Nonverbal Communication In Chinese Culture

Chinese value silence and avoid disagreeing. The purpose of avoidance is to lessen conflict and maintain a peaceful environment. When assessing a pregnant Chinese woman, it is important to understand this idea of silence. The Chinese woman may remain silent during an exam and while the nurse is educating. Although the woman is not verbalizing her understanding, she most likely does. It is important to gauge how the woman demonstrates understanding. Head nods or silence are often non-verbal cues that a Chinese patient may demonstrate (Giger and Davidhizar, 2006, p. 445).

In China they have about 1.3 billion people, making up a little more than 20% of the world’s population. It’s no surprise that with that many people in one country that the culture there would hold many different beliefs and traditions. Chinese are known for many things and their health care practices are one of them. They use different medicines to treat the ill, have different techniques to insure that women have a good pregnancy and a healthy baby as well as old family traditions from how a family is ran to what they do when someone passes away. A lot of these traditions can compare to other cultures where many are also so different it takes some understanding to get used to them.

I decided to go to Panda Express at 5:30 pm for my observations, while there I was able to observe just how much people rely on nonverbal communications to get their point across. Although I witnessed several encounters of unique body language, there were also a few actions that reoccurred several times in several different people. For example, when a customer would approach the counter where employee served the food, the employee would raise her eyebrows and smile at the customer. The employee’s smile, however, did not reach her eyes suggesting that while it is her job to smile and be welcoming to the customer, she most likely did not want to be at work. Additionally, I noticed that when customers approached the counter about 90 percent of them had their arms crossed. The act of crossing ones arms usually means that a person is trying to put a barrier between them and a situation that they either don’t like, or are uncomfortable with. This may mean that the customers were displeased with having to wait in line to get their food, on the other hand it may be that they were simply comfortable folding their arms. Once they reached the front of the line, every customer pointed to the food they wanted along with verbally telling the employee. This made their communication more effective as it helped to overcome the barrier of sound because the restaurant was noisy.

Today we will be looking at the different conditions and practices of childbirth through two distinct cultures. Childbirth is a universal element throughout any culture, and just like other cultures, we all have are own way of doing things. Take for example North American and Nepal, both have a very unique way of providing care and creating conditions fit for women giving birth. Although hospital settings, medicine, and other medical producers, are things women would consider normal practices while giving childbirth in America, Women in Nepal are often not given the same societal help while giving birth, which In return often leads to death.

Non-verbal communication consists mainly of the things people do with their body language. There are times where words are expressed and non-verbal communication could help emphasize the message. A few examples of nonverbal communication are hand gestures eye contact, facial expressions as well as tone and volume. I was given this assignment to observe a situation and take note of the nonverbal communication that occurred. I also had to observe whether the non-verbals were able to execute the message and if the behavior was acceptable.

When I began examining specific cross-cultural differences in psychological processes, a particular example that resonated heavily and constantly in my head came from the original article called: Cultural and Educational Influences on Pain of Childbirth by Dr. Matisyohu Weisenberg and Zahava Caspi. In this study the authors examined the effects that educational history and differing sociocultural families of origin have on communicated ratings of pain and specific pain behavior prevalent during childbirth (Weisenberg et al., 1989). On a more elementary level, the authors investigated the disparities in how people verbally and physically react to pain prevalent during childbirth based upon differences in cultural and educational influences.

CLU-chink. I can feel the butterflies emerging from their cocoons within my stomach. With every increment on the x, comes an increase on the y. CLU-chink. Slowly, I feel my body being pushed back within the seat that’s designed to protect me. Almost magically, I observe the area surrounding me transform into a model train set, with the people who were once comparable to myself in size becoming nothing more than moving specks in the forest of thrill. CLU-chink. The ability to interpret someones emotions through body language is similar to reading distant signs without your glasses on; to some extent, you know what it says, but you can’t be completely sure. The people surrounding me vary heavily in their emotions. Some are visibly shaken, as

In the Chinese culture women rely on others for assistance during pregnancy. Some health care providers may try and encourage an independent role which may seem as uncaring to Chinese women. After birth, there is a period called Zuo yuezi or the sitting month. This is where the mother stays in bed and does not do any housework for thirty days. There should also be no sexual activity during this month (Ratisoja, 2017). In some cases, infants will be separated from their mother for 24 hours after birth. This is so the woman can have rest after delivery (Chinese Ethnicity and Background, 2017). In the Chinese culture an important part of birth is allowing space for rest and recovery. These traditional beliefs are important to their culture and should be respected and understood.

During labor and delivery, for many Chinese women, family support is preferred over pain medications (Sullivan, 2012). For the delivery of the first child, the father of the baby is not present, instead the woman’s mother is there

Body language (the process of communicating nonverbally through conscious or unconscious gestures and movements). People all of the world use body language or gestures to communicate nonverbally. I personally think that nonverbal communication and body language are one of the biggest barriers in communication especially between one culture to other. Body gestures can be misinterpreted as rude or disrespectful depending on the country, region, or even the city you’re from.

To lose a child is to lose everything for Chinese parents” (Cao, etc., 2013, p.205).

The Chinese believe that during childbirth the mother should not cry out or scream during labor. This is due in part to their stoic nature which does not allow them to express or talk about their problems or feelings. If they do, they may bring shame to their family known as a “loss of face”. Screaming or crying out during labor may also cause interference from evil forces such as malevolent ghosts or spirits according to religious beliefs. Chinese women usually give birth in a hospital in either a sitting or squatting position (Queensland Govenment).

Many mothers who choose hospital births feel that “[their] own experience of the birth counted for nothing” and find themselves “amazed” at how little their attendants know about their feelings.18

Beliefs and perceptions regarding birth and birthing practices are often shaped by various exposures, locations, cultures, traditions and personal experiences. In order to provide holistic care, it is imperative to recognize the diverse perceptions individuals have concerning birth and attempt to understand the driving forces behind them. Additionally, it is also critical to have a sense of self-awareness as well as reflect on one's own perceptions and history.

“Systematic research on the role of nonverbal behavior in social interaction has been common only in the past 20 to 25 years.”(Edinger and Patterson, 1983, p. 30).because that statement was published in 1983, it is apparent that the study of nonverbal behavior has been around for roughly 50 to 55 years. However, that is still a relatively recent amount of time compared to research in other science fields such as chemistry or biology. Despite the fact that this field is relatively recent there are many theories about our interaction with others. This paper will discuss the nonverbal expectancy theory along with two other theories, and describe how these theories can work together.