views on friendship reflect a culture with a long-term orientation. Chinese cherish old friends due to their appreciation of long-term commitment which includes perseverance and persistent determination. But Americans do not always speak highly of old friends. For them the time investment in friendship is not as valued as by Chinese counterparts. Although life-long friendship is also treasured by them， they readily cultivate short-term friendship because they cherish the present.

Ⅲ.Conclusion

As a whole， Chinese views on friendship reflect a culture with a long-term orientation. Conversely， Americans concept of friendship shows a culture with a short-term orientation. The analysis of different views on friendship may offer guidelines for interpersonal interactions between Chinese and Americans. With a better understanding of cultural differences， people will communicate more appropriately and peacefully.

References：

[1]Hofstede， G. Cultures Consequence[J]. London： Sage Publication， Inc，2001.

[2]Huang Guangguo Face and Favor： Chinese Power Game. The American Journal of Sociology[M]. The University of Chicago Press. Vol，2013（92）：944-974.