On the Differences and Similarities of Marriage
between China and America
目录
I. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 2 II. The Similarities and Differences of Marriage between China and America ........................... 2 2.1 The Similarities of Marriage between China and America .................................................... 2 2.1.1 A Dinner in Honour of Relatives and Friends ..................................................................... 3 2.1.2 The Pursuit of Love ............................................................................................................. 3 2.1.3 Husbands’ Pressure ............................................................................................................. 3 2.1.4 Consuming Concept ............................................................................................................ 3 2.2 The Differences of Marriage between China and America .................................................... 3 2.2.1 Engagement ......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2.2 The Differences of Wedding Objective ............................................................................... 4 2.2.3 Clothing ............................................................................................................................... 4 2.2.4 The Sense Family ................................................................................................................ 4 2.2.5 The Education of the Children ............................................................................................ 4 III. Reasons of the Differences in Marriage Cultures between China and America .................... 5 3.1 Gender Roles of Marriage in Traditional America and Ancient ............................................ 5 3.1.1 Traditional Roles of Wife in Ancient China ........................................................................ 5 3.1.2 Traditional Roles of Husband in America ........................................................................... 6 3.2 The Effect of Educational Traditions ..................................................................................... 6 3.3 Influences of Economical Factors in Marriage ...................................................................... 7 3.3.1 Affluent Economy in America ............................................................................................ 7 3.3.2 Affluent Economy in China ................................................................................................ 7 3.4 Tolerance Levels .................................................................................................................... 8 3.4.1 Better Ability of Tolerance in Chinese Marriage ................................................................ 8 3.4.2 Less Marriage Tolerance in America .................................................................................. 8 IV. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 8 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 9
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I. Introduction
Marriage as a human institution exists in all major civilizations since the dawn of time. The Mystery of Holy Matrimony draws its sacred foundation from the creation of the first man and woman, whom God made in His own Image and Likeness and told to be fruitful and multiply? In Orthodox tradition, marriage and monasticism goes hand in hand, and are both considered holy in its calling in the service of God and His People.
Most weddings contain wedding vows and a proclamation of marriage, usually by the
officiate. Most weddings also involve wearing traditional clothes (i.e., kilts, white gown, red sari, etc.). A wedding is often followed or accompanied by a wedding reception.
Other elements may include music, poetry, prayer or scripture. Some elements of the
traditional Western wedding ceremony symbolize the bride's departure from her father’s control and entry into a new family with her husband. In modern Western weddings, this symbolism is largely vestigial.
The common element in a wedding is the assumption of husband and wife roles as well as the roles of the future parents. The wedding is a special moment that marks the beginning of a new generation, a new family and a life together. This moment is recognized with traditions, ceremonies and rituals including engagement and wedding ceremonies.
II. The Similarities and Differences of Marriage between China and America
There are many similarities in marriage cultures between China and America. Who all give a dinner in honor of relatives, husbands all have heavier pressure than wives, and they all love each other very much.
Westerners of marriage with the Chinese concept of marriage are also extremely different. Because they believe that: marriage is purely private matter, no one can interfere at the same time the marriage does not belong moral issues. The right to choose a person and his / her
favorite people to live together once found that the existing marriage is a mistake, he / she shall have a second choice. If one of the couple fell in love with a third party, by any party will not be condemned. In their view: forced two people who do not live together in love is cruel. China’s traditional concept of marriage, happiness can give their life. In Western eyes, love is love, is very simple.
2.1 The Similarities of Marriage between China and America
Almost every culture has rituals to signal a change in one’s life. Marriage is one of the most basic life changes for people of all cultures. So it’s no surprise to find many similarities traditions about getting married, even in China and America.
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2.1.1 A Dinner in Honour of Relatives and Friends
They are very generous carefully at the invitation of their arrival.
2.1.2 The Pursuit of Love
Give parents the freedom of choice at the same time, the consequences of choosing to provide evidence that they provide special attention choose friend, betrothal, marriage the consequences of such choices, entirely too many children that first impression or intuitive act. Parents
encourage their children to “put into action”, “do it”, “to try,” and believe in practice to shorten the distance between cognition and behavior.
2.1.3 Husbands’ Pressure
Men do not need to exchange ideas is not, but they are more willing to exchange and male friends, so that women are not strong woman, the man threatened. Chinese men need display of their own powerful in the face of these women, women need to be respected, so it must be a woman than his low. China in the failure of men, they need for a woman’s comfort.
2.1.4 Consuming Concept
Owing to the modern simple wedding forms, in the modern days, many young people try to skip most of these rituals or ceremonies. They do that either because they think that new generations should not be confined by these old traditions or some do so just because of
economical reasons of trying not to spend as much money as possible. They think the expending will be paid on a better place in the future life. From a long-eye angle, it is an economic method. For example, the new couple can have a sweet moon travel with it, etc..
