Ralph Jennings is an author and journalist who recently wrote “50 Useful Tips on China”, published by Earnshaw Books. He lived in Beijing for seven years, working as a news editor for China Daily, an advice columnist for 21st Century weekly, and with Kyodo News. Jennings also taught writing at the Communication University of China for nearly five years. Now based in Hong Kong, he covers the Chinese economy for the South China Morning Post.
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What inspired you to write “50 Useful Tips on China”?
I spent a lot of time in China with normal people, who in turn I found to be misunderstood — if understood at all — by other Westerners.
Can you elaborate on the concept of “face” in Chinese culture and its importance?
Face can mean a lot of things. Most importantly, it underpins human interaction by letting each person present an ideal image of him or herself and the other acknowledge that image, largely for purposes of keeping relations upbeat in order to work through other issues.
Why do you think humor varies so greatly between Chinese and Western cultures?
China’s struggles with poverty and political chaos over the past 50-plus years have cultivated a deep subtletly behind jokes, which require artistry to spark a laugh while offending no one present. Dark humor has a place on the comedy stage as a defense against poverty, chaos and other struggles.
What challenges did you face in maintaining an outsider’s perspective while providing in-depth analysis?
An outsider’s perspective was inevitable, since I’m an outsider. In-depth analysis came largely from my recall of conversations with Chinese co-workers, students, news sources and strangers.
How does Confucianism continue to impact modern Chinese society?
Multiple answers apply, but Confucianism stands out most for circumscribing a social order that gives modern Chinese a sense of structure in potentially opaque or chaotic situations involving lots of people: new jobs, large dinner parties, and classroom-teacher interaction, for example.
Can you explain the significance of family unity in Chinese culture?
Families function as economic and social units in China for historic lack of reliable institutions such as public healthcare and financial markets. Relatives look to each other for connections, too, because China operates more on who you know than on following posted guidelines.
What are some key differences in the educational approaches between China and the West?
Chinese often see education more as a tool to high-paid jobs than for the pleasures or societal benefits of acquiring knowledge. Western learners may strike more of a balance. China’s legacy of formal exams to qualify for coveted jobs in, say, the civil service, exacerbates the country’s focus on education as a conduit to income.
What role does hierarchy play in Chinese social interactions?
Hierarchy anchors expecations from all sides, allowing interactions to start without much mystery about who’s supposed to do what. For example, a woman in her 20s should have a practical reason to invite a man in his 50s to a dinner, such as tapping his expertise. He should do more talking as the elder and pay the bill.
How do Chinese students handle the pressure of rigorous academic competition?
What strategies do Chinese parents use to ensure their children’s academic success? The smartest students pass their classes at the B level while spending some of their academic years building job connections through friends or internships. Chinese parents put away money for years to afford tuition.
What are some ways Chinese people use humor to cope with societal challenges?
Societal challenges outside one’s personal control are best muted with dark humor, which is a theme throughout much of the developing world. Impoverished youth clustered in a slummy part of Beijing, for example, once called themselves an “ant colony”.
How has China’s history of poverty and scarcity influenced modern behaviors?
Poverty and scarcity, though not big problems today, linger in people’s minds. The memories drive intense family unity (relatives are seen as most trusted), views of education as a means toward wealth and regard for strangers as competitors.
What’s your next project?
I’m considering a companion “50 Tips” book on my native United States. Chinese seldom understand the U.S. but often assume they do.
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