saving face korean culture
Academic interpretations Sociology "Face" … I saw it all over my old co's face -- that wasn't the right answer, in her opinion. Self-realization is the most important goal in a Taoist culture; the supreme value in the face-saving culture lay in the preservation of honor in the family. But for the record, both Head Teacher and co-teacher in the story are women. South Korea supports religious freedom 2. Saving face is a concept that revolves around not making other people look or feel bad, not directly insulting someone's pride, especially in front of others. With Joan Chen, Michelle Krusiec, Lynn Chen, Jin Wang. Our insider’s guide to ‘saving face’ in Southeast Asia will help you interact better with locals, which in turn will grant you practical perks like getting a … an excellent post about the concept of "saving face" in Korea. Korean business culture (and Korean society in general) ... For the sake of saving face, Koreans will seldom give a flat negative response to proposals you make, even when they do not agree with it. And I do believe that is just as much a part of face-saving culture as the other. Influenced by western culture, modern Korean culture has come to focus on personal competence, mostly for the acquisition of material … Saving Face cuts through these myths, offering a more nuanced portrait of Asian immigrant families in a changing world as recalled by the people who lived them first-hand: the grown children of Chinese and Korean … The concept of face (known as chaemyoun in Korea) is central in influencing Korean behaviour and thinking. A loss of face reflects on the individual, their company, and those present. The other demonizes Asian families around these very same cultural values by highlighting the dangers of excessive parenting, oppressive hierarchies, and emotionless pragmatism in Asian cultures. While human nature is inherited, culture is learned; however, individuals within all cultures vary based on differences, preferences, values, and experiences. I would say the co-teacher in the example saved the senior person's face with sensitivity and tact. In order to maintain a Korean’s sense of Kibun, particularly in a business context, one must show the proper respect and avoid causing loss of face. Directed by Alice Wu. Recent books include: CHINA Understanding & Dealing with the Chinese Way of Doing Business; JAPAN Understanding & Dealing with the NEW Japanese Way of Doing Business; AMERICA’S FAMOUS HOPI INDIANS; ARIZONA’S LORDS OF THE LAND [the Navajos] and SPEAK JAPANESE TODAY – A Little Language Goes a Long Way! How much is this ingrained in the South Korean culture? If you’re from the Western world, you might be accustomed to fast decision-making. As noted in Korea’s Business & Cultural Code Words, speaking clearly and candidly is one of the things that was traditionally taboo in Korea. Don't forget to Subscribe and hit the Notification button for Wednesday and Friday ( The concept of "face" or "chemyon" (Korean: 체면 hanja: 體面, Korean: [/t͡ɕʰe̞mjʌ̹n/]) is extremely important in Korean culture. Mianzi (“Face” or Social Capital) In Chinese business culture, a person’s reputation and social standing rest on saving face. Saving face—the ability to preserve the public appearance of the patient and family for the sake of community propriety—is extremely important to most Asian groups.” This cultural factor gave birth to chae-myun (chay-me-yuun) or “face-saving” as one of the most important—and demanding—aspects of Korean life. The culture of saving face takes form in everyday interactions, from a formal board meeting to bargaining for a bundle of vegetables in the market. Face is a mark of personal dignity and means having high status with one's peers. Korean Language. Head Teacher stood by her answer. Because of the importance of social class, rank and precise behavioral forms in pre-modern Korea all Koreans became incredibly sensitive about the behavior of others as well as their own actions because there were so many ways they could get into trouble. It is about harmony: * You do not ask certain questions that may inconvenience the other party. Face, or miàn zi, is a commonly-heard term with regard to Chinese culture but it can be hard for Westerners and non-Asians to completely grasp and understand. Well, often that includes telling the truth, or being honest. Suppose you're a Westerner newly arrived in China. In fact - and rather to the contrary - the example illustrates more the dynamics of Korean society: those in a senior or more authoritative position may show an utter lack of sensitivity and tact - but those subordinate to them must show a correspondingly greater amount of sensitivity in *covering for their (the seniors') deficiencies*. I liked I'm No Picasso's other example better because it has less of that senior/junior dynamic mixed in. Complete loss of Face is like full exile – you become a non-person, even to family and close friends. The email is on the right. Doing something that made someone else “lose face” or yourself losing face was not a trivial thing. Although in the West we talk about “saving face” on occasion, the concept of “face” (面子）is far more deeply-rooted in China, and it’s something you’ll hear people talk about all the time. Subscribe to International Man. Japanese are anxious to