Chinese norms of relationship and communication: An exploration of four folk concepts
type: CreativeWork
description: Patterns of relationships and communication in contemporary Taiwanese society are examined through the lens of four folk concepts--kuan-hsi (relation), pao (return), mien-tzu (face), and yuan (conditioning factors)--and their associated linguistic expressions. Kuan-hsi summarizes the fundamental attitude Chinese hold toward relationship, pao stresses the balance of interpersonal exchange, mien-tzu denotes sensitivity toward another's situational front, and yuan describes the conditioning factors which allow associations to occur. Although not exhaustive, these four folk concepts provide a broader framework within which patterns of relationships and communicative practices can be understood from the natives' perspectives. Also emphasized is the continuity of Chinese cultural traditions, as these folk concepts inhere much traditional Chinese cultural values and continue to direct natives' contemporary interpersonal life.
abstract: Patterns of relationships and communication in contemporary Taiwanese society are examined through the lens of four folk concepts--kuan-hsi (relation), pao (return), mien-tzu (face), and yuan (conditioning factors)--and their associated linguistic expressions. Kuan-hsi summarizes the fundamental attitude Chinese hold toward relationship, pao stresses the balance of interpersonal exchange, mien-tzu denotes sensitivity toward another's situational front, and yuan describes the conditioning factors which allow associations to occur. Although not exhaustive, these four folk concepts provide a broader framework within which patterns of relationships and communicative practices can be understood from the natives' perspectives. Also emphasized is the continuity of Chinese cultural traditions, as these folk concepts inhere much traditional Chinese cultural values and continue to direct natives' contemporary interpersonal life.
author: Chang, Hui-Ching
language: eng
keywords: Speech Communication
date published: 2011-05-07T13:20:48Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:25:18Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/21842