scholarly journals The Phenomenon of Chinese Culture

Author(s):  
Jan Konior

Abstract The aim of the presentation is to Define the scope of Chinese Culture 正確的說明中國文化 and to introduce Chinese civilization, history, Chinese religions, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism (in general but also specific meaning), the concept of Chinese archeology, Beijing man – 北京人, including discoveries like: china-ware, powder, silk 生絲, (Kung-fu, zhonguogongfu 中國功夫, Tai-chi-chuien, taijichuen 太極拳, and famous Chinese medicine, zhongyiao 中藥. Chinese Anthropological philosophy, Confucian ethic – 孔夫子的倫理. Silk road which linked Rome 羅馬 to Xian – 西安. The idea of harmony 和諧: joy of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism 佛家, 道家, 孔教 is included in Christianity. Taking into account Confucian humanism and traditional Chinese society 傳統的社會… Summing up everything is embraced by the definition of Chinese culture 中國文化.

Author(s):  
Чжидань Ли

Введение. Концепт «образование» является одним из значимых в концептосфере современного общества, о чем свидетельствует неослабевающей интерес к данной ментально-языковой универсалии на уровне как общенациональных концептосфер, так и отдельных дискурсов, и дискурсивных практик. В сетевом диаспоральном дискурсе репрезентация концепта «образование» приобретает яркие особенности, поскольку анализ интернет-коммуникации представителей русской диаспоры в Китае отражает особый вариант русской лингвокультуры, ориентированной в область китайской культуры, чем обусловлены новизна и актуальность данного исследования. Цель статьи – описать специфику репрезентации концепта «образование» в интернет-дискурсе русско-язычной диаспоры Китая с опорой на анализ его инолингвокультурного субстрата. Материал и методы. Материалом исследования послужили более 10 тыс. текстов интернет-коммуникации членов русскоязычного диаспорального сообщества Китая, содержащих имя анализируемого концепта и иные его лексические репрезентанты. В анализе, помимо методологического инструментария интерлингвокультурологии и лексической семантики, используются приемы квантитативного, контекстологического и дискурс-анализа. Результаты и обсуждение. Как показал анализ, среди компонентов инолингвокультурного субстрата концепта «образование» наибольший интерес представляют следующие лексические единицы-китаизмы, характерные для русско-китайской языковой среды: лаоши 715 (老师138), вайцзяо 138 (外教 40), сюешен/сюэшен 5 (学生 112), сюэюань 2 (学院 64). Сделаны выводы о нечеткости определения понятия сюэюань в связи с неоднозначностью и многовариантностью его перевода, ведущей к спорам о «правильности» классификации институтов высшего образования Китая; об исключительно положительной коннотации ксенонима вайцзяо, амбивалентной коннотации лексем лаоши и сюэюань, а также преимущественно негативной лексической единицы сюешен; об идентификации себя русскими преподавателями с лаоши и вайцзяо без необходимости перевода китайских эквивалентов на русский язык в связи с полным принятием данной профессиональной роли и статуса как уважаемых и почетных в китайском социуме и культуре. Заключение. В сетевом дискурсе русскоязычной диаспоры Китая выделяется определенный набор ксенонимов-китаизмов, эксплицирующих концепт «образование». Данные лексемы характеризуются особой культурологической ценностью и актуальностью, а их анализ свидетельствует о сильном влиянии иноязычной среды на восприятие информации представителями диаспорального сообщества, о самоидентификации в соответствии с социальными и профессиональными статусами, принятыми в китайской традиции, а также о более экспрессивном выражении эмоций и оценок с помощью иноязычного слова. Introduction. The concept education is one of the most significant in the conceptual sphere of modern society, as evidenced by the unflagging interest in this mental-linguistic universalism both at the level of the national conceptual sphere and at the level of individual discourses and discursive practices. In the online diaspora discourse, the representation of the concept education acquires vivid features, since the analysis of the Internet communication of the representatives of the Russian diaspora in China reflects a special variant of the Russian linguistic culture oriented to the Chinese culture, which is due to the novelty and relevance of this research. Aim and objectives. The purpose of this article is to describe the specifics of representation of the concept education in network discourse of the Russian-speaking diaspora of China, based on the analysis of its inolinguistic cultural substrate. Material and methods. More than 10,000 texts of Internet communication of members of the Russian-speaking diaspora community in China, containing the name of the analyzed concept and its other lexical representatives, became the material of the study. In addition to the methodological tools of interlinguoculturology and lexical semantics, the analysis uses techniques of quantitative, contextual and discourse analysis. Results and discussion. As the analysis has shown, among the components of the inolinguistic cultural substrate of the concept education, the following lexical units of Chinese characteristic of the Russian-Chinese language environment are of the greatest interest: лаоши 715 (老师138), вайцзяо 138 (外教 40), сюешен/сюэшен 5 (学生 112), сюэюань 2 (学院 64). Conclusions were made about the ambiguity of the definition of the concept сюэюань due to the ambiguity and multivariance of its translation, leading to disputes about the correctness of the classification of higher education institutions in China; about the exceptionally positive connotation of the xenonym вайцзяо, the ambivalent connotation of the lexemes лаоши and сюэюань, as well as predominantly negative – the lexical unit сю- ешен; the identification of oneself by Russian teachers from лаоши and вайцзяо without the need to translate Chinese equivalents into Russian in connection with full acceptance of this professional role and status as respected and honorable in Chinese society and culture. Conclusion. The network discourse of the Russian-speaking diaspora in China is distinguished by a certain set of xenonyms that express the concept education. These lexemes are characterized by a special cultural value and relevance, and their analysis indicates a strong influence of the foreign language environment on the perception of information by representatives of the diaspora community, self-identification in accordance with the social and professional statuses adopted in the Chinese tradition, as well as a more expressive expression of emotions and assessments using the foreign word.