2.2 The Differences of Marriage between China and America
“Custom is the great guide of human life”, wrote Scottish philosopher David Hume. Knowing the customs of a country is, in effect, a guide to understanding the soul of that country and its people. As a foreign language leaner, we should know the culture in our target language’s country. Only in this way, we can really learn the language well.
People express their culture through traditions in food, clothing, recreation, and
ceremonies; through the education system and institutions of learning, including museums and libraries; and through the arts, encompassing the visual, literary, and performing arts. As a result, we will talk about the differences from some aspects.
2.2.1 Engagement
No matter which part of the country, to a happy marriage is a lover at their engagement
ceremony is a process to go through. However, due to various reasons, and there are China and the United States engaged in more different.
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2.2.1.1 Engagement in China
Before getting married, young people have to pay a formal visit to each other’s parents. When visiting the girl’s parents, the boy has to bring with him the betrothal gifts in order to show sincerity. When the gifts are received, then both the boy and the girl are engaged. When the girl visits the boy’s parents, the parents have to prepare a formal gift for the future daughter-in-law. 2.2.1.2 Engagement in America
Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her. If the father agrees, the man latter proposes to her. Often he tries to surprise her by “popping the
question” in a romantic way. Sometimes the couple just decides together that the time is right to get married. The man usually gives his fiancée a diamond ring as a symbol of their engagement. They may be engaged for weeks, months or even years. As the big day approaches, bridal showers and bachelor’s parties provide many useful gifts. Today many couples also receive
counseling during engagement. This prepares them for the challenges of married life. 2.2.2 The Differences of Wedding Objective
In the Chinese ancient times, the people thought that they wanted to get an heir through
wedding and raise the clan’s reputation. If a man wants to marriage with a woman, he must obey with his father and mother, because the wedding is an important thing for the man’s family. Therefore, the man would get marriage with a woman, but he did not love her.
In the western, the marriage is private thing. Man and Woman will marry, because they love each other.
2.2.3 Clothing
Instead of the typical white color used in western cultures signifying purity, Chinese and even Russian bridal attire has been traditionally red. The prominent use of red is evident in Chinese culture for any joyful festivities while white is used in memorials and funerals denoting death. In Orthodoxy, red denotes martyrdom and any union between a man and a woman is a true
martyrdom or death of the self for the love of one spouse and for Christ. As the ceremony begins, you may follow along beginning on pg. 166 in the Red Service Book found in the pew.
2.2.4 The Sense Family
In the West, people have not been what the shackles of traditional moral values, therefore, a marriage without love, come to an end. In China, because of various reasons, even if there is no love marriage, but also continue to exist because of marriage there are many things.
2.2.5The Education of the Children
Chinese parents know very much “in the education of children at the same time, but also in education, and examine their own personality”, parents should educate their own good quality to children who, it must strictly comply with their inner beliefs. Power forces of the moral values of children in the form of play, “moisten things silently” effect. American parents teach their
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children which is the key to open the door. Basically, the United States there is a consensus of the education sector, that is, parents, teachers should educate children to a certain established norms, each person can be in accordance with their respective values to choose, the important function of education is to guide them on how to choose, “to them the key to open the door they entered the room than with a more suitable”.
III. Reasons of the Differences in Marriage Cultures between China and America
There are many differences of marriage between China and America. Why the differences could come into existence? The answers are as follow:
3.1 Gender Roles of Marriage in Traditional America and Ancient
Husband-wife relationship is inaccurate to say that the traditional husband-wife relationship is a relationship between two individuals. Or it should be like that, it is a relation sets by customary rules of culture. Generally speaking, the core of the relationship between complies shot their emotional life, but the guarantee and duties of each. They must fulfill their duties and cooperate in a diversion of labor, working together to do keep the house hold going it has been clear from long ago which things should be done by men, which by women, and which by either men or women. Rationally, productive activities-duchy as wage labor outside should all be done by men, cooking, feeding children, changing clothes washing nappies and pouring out the chamber-pot, was the wife’s role in both countries.
3.1.1 Traditional Roles of Wife in Ancient China
In ancient China, women were taught to domestic roles-cooking. Cleaning, and giving birth in centuries gone by.
“A woman was considered nice if she had not committed any major misdeeds”. Society back then did not look favorably on educated woman. Woman in feudal society were expected to live by the “tenets of obedience and the four virtues” women were required to obey they fathers and brothers before marriage, their husband during marriage and their sons if they were widowed. The four virtues were felicity, physical charm, good manners and efficiency in needlework. Families in feudal China were structured in accordance with the political system, laws, moral standards and idiocies.
Wives were often addressed as “someone’s family member” or “children’s mother” But in fact Confucianism stood for a society with emphasis on distinction between superiority and
inferiority. It stood for obedience for recognition of authority in a family as in a state. Wife was given an “equal” position with husband somehow, below the husband.
Han Chinese women had the custom of going into confinement for a month after childbirth. This custom is related to patriarchal culture. People think that women’s menstrual blood is unclean, and their bodies are polluted after childbirth, and are afraid of angering the spirits and calling disease or disaster upon themselves. Before the baby has reached one month old, the
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