Due to their close proximity, Vietnamese culture and values have been heavily influenced by Chinese culture for centuries. However, that does not mean their cultures and values are at all identical. Growing up, I was exposed to both cultures and values due to the differences in my parents’ heritage. I want to share some similarities that are present in both cultures as well as highlight the differences that exist between them. I just want to place a disclaimer that China and Vietnam are independent countries and their cultures and values are likely to be much deeper and more complex than I know. Also China’s large geographical area most definitely means that not everyone living in the country will uphold the same values.
The most obvious difference between the two cultures is their writing system. The Chinese language uses a logographic writing system that is arguably one of the world’s largest writing systems today. Unlike most languages, the Chinese language does not utilize a fixed alphabet system, instead they use unique characters or a combination of characters to describe concepts and objects. Vietnamese used to have a system of writing that consisted entirely of Chinese characters alongside its reading and meaning. This writing system was later replaced by Chữ Nôm which is a combination of Chinese characters infused with Vietnamese readings and meanings as well as a number of uniquely Vietnamese characters. However, due to the French colonization of Vietnam, it quickly fell out of practice in favor of the Latin alphabet.
A startling similarity between the cultures is that they are both highly collectivist cultures where people often act in the interests of the entire group and not of themselves. Both Chinese and Vietnamese are heavily family oriented and nationalistic. Loyalty to the state and filial piety are central and desirable natures of both cultures. Additionally, both countries have very high levels of power distance – that is, society for both are plagued by inequalities but it is deemed acceptable. High levels of power distance also implies that power struggles are not typical because subordinate-superior relationships are polarized without any defense against corruption or abuse.
Another difference between the cultures is their ‘masculinity’. The Chinese have a highly masculine culture while the Vietnamese’s culture is much more feminine. Higher masculinity scores in a culture is an indication that it’s society is driven by competition, achievement, and success measured by accomplishments and recognition. This system of value is deeply rooted in the culture and its people from a young age, and people are highly encouraged to continuously compete against one another while leisure remains heavily frowned upon; in other words, the people in this culture tend to live to work. On the other hand, a feminine culture is more centric on the idea success is measured by quality of life rather than hard work, although that is not discouraged. These people prefer flexibility and inclusivity, and while accomplishments are celebrated, standing out from the crowd is often frowned upon. To sum up, feminine cultures emphasize the importance of working to live instead of viceversa.
Comments
I really enjoyed learning about how cultures can be considered "masculine" or "feminine" based on their values of work and family life. I had never considered this before, and I bet it must have been interesting to grow up with parents from each of these types of cultures. I feel like in the U.S. we are definitely more masculine as a society and throughout our lives in school we're always told to work hard to have a better life for ourselves, which means getting a good job to make more money. Given the differences in size between China and Vietnam, I can see how that may impact cultural norms as living in an extremely populated society can make you feel that you have to compete against so many people to be the best or even just average.