Chinese Emotions

Documented cultural variations exist in the expressions of emotion between Chinese and Western cultures.

Chinese are more likely to somatize (express as symptoms of the body) episodes of depression.

They use more social and fewer emotion words than do English speaking.

The Chinese believe emotional moderation promotes individual health and interpersonal harmony.

Moderation in facial expression

Children are socialized to control their impulses. A lack of emotional moderation is believed to have dire consequences both for the individual and for the social group.

Inability to moderate and control one's emotions is considered debilitating to one's mental and physical health.

To the Chinese, being mentally healthy implies the control of the emotions, the cultivation of the mind, and the moderation of behavior. The mentally healthy person is one who does not get into explosive fits of anger, get excessively happy, or become easily irritated.

Harmonious group relations.

Chinese managers are more emotionally reserved, avoid conflict more than British managers.

More collectivistic or more oriented toward the group.

Western cultures are individualistic. Value individuality, the signifigance of personal and emotional expression

Chinese place more importance on the community as a collective, emphasize interpersonal harmony.

Cultural differences in the way mothers narrate and discuss past events with children.

Western mothers use a more child-centered approach and give more detailed autobiographical narratives.

Chinese mothers use more mother-centered approach focusing on appropriate behaviors, rules and social obligations.

Sources:

Doan, Stacey, "The Way She Speak: Maternal Conversation Stayle and Children's Developing Autobiographical Memory and Sense of Self." http:www.human.cornell.edu/hd/Outreach_extension/ index.cfm.

Tsai, Jeanne L. and Robert W. Levenson. "CulturalInfluences on emotional responding: Chinese American and Euopean American dating couples during interpersonal conflict." Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 1997. v 28 n5 p 600.

Tsai, Jeanne L., Diana I. Simeonova, and Jamie T. Watanabe. "Somatic and Social: Chinese Americans Talk About Emotion"

--Hollyspendlove 06:40, 19 April 2012 (UTC)