从餐桌礼仪看中美文化差异

Analysis on the Differences in Culture between China and America from the Table Manners

Abstract
Along with the increasing cross-cultural communications, from the official to the folk, China and America have more and more exchanges with each other. Diet is playing a significant role in the communication between China and America as an important part in human life. At these banquets, people begin to realize the great influence of the different table manners in cross-cultural communication. It is a long process from misunderstanding to understanding. And in order to make the process more smoothly, we should study table manners of the two countries. As a result, how to understand the different table manners has become a heated problem in the cross-cultural communication today.
The thesis takes the cross-cultural knowledge as the theoretical basis and the cultural factors as the starting point. It studies the cultural factors which are reflected by the table manners in cross-cultural communication with concrete examples. The thesis expounds the differences between Chinese and American table manners first after choosing some representative examples in the order of the dinner process. Then it analyzes the differences from the perspective of the two cultural factors— the thinking model and the sense of worth. It can help us understand the differences in the table manners and the cultures. In this way, we can be more tolerant when facing the conflicts caused by the differences.
After analyzing the different table manners and culture factors, the author has found that the thinking model and the sense of worth have great effects on the table manners. Chinese people’s thinking model tends to be more comprehensive and global. They usually pay more attention to the entirety and they are good at viewing situations as a whole rather than using logic analysis to analyze every separate part. The Chinese people’s Values is influenced by the concept of class and status, the Confucian thoughts and the Taoist thoughts. So they like using the chopsticks, using their unique standard of degree of importance to arrange the seat, contributing to the harmonious atmosphere, eating together and picking up food from the same dishes and paying for the bill by one person. The American people use more logic analysis and analyze things from the angel of every separate part more often than a comprehensive view. As for Values，they pay more attention to every single thing’s characteristic and the 
function. They emphasize the freedom, rights and ability of individuals. They are more straight forward. These differences have a big impact on the table manners. So they use forks and knives, take the unique standard to arrange the seat, just talk to people nearby lowly, eat food separately and go Dutch.
This thesis is not only an addition to the knowledge of table manners in cross-cultural communication, but also is a significant reference for more upcoming feasts which are either governmental or nongovernmental.
Key words: cross-cultural communication, table manners, China and America, thinking models, the sense of worth

Contents

摘要II

AbstractIII

1  Introduction1

1.1 Study Background1

1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Study.6

1.3 Thesis Structure.7 

2  Literature Review3

2.1 The Relationship between the Table Manners and the Culture3

2.2 Cultural Differences between China and America3

 2.3 Analysis of the Cultural Factors with Specific Examples.5

3  Analysis on the Different Cultural Factors Reflected by the Different Table manners.7

3.1 Analysis on the different Tableware7

3.2 Different Seat Arrangement8

3.3 Different Dinner Atmosphere10

3.4 Different Principle of Getting Food11 

3.5 Different Habit of Paying for the Bill.12

4  Conclusion13

4.1 Major Findings of the Study.13

4.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research13

References15