Author(s):  
Volker Scheid

This chapter explores the articulations that have emerged over the last half century between various types of holism, Chinese medicine and systems biology. Given the discipline’s historical attachments to a definition of ‘medicine’ that rather narrowly refers to biomedicine as developed in Europe and the US from the eighteenth century onwards, the medical humanities are not the most obvious starting point for such an inquiry. At the same time, they do offer one advantage over neighbouring disciplines like medical history, anthropology or science and technology studies for someone like myself, a clinician as well as a historian and anthropologist: their strong commitment to the objective of facilitating better medical practice. This promise furthermore links to the wider project of critique, which, in Max Horkheimer’s definition of the term, aims at change and emancipation in order ‘to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them’. If we take the critical medical humanities as explicitly affirming this shared objective and responsibility, extending the discipline’s traditional gaze is not a burden but becomes, in fact, an obligation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Upton-McLaughlin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to explore the Chinese concept of suzhi and how it relates to behavioral standards within mainland Chinese society and the workplace. The article provides a general discussion of suzhi and its inherent elements to act as a foundation for the education of expatriate managers and executives and for future research by Chinese human resource management (HRM) scholars. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the author's first-hand experience and observations from five years of living and working abroad in mainland China with Chinese companies and executives. Findings – The concept of suzhi in China is a reflection of multiple behavioral standards throughout China. And while suzhi's roots are in ancient Chinese culture and Confucianism, it is also subject to influence and change. Practical implications – The paper may serve as a foundation both for expatriate managers seeking to improve HRM practices in foreign companies in China and future scholars who wish to conduct further research on suzhi and Chinese behavioral standards as they can be applied to the workplace. Originality/value – This is an attempt to enlighten expatriate managers and executives in China on the concept of suzhi and its implication for HRM in China.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-354
Author(s):  
Jean A. Berlie

