IFDS Participant: China 2000
"
The Historic Cities of China"
June 4-14, 2000
Faculty Seminar in Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai
The testimonial below was written by Dr. Helweg-Larsen, Professor
of Psychology at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr.
Helweg-Larsen participated in Council's IFDS program in China, in
June 2000.
A CHINA PERSPECTIVE
Psychology Professor Marie Helweg-Larsen used her grant
funds to take part in an 11-day faculty development seminar in China,
directed by the Council on International Educational Exchange.
The seminar included lectures, site visits to three of China's most
historic cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian -- and academic discussions
with international colleagues. Topics included the role of women and
population control in China today, the effects of the Chinese Cultural
Revolution, ethnic minorities in contemporary China, and verbal, non-verbal,
and cross-cultural methods of communication.
One of the most interesting aspects of Chinese culture and psychology
that Helweg-Larsen observed was the effects of an interdependent society
on the individual when compared with the effects of an independent
society.
"In an independent culture as we have in the United States,
we pride ourselves on being our own person," said Helweg-Larsen. "We
say, 'You need to find yourself. You need to separate yourself from
your family.' China is a good example of an interdependent culture,
where your obligation is much more to making things work at a family
or societal level than to your own rights and responsibilities as
a person. As a son or a daughter, you do what you ought to do and
not necessarily what you want to do."
Helweg-Larsen found traffic patterns in certain Chinese cities to
be a fascinating example of the differences in an independent versus
interdependent approach to society.
"In some cities, intersections appear very chaotic at first
because everybody goes at the same time, but as you observe this for
a while you realize it has perfect order. The rules are that you never
stop and you never change direction abruptly. Everyone just sort of
filters through.
"In Beijing, where traffic is more like it is in American cities,
there were cops everywhere and everyone obeyed the traffic rules.
We noticed that people got more upset in Beijing traffic -- even our
bus driver was yelling at people, threatening them."
Helweg-Larsen learned that China's one-child policy is enforced differently
in different areas of the country. "Our Chinese seminar leader
at Peking University told us that in rural areas where children are
essential for farming you might have a minor tax or fine for violating
the policy. In the city, she said, she would lose her job is she had
more than one child."
A surprise to Helweg-Larsen was how well developed certain areas
of China were. "I thought China would be a much more underdeveloped
country, but Beijing was just like a Western city - lots of expensive
cars, Western clothes, advertisements. It was much more affluent that
I thought it would be."
Bringing her China experiences into the classroom has been easy for
Helweg-Larsen. "I have probably used my China examples at least
10 times already this fall semester. I think it invigorates and excites
your teaching across the board to be exposed to such a different cultures.