avoid unpleasantness and confrontation. I guess that comment struck me as odd because I was raised with an even more severe version of that same concept ("not talking back"), it doesn't seem that foreign or difficult or "wrong" to me.... for me, it's second-nature not to directly contradict or correct and elder or superior at all, and I don't connect it as much with saving face. There were times when I would complain to my colleague about the situation we were dealing with around a group Chinese that never uttered a word of English. A sample: The biggest catalyst to my beginning to understand, come to terms with, and even sort of like face saving was meeting my old main co teacher. When a Korean says, “That is difficult”, it often means “No.” Show humility and decline the comment when offered a compliment. You are just not present. Oh yeah I really liked this example. A communication style is the way in which we use language to share information with others. Saving face in Indonesia. So, yes, the co-teacher was just being gentle, but to me, that's part of what saving face is. 'Face' Just like in the English expression “saving face,” the “face” we’re talking about here isn’t a literal face. Hard work, filial piety and modesty are characteristics esteemed by Koreans. It “involves the entire group (the family, the school, the neighbourhood, the work place, the city, and the country)”. This could almost be seen as a ritual, before they head out into the real world to face its challenges. For this reason the concept of saving face, and not being caustic towards others, is important for travelers to remember. It could be, and often was, disastrous—and it is still something that cannot be taken lightly. I can only comment from a Chinese/Taiwanese perspective specifically, but I do know that what I am going to say does apply to most other, if not all, East Asian and Asian cultures. When a loss of face occurs among Korean employees of foreign companies the situation can be serious, whether it involves only the Korean side or the foreign side as well. This is in part because of the culture, and in part because it was so hard living in a different culture for the first time that everything else is comparably easier. Older people do have relatively less pressure to save face, particularly in relation to younger people. Head Teacher shot her down. It means to keep your honour. She glanced up at me over the cubicle and made a slight face. With Taoism, Korean culture began its transformation from a face-saving culture to a modern culture. Indonesian people embarrass easily, and it's considered very rude to deliberately embarrass someone. Saving face is crucial in Japanese society. Indonesians don't like conflict. South Korea has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the world and men are expected to partake in the country’s drinking culture. To see a full list of his books go to: www.authorsonlinebookshop.com. What I do connect with saving face is a greater sense of tact when you do contradict someone in general, so I have kind of the opposite view. Oh okay I think I understand a little more now, INP. The Japanese believe that turning down someone's request causes embarrassment and loss of face to the other person. Second, we need to point out one of the biggest differences between most Asian cultures and most Western cultures: the former are called “cultures of shame” and the latter are called “cultures … Face – In a culture where confrontation and conflict are to be avoided, the concept of face is a fundamental issue of daily life. Protestant Christians, Buddhists, and Catholic Christians account for 19.7%, 15.5%, and 7.9% of South Korea’s populationrespectively. In the following article key points of Face will be discussed along with examples of gaining face and losing face. The biggest catalyst to my beginning to understand, come to terms with, and even sort of like face saving was meeting my old main co teacher. In a culture where social harmony is essential, the ability to identify another’s state of mind, often referred to as nunchi, is crucial to successful In addition to books on the business practices, social behavior and languages of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico he has written extensively about the moral collapse of the U.S. along with books on his home state of Arizona. For all that Head Teacher knew, I hadn't caught any of this. I'm No Picasso has an excellent post about the concept of "saving face" in Korea, supplemented with great, specific examples. Because “saving face” is such a strong motivating force in China, it’s also one of the most important concepts in understanding the Chinese Mind. Saving Face: One of the fundamental tenants of Asian culture is the concept of “face,” or dignity and honor. Face is incredibly important in collectivist society, which means most of Asia and the Middle East.… According to history and during the Joseon Dynasty, Korean males who wished to be scholars at Sungkyungkwan University had to pass the civil service examination. This remarkable development, which evolved from the formal and official adoption of a much sterner version of Confucianism combined with the already hierarchical segregation of social classes, resulted in Korean cultural becoming locked in a time-warp with virtually no change until the latter decades of the 19th century—a 400-plus year period during which the country was known to the outside world as “The Hermit Kingdom.”