摘要

中国和美国是中西方文化的典型代表，在价值观念、风俗习惯、行为方式、思维方式等方面存在巨大差异。现今在全球化的影响下，中美文化交流频繁，文化差异带来的交流障碍逐渐转变为文化冲突。本文将结合跨文化交际相关理论和作家盛林的著作《奇怪的美国人》，从个人主义与集体主义的角度，分析书中主要文化差异的起因，揭示隐藏在社会现象背后的文化内涵和本质。

关键词：文化差异  个人主义  集体主义

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I

ABSTRACT II

CHAPTER ONE    INTRODUCTION 1

1.1  THE PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PAPER 1

1.2  AN INTRODUCTION TO STRANGE AMERICANS 2

CHAPTER TWO    LITERATURE REVIEW 3

2.1  THE DEFINITION OF COLLECTIVISM & INDIVIDUALISM 3

2.2  HOFSTEDE’S THEORY OF COLLECTIVISM & INDIVIDUALISM 3

2.3  COLLECTIVISM IN CHINA & INDIVIDUALISM IN AMERICA 5

2.4  PREVIOUS RESEARCHES ON CULTURAL DIFFERENCES 6

CHAPTER THREE    CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLECTIVISM IN CHINA AND INDIVIDUALISM IN AMERICA REFLECTED IN STRANGE AMERICANS 8

3.1  DIFFERENT WAYS OF TREATING VISITORS 8

3.1.1  Different Food Cultures 8

3.1.2  Different Dining Etiquette: Individual Serving VS Joint Meal 11

3.1.3  Different Perspectives of Gifts 13

3.2  DIFFERENT VIEWS ON CHILD-REARING: ALL-AROUND

UPBRINGING VS FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE 16

3.2.1  “We ” Society VS “I” Society 17

3.2.2  Different Rights and Responsibilities 18

3.3  DIFFERENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS TIME AND PLAN:

POLYCHROMIC TIME VS MONOCHROMIC TIME 19

CHAPTER FOUR    CONCLUSION 21

REFERENCES 22