According to the article, the major purpose of setting classes of what is called “civilized manners” to schoolchildren are to improve quality of people especially in morals and impact on perspectives from overseas. The ministry of education includes the classes to teach since the early age which is from primary schools to high schools. The lessons are classified and assigned to each level from the easiest understandable to the most difficult conducts. For example, lessons for students in primary levels involve using polite language, learning traffic rules and respecting the elders, while for high school pupils, involve etiquette of dispute and delivering speeches. However, although this action seems to give benefits to all Chinese dwellers rather than drawbacks, but it is still concerned by communists for value of society in terms of communist principles.
From my own experience, I totally agree of what the government acts to improve manners of their residents which can definitely lead to many benefits such as better quality of lives and also better viewpoint from foreigners. First of all, to start the lessons of courtesy since people are young is an effective and efficient learning method because they can easily memorize and gradually realize what good and bad behaviors is as well as its effects as a result of their distinct behaviors. Moreover, teaching not only good manners but also demonstration of how people in other civilized countries behave to each other is very crucial which can contribute students to imitate from good examples. They will indirectly obtain wide vision from other cultures and continuously act the same habits as those civilized persons. Focusing on Chinese cultures only does not lead to effectively enhance their manners because, if young people do not act according to what they have learned but choose to behave as same as adults’, the lessons will be useless at all. What is more, good manners can lead to peaceful societies such as people queuing for using toilet, dealing business with compromise and complying traffic rules. They can result in less fight and more harmony. Finally, enhancing etiquette can develop foreigners’ aspect which can result in increasing number of tourists in the country. If people from other countries see Chinese citizens as civilized person, they will certainly travel and then persuade others to travel to China also which can reflect to economics of the country at the end. Thus, I hope that the government of China will succeed in this action and gain best results as they expect.
I would suggest to the ministry of education that they should consider course structure carefully in order to manage and assign the lessons properly. They may integrate the lessons with real situations for only once a week such as how to queue and wait with patience, how to talk politely to strangers and how to act to people under or over their age. Furthermore, the lessons of etiquette should be included in the whole education systems, not only schools but universities also. Last of all, adults must behave with good manners in order to be examples to their children. If it starts by only young people, it can result in different attitudes among people in the same cultures. Thus, if the government intends to develop civilization of their populations, they should concern about adults’ behaviors also.
__________
References
It's a good idea for China to teach their children to improve some manners which are considered as impoliteness in other societies.
ReplyDeleteIf you are in your own house, you can act or do whatever you like. However, in societies, you have to care about how people think about you. This is why the ways we act or do in societies are important. Now, China open their country and welcome people around the world, so it's better to adapt some of their manners to other societies.
Hey Preaw, (Miss 7.5) :))
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely good idea to teach children how to behave in proper actions. few month ago, Poom and I went to Shang-hai to visit my friend at there and also go to Shang-hai world expo. The behaviors like you said is very obvious to see. Many Chinese people split along the road. Badly, somebody poo poo in the Thai pavilion at world expo exhibition while we were watching a show.
When we were crossing the main road, we felt a thrill of fear because we heard cars' horn all the time and drivers were not reducing speed for us as well. It is very very very bad behavior. Moreover, when we got in a subway, many people tried to run and jostle to sit even if they are men.
Hurr... I think this is a the reason why i dont want to study or live in China. It seems like uneducated and uncivilized. Also, those are the reason why some people in some countries look down the yellow skin people.
Yes Joh I agree with you about their behaviors. However, I think they will change or not is my business. I hate their behavior but I regard their aspect. If they think it’s OK, it’s OK! I cannot say anything. However, I believe that finally their behavior will change, but not related with you or me hate that behavior. It will change because of outer factors, such as economic force, no one like to trade with rude people. Moreover, I think it happened before in Thailand I think our ancestors have unacceptable behavior before change to be able to trade with civil countries.
ReplyDeleteMoreover in the further, Thai people might have to change our behavior in to similar-Chinese behavior, which we hate, because it can motivate the rate of Thai-China trading. No one know!
It is just prediction.
From my opinion, if this campaign are conducted, many Chinese dwellers will have more concern about their manner and change their behavior being more dignified. Most people are supporting to do this campaign, but some claim that why we have to change them. Indeed, many people know and realize on the positive outcome from the manner improvement. Just a few people are asking for the question that challenge the benefit of this campaign. The opponent will ask about the reason why chinese people have to change their culture to be like other culture. Personally, i believe that the etiquette is generated by Western culture. As a result, this respected character has been spreaded by the extended power of Western country since last century. Thailand was also an uncivilised country for the viewpoint of Western people, but Thai people have been forced to enhance their personality for improving the image of country. Unless nowadays the etiquette seem to be one of the most important descipline for living in Thai society, many people still claim that why we have to change ourselves to be like Western culture.
ReplyDeleteWhat i have mentioned above, it is one argument from Colonizational approach which i have learned from the university. This approach are focused about the new strategy for dominating one country without using military forces, so the powerful country will empower themselve by implanting their own perspective to people living in colonized countr. This supports their culture to be the main culture of the world. Due to this strategy, the powerful country will dominate their colonized country indirectly (Thought domination). For some countries which do not adopt this main culture, they are disdained by other. This approach, in my opinion, is a good explaination about why the etiquette from Western country becomes as the main descripline for many society.
The China government have just been opening their country for only one decade. They have been linking their economy with the global economy more than the past. As a result of this, their society have to be changed being more civilised along with the growth of their economy. However, i also agree with instructing people have a good manner, but they need to understand about the true why they have to adopt it as the main descipline for living in the society.