The Impact of Diversity on Chinese Culture and Society

This essay delves into the multifaceted diversity of Chinese culture, highlighting the significance of its numerous ethnic groups, languages, and religions. It emphasizes that China, with its vast population and diverse geographical features, encompasses a rich tapestry of traditions and customs. The essay acknowledges the dominance of the Han ethnic group but also underscores the importance of the various minority groups, each with its unique cultural practices. It further examines the influence of globalization and Western culture on China, noting the country's ability to retain its ancient heritage while embracing modern advancements. The discussion extends to the role of language, religion, and the historical context of multinationalism in shaping China's cultural landscape. Ultimately, the essay concludes that the diversity in Chinese culture stems not only from its ethnic abundance but also from the integration of global influences, making China a vibrant and inclusive multicultural society.

Running head: DIVERSITY IN CHINESE CULTURE
DIVERSITY IN CHINESE CULTURE
Student’s name
University
Author’s note

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Slide 1
Chinese culture is considered to be one of the oldest culture in the world. Originating
thousands of year ago, the country has gone through a number of transformations due to various
political, social, economic an even environmental reasons. However, it is regarded as the
dominant culture of the Eastern Asia. Although globalization and the advent of western culture
has influenced all the existing cultures of the world, China has been able to retain the essence of
their ancient heritage through their culture, customs and traditions1. Most importantly, the
essence of the Chinese culture is construed by the diversity of its population, which is reflected
through its variety of ethnicity, language, religion, art and food2.
Ethnic Groups
The most significant aspect underlying the diversity in the Chinese culture is the
amalgamation of numerous ethnic groups present in China. It is nonetheless a vast country,
comprising almost 19% of the world’s population. Among its 1.4 million population, the
People’s Republic of China has recognized 56 ethnic groups3. The Han community, the majority
ethnic group, constitutes the majority ethnic group with almost 92% of the entire Chinese
population. Manchu, Zhuang, Tibetan, Dai, Uyghur, Hui, Mongolian and other minority ethnic
1 Aslani, Soroush, et al. "Dignity, face, and honor cultures: A study of negotiation strategy and outcomes in three
cultures." Journal of Organizational Behavior 37.8 (2016): 1178-1201.
2 Weller, Robert Paul. Alternate civilities: Democracy and culture in China and Taiwan. Routledge, 2018.
3 Beugelsdijk, Sjoerd, Tatiana Kostova, and Kendall Roth. "An overview of Hofstede-inspired country-level culture
research in international business since 2006." Journal of International Business Studies 48.1 (2017): 30-47.

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DIVERSITY IN CHINESE CULTURE
groups constitutes the rest 8%. With the diverse geographical features, the vast area of the
Chinese territory is abundant with diverse culture and traditions. The Mongols, residing in the
desert areas, are primarily a nomadic community, surviving on their practices of hunting-
gathering and migration. The Northwestern China reside the Muslim communities, comprised
mainly of Uyghur and Hui communities4. All the 56 ethnic groups proudly maintain their diverse
cultures, traditions and festivals across the Chinese Territory. For example, Dai people are
known for their Water Sprinkling festival, Bai community is known for their exquisite
architecture, Naxi community and Uyghur community are known for their music and dance, and
so on. However, the Southwestern provinces, including Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan etc., are
more diverse in terms of culture and ethnicity. This region consists more than 30 ethnic
communities with different culture and language. The PRC constitution of the nation secures the
rights of each ethnic group and guarantees equal rights to them. Also, the ethnic minorities are
given certain exemptions and privileges to ensure their traditional livelihood. However, many
people from the minority ethnic groups are moving to the urban areas and adopting urban
lifestyle to avail modern education and well-paid jobs.
Slide 2
Language
The history of China encompasses a varied range philosophical, literary, spiritual as well as
cultural richness. In the past, the scholars and aristocrats used the classical Chinese, which was
4 Chen, Beiwen, et al. "Basic psychological need satisfaction, need frustration, and need strength across four
cultures." Motivation and emotion 39.2 (2015): 216-236.

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mostly unintelligible for the common people5. The diverse ethnic groups still have their distinct
languages and dialects. Although the PRC government has recognized Common Chinese as the
official language of the country, around 300 minority languages are spoken around the country.
The common Chinese itself is based on the Mandarin dialect of Beijing, whereas the autonomous
regions have their distinct official languages6.
Religion
Although the state authority in China espouses atheism, the common population consists of
majority Buddhism and other minority religion such as Islam, Taoism, Catholicism and
Protestantism7. The ancient philosophical tradition of China is shaped by three spiritual
traditions, namely Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. There are several other folk religion or
popular religion as well. The foundation of the Chinese Mythology and the Chinese spiritual
concepts emerge from these traditional or folk religions8. However, the most popular tenets of
Chinese spiritualism is heavily influenced by Buddhism and Taoism. These religions, in turn,
have deeply influenced Chinese culture, in most specific terms of art, sculptures and painting,
5 Minkov, Michael. "A revision of Hofstede’s model of national culture: old evidence and new data from 56
countries." Cross Cultural & Strategic Management (2018).
6 Ng, Andy H., et al. "Culture and state boredom: A comparison between European Canadians and
Chinese." Personality and individual differences 75 (2015): 13-18.
7 Mazanec, Josef A., et al. "Homogeneity versus heterogeneity of cultural values: An item-response theoretical
approach applying Hofstede's cultural dimensions in a single nation." Tourism Management 48 (2015): 299-304.
8 Hua, Shiping, and Andrew J. Nathan. Chinese political culture. Routledge, 2016.