. But as you're staying far away, you politely refuse. A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations. The Japanese were the most aggressive, defeating Russia in the 1904-1905 war and soon thereafter invading Korea, annexing the country in1910 and turning it into a colony. The oft unspoken counterpart to the rule is that those in authority are in a position to disregard others' face with impunity. A person may attempt to save their own face and people in a group may help them. Direct criticism, especially of superiors, was prohibited and there were serious consequences for breaking the ban. But during the Japanese period, which lasted until 1945, the traditional elements of Korean culture were virtually unchanged. Well-written and engaging, Saving Face takes a novel approach of exploring the emotional life of Chinese and Korean immigrant families., Full of rich and absorbing interview material, Saving Face explores the emotional dynamics of family experiences, responsibilities, and commitments among the children of Chinese and Korean immigrants. Want to know more about these differences? The Head Teacher is also not acting the way she does just because she is the superior -- she's also acting that way because she has crap 눈치 and generally makes everyone, junior or senior to her, feel uncomfortable in a lot of situations. South Korea is home to a population of 51,418,097 individuals. Saving, losing and giving face in Japanese culture Of all the idiosyncrasies of Japanese culture, the concept of ‘Face’ is perhaps the most difficult for Westerners to fully grasp. Keep in mind that gaining Face in all Chinese communities worldwide enhances what is most precious, the nurturing bonds which comprise one's whole identity. Although in the West we tend to appreciate people who are "brutally honest" or those who get down to business, the opposite often holds true in Asia. She wasn't obligated to speak gently to me based on the heirarchy, but she did it anyway. Therefore, focus on hints of hesitation and pay close attention to what they may imply. Writing in Slate, Patrick Smith—a pilot himself—wrote, "Whatever happened on final approach into SFO, I highly doubt that it was anything related to the culture of Korean air safety in 2013." Accept that saving face is important, so you will seldom hear the word “No.” “Yes” does not necessarily mean they agree. A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations. Causing someone to lose face lowers them in the eyes of their peers. doi: 10.1111/jcom.12161 . Speech became indirect and vague. The East Asian concept of “face” is very important in Korea, and known here as gibun; the main goal is to avoid the embarrassment of self or others. Boyé Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Asia since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, journalist and editor. I could see her struggling with how to handle the situation. But my old co had successfully corrected the situation for me, without calling Head Teacher out directly. 15. But I thought the larger point of these examples was that one has to develop this kind of sensitivity in order to function well in Korean society (or any society that puts great stock in face).When is one regarded as having face to save? © 2020 Authentasia, Inc.All rights reserved, Last modified on Monday, 07 March 2016 06:39. This signifies reputation, influence, dignity, and honor. My old co shot me one last look. Among the problems that occur in foreign companies: promoting a younger person over older people; promoting a graduate of a less prestigious school over employees of the same age who graduated from a brand university; showing favoritism to an employee…and especially showing favoritism toward an employee who speaks English. I asked my old co. Head Teacher jumped in before she could answer and said that 30,000 won was enough. I gave a clear example using my direct senior. Asian cultures often put a lot of importance on the concept of face (know as chaemyoun in Korean). Thirty thousand won is plenty. In fact, some of the solutions Koreans choose are so far out from what would be a Western approach that they result in an impasse if not a complete breakdown in relationships. 1. And because ‘ save face ’ (mentsu wo tamotsu) is such a strong motivating force in Japan, it’s also one of the most important concepts in understanding the Japanese Mind. Given that communicating explicitly is shunned in Korea, a dread of communicating generally is likely to be higher among Koreans whose Confucian values underlie their communication (Klopf, 1984). vStill today chae-myum continues to be a major factor in all relationships in Korea, particularly in work environments and in all professional categories—with gender, age, education and other not so obvious factors involved. Philippines and Korea are two countries with cultural differences. The traditional Korean methods for avoiding and dealing with loss of face include withholding bad news [especially if it happens on a Friday], not telling the truth, and resorting to an old institutionalized practice of repairing the damage by mutually agreeing to pretend that it never happened.