CONCEPTIONS OF SELF WITHIN CHINA AND THE UNITED-STATES - CONTRASTING FOUNDATIONS FOR ADULT-EDUCATION

Cultural, social, political, and psychological influences are shown to result in different conceptions of self within China and the United States. The Chinese construction of self emphasizes continuity of family, societal