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architecture, philosophy, literature, as well as politics. Confucianism remained the dominant
philosophy in the Chinese culture until it was overpowered by Buddhism. Moreover, the
translation of Indian Buddhist texts in Chinese language, as well as the influence of Indian
Buddhism as a whole, have a deep impact on the Chinese culture.
Slide 3
Diversity and Multiculturalism
The Chinese culture is recognized as one of the most ancient and influential culture of the world,
especially in the region of East Asia. It dates back to approximately 5000 years, leading the
cultural domain of the world with their rich heritage of art, literature, philosophy, sculptures,
architecture and music. The Chinese culture, based on its various ethnic groups and their
language, religion, traditions, cuisine and clothing, is further divided into several subcultures.
The difference between the subcultures of adjacent regions is as prominent as among
neighbouring European countries 9.
There has been several arguments against the Chinese government that the homogenous
application of the state language and forced uniformity on the Chinese people since 1949 have
blurred the differences between the varied ethnic groups, and thus have diminished the diverse
nature of the nation. However, this argument is not entirely tenable. With the perceived variety in
language, religion and ethnicities, China is indeed a place of diversity. Historically, the nation
advocated the notion of multinationalism10. However, following the breakdown of Yugoslavia
9 Mackie, Jamie. "Business success among Southeast Asian Chinese: the role of culture, values, and social
structures." Market Cultures. Routledge, 2018. 129-144.
10 Yu-Ning, Li. Chinese women through Chinese eyes. Routledge, 2015.

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and the fall of the Soviet Union, the notion of multinationalism has been transformed. In the
recent times, the State Authority of the People’s Republic of China declares it as a “united
socialist multiethnic state”. The State also allows, rather encourages to nourish the diverse ethnic
identities and celebrate the diverse culture of the nation, as long as it does not culminate to a
separatist force.
The contemporary culture of China, however, reflects an amalgamation of Westernized
lifestyle and world culture, while maintaining their traditional heritage. With the advent of
globalization, the technology and economy of China has undergone a paradigm shift11. The tall
skyscrapers, modernized gadgets, outlets of multinational brands, westernized fashion and music
have a deep impact on today’s youth, as does the foreign investments and free trades on the
national economy. Also, according to the 2010 National Census data, more than 600000
expatriates work in China, hailing from different regions of the world. Therefore, it is evident
that the traditional Chinese culture has undergone a huge transformation in the recent timeframe.
In the light of this discussion, it can be said that the diversity in the Chinese culture is not only a
result of its ethnic abundance, but also because of the influence of other world cultures. Hence,
China is indeed a diverse country that strongly advocates multiculturalism and inclusive
approaches12.
11 Khlif, Hichem. "Hofstede’s cultural dimensions in accounting research: a review." Meditari Accountancy
Research (2016).
12 Yu, Hui-Chih. "A comparative study of the meanings of numbers in English and Chinese cultures." (2016).

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References
Aslani, Soroush, et al. "Dignity, face, and honor cultures: A study of negotiation strategy and
outcomes in three cultures." Journal of Organizational Behavior 37.8 (2016): 1178-1201.
Beugelsdijk, Sjoerd, Tatiana Kostova, and Kendall Roth. "An overview of Hofstede-inspired
country-level culture research in international business since 2006." Journal of International
Business Studies 48.1 (2017): 30-47.
Chen, Beiwen, et al. "Basic psychological need satisfaction, need frustration, and need strength
across four cultures." Motivation and emotion 39.2 (2015): 216-236.
Hua, Shiping, and Andrew J. Nathan. Chinese political culture. Routledge, 2016.
Khlif, Hichem. "Hofstede’s cultural dimensions in accounting research: a review." Meditari
Accountancy Research (2016).
Mackie, Jamie. "Business success among Southeast Asian Chinese: the role of culture, values,
and social structures." Market Cultures. Routledge, 2018. 129-144.
Mazanec, Josef A., et al. "Homogeneity versus heterogeneity of cultural values: An item-
response theoretical approach applying Hofstede's cultural dimensions in a single
nation." Tourism Management 48 (2015): 299-304.
Minkov, Michael. "A revision of Hofstede’s model of national culture: old evidence and new
data from 56 countries." Cross Cultural & Strategic Management (2018).
Ng, Andy H., et al. "Culture and state boredom: A comparison between European Canadians and
Chinese." Personality and individual differences 75 (2015): 13-18.

7
DIVERSITY IN CHINESE CULTURE
Weller, Robert Paul. Alternate civilities: Democracy and culture in China and Taiwan.
Routledge, 2018.
Yu, Hui-Chih. "A comparative study of the meanings of numbers in English and Chinese
cultures." (2016).
Yu-Ning, Li. Chinese women through Chinese eyes. Routledge, 2015.