Purpose – The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has a unique identity. This study is based on a long period of research undertaken between 1995 and 2014. Permanent residents, the Chinese of Macau and all other MSAR residents constitute a body of model “citizens” which makes their legal identity understandable in the MSAR’s present social and economic context. Macau’s legal identity is based on centuries of trade and commerce. In Article 5 of the first chapter (I-5) of the MSAR’s Basic Law, the “way of life” in Macau’s society and economy are recognized as part of the MSAR’s legal framework. However, social change may play an important role in Macau’s development. The purpose of this paper is to look at the legal corpus as though it was a physical body with rights and duties, but also capabilities based on the nationality and residence statuses of its citizens, its companies and other entities (which will be studied more specifically in following articles). Design/methodology/approach – This study has used the combined approaches of fieldwork carried out between 2010 and 2015, interviews, and questionnaires. Findings – Way of life and the concept of One Country, Two Systems are key points that contribute to Macau’s contemporary identity. Way of life in the Basic Law constitutes a complex matrix formulation based on a series of particular facts and cultural traits, which leads to a better legal definition of important concepts such as nationality and residency in the particular case of Macau. The Basic Law is the constitutional law of the MSAR, but “Chineseness” still dominates the locals’ identity from day to day. More than 65 percent of the interviewees in the survey asserted their “Chineseness.” However, both Chinese and Portuguese, will continue to be official languages of Macau until 2049. The MSAR’s Chinese society speaks Cantonese and increasingly Putonghua, but it does not seem concerned by communicating using the Portuguese language. Clayton’s thesis emphasized the “unique cultural identity” of the MSAR and wrote that what made the Chinese of Macau “different from other Chinese, is the existence of a Portuguese state on Chinese soil.” Portuguese cultural tolerance is not mentioned, but it is a historical fact that has influenced Macau’s legal identity. The MSAR’s government has done its best to harmonize Macau’s multicultural society and it has particularly protected the Sino-Portuguese way of life in Macau. Practical implications – To apply the law and maintain the existing harmony in its society and economy, legal actions have had to be taken by the Macau government and courts. The courts of the MSAR are structured in three levels and have final powers of adjudication, except in very narrow political areas. The judicial system includes the following courts, from the highest to the lowest: the Court of Final Appeal, the Court of Second Instance and the Court of First Instance (Tribunal de Primeira Instância). Originality/value – This research is unique inasmuch as studies of legal identities focussed on large regions such as the MSAR of China are rare.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 147470491773051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingke Guo ◽  
Yujie Li ◽  
Shushuang Yu

Using 347 parent–child dyads as participants, this study directly examined in-law and mate preferences in a typical collectivist culture. The results showed (1) traits indicating social status and parental investment were more highly valued by the parents, while traits indicating genetic quality and traits related to romantic love were more highly valued by the children. (2) Parental preferences were moderated by gender of the in-laws. Good earning capacity was more preferred by parents in a son-in-law, traits connoting genetic quality and reproductive fitness were more preferred by parents in a daughter-in-law. (3) There was more convergence in in-law and mate preferences in Chinese culture than in Western cultures. (4) Traditional cultural values (i.e., filial piety) can be used as a predictor of traditional mate preferences and less parent–child divergences. Additionally, greater preference for kind and understanding by parents than by children as well as by daughters than by sons, and greater preference for social status by the daughters’ than by the sons’ parents have not been observed in the rating and the ranking instrument. These findings illustrated how culture handles the parent–child disagreement over mating by authorizing greater parental influence on children’s mating decisions.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Xingjiang Xiong

Hypertension is an important worldwide public -health challenge with high mortality and disability. Due to the limitations and concerns with current available hypertension treatments, many hypertensive patients, especially in Asia, have turned to Chinese medicine (CM). Although hypertension is not a CM term, physicians who practice CM in China attempt to treat the disease using CM principles. A variety of approaches for treating hypertension have been taken in CM. For seeking the best evidence of CM in making decisions for hypertensive patients, a number of clinical studies have been conducted in China, which has paved the evidence-based way. After literature searching and analyzing, it appeared that CM was effective for hypertension in clinical use, such as Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, qigong, and Tai Chi. However, due to the poor quality of primary studies, clinical evidence is still weak. The potential benefits and safety of CM for hypertension still need to be confirmed in the future with well-designed RCTs of more persuasive primary endpoints and high-quality SRs. Evidence-based Chinese medicine for hypertension still has a long way to go.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Le ◽  
Darren Tellier

In Canada, there is a growing interest in regulating the practices of acupuncture and Chinese herbology under the banner of ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’ (TCM). However, the origins and definition of TCM are unclear and therefore disputed. While TCM is often used as an umbrella term to represent Chinese medical traditions that span millennia, numerous academics consider TCM to be a modern construct that has departed from the foundational roots of Chinese medicine. To better understand TCM and its implications for the profession, our study investigates: 1) historical precedents leading up to the formal creation of TCM; 2) characteristics and defining features of TCM; and 3) how this relates to education, practice and regulation of the profession in Canada. A mixed-methods study design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore perceptions of individuals who contributed to mediums that discussed the formation of TCM or traditions that exist outside of TCM. In addition, an anonymous web-based survey was sent to TCM-related professional organizations, who were asked to distribute the survey to their members to capture the views of persons practicing within TCM-related health professions in Canada. Due to a lack of participation from the organizations, no survey data was collected. Interviews revealed that TCM is a product of the standardization and simplification of Chinese medicine during the 1950’s and 60’s in China to meet healthcare needs at the time. Currently in Canada, there appears to be a lack of awareness that the establishment of TCM is not a comprehensive representation of Chinese medical traditions, and that many aspects of it may not be suited to the healthcare landscape of modern-day Canada. There is a need for more discussion surrounding the identity of this new profession.


1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Ralt

There have been a variety of Western explanations for the Qi of traditional Chinese medicine, but all have essentially had to compromise between expression of energy, matter and flow. The author suggests that a non-linear, fractal approach, similar to that of Chaos theory, offers a tool to understand Qi; the yin-yang and five phases theories of Chinese philosophy can be regarded as fractals. Qi, as the “net of life”, can also be looked on as an information network with close parallels to the computer-based web of the internet. This article therefore suggests a new Western definition of Qi, proposing that: “The Qi of Chinese medicine is inter-cellular information communicated within the body: information which enables all bodily functions and is a key component in regulation”. Referring to Qi as information offers the chance to integrate Chinese medical philosophy with current biological research on cellular communication.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fon-Chu Kuo ◽  
Jun-Ming Chen ◽  
Hui-Chun Chu ◽  
Kai-Hsiang Yang ◽  
Yi-Hsuan Chen

Peer-assessment and video comment-sharing are effective learning strategies for students to receive feedback on their learning. Researchers have emphasized the need for well-designed peer involvement in order to improve students' abilities in the cognitive and affective domains. Although student perceptions of peer-assessment have been studied extensively in higher education, few studies have focused on the effects of the peer-assessment strategy on students' performance from the affective perspective, especially in Physical Education courses. Therefore, in this study, a peer-assessment mobile physical education approach is proposed for developing a mobile learning system for a Kung Fu Tai-Chi physical education course. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted by assigning 42 college students to participate in this learning activity. The experimental results show that the proposed approach not only promoted the students' learning interest and motivation, but also improved their learning self-efficacy and socialization.


2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (01) ◽  
pp. 181-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatia M. C. Lee ◽  
Serena H. C. Yang ◽  
Philip K.K. Ng

This article reviewed the meaning and development of epilepsy in Chinese culture. The theories of Yin and Yang and the five elements, fundamentals of traditional Chinese medicine, were introduced, which form the context of understanding of the etiology, classification, and treatment of epilepsy in traditional Chinese medicine.


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