Chinese and Hong Kong Culture Comparison

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Chinese and Hong Kong Culture Comparison
Preview
Cultural appreciation is of crucial importance in the current era of rapid globalization. What was initially close-knit, independent societies have now become one big global village. Information sharing and exchange are the order of the day, and there has been an increased realization that people cannot just live as islands anymore. As the world continues opening up for business and opportunities, there is a growing need for cultural tolerance and appreciation. People have to learn how to live with others from totally different backgrounds with almost opposite sociocultural practices. On the other hand, as well, visitors to new cultures need to embrace it rather than trying to be hardline. A close cultural comparison between China and its immediate neighbor Hong Kong can help understand the various ways in which these cultures can be synergized. To a greater extent, understanding the two cultures can help one know how to conduct themselves in each environment.
Brief Description of China and Hong Kong
China is one of the most populous nations in the world. It is also among the largest by physical size. Over the past few years, the country has managed to translate these two great resources into economic growth. Its population has provided labor for its factories, while its physical size means that there is enough space to set up even more industries and more land to extract resources from. Hong Kong is a small region, which borders the eastern side of China. It is, in fact, part of China, ever since it was handed back to China by the U.K in 1997. While it is largely autonomous in operations, Hong Kong still traces its sovereignty back to China. Over the recent past, the region has been in a constant struggle to break away from mainland China and attain its independence (Yang).
Cultures of China and Hong Kong
Historically, Hong Kong was a British colony. As a result, several practices in the country have been shaped by capitalistic ideals. Hong Kong provides an interesting case because it is a point of meeting of two different ways of life; the Western and Eastern cultures. As expected, when to cultures meet, there is a creation of a rich and bubbling heritage (Chu). Such is the exact case for Hong Kong. With a fast-rising identity as an international economic hub, the region is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. This has, in turn, resulted in a mixture of various cultures from all over the world.
China has historically been a Communist nation. It is one of the few remaining Communist nations on the planet. One characteristic of Communism and communist nations, in general, is a deep level of secrecy and self-isolation (Brown). That has been the practice in China for quite a while, with much of what went on within its borders remaining in its confines. It has, however, began opening up to the outside world, with more companies setting base there. The communist ideals, however, remain intact and in operation. The culture in China has therefore been shaped greatly due to these ideals.
Hofstede came up with a tool that can be used to assess or measure the various cultures across the world on a scale that determines the number of things about people in these societies. Perhaps the things that stand out in people can be their levels of tolerance to new things or new ideas, their degree of freedom, how they relate to each other, gender responsibilities and even respect for the rule of law or a higher authority. Even of greater essence, is cross-cultural communication or how people relate to other people from different cultures (Belyh). In a similar light, therefore, Hofstede came up with the Cultural Tool to analyze this.
The power distance score in Hong Kong is 68. This means that there is a high level of inequality, which is acceptable in this society (Chu). There is also an accepted form of master-servant relationship where the masters can get away with anything, and the servants’ job is to take orders from above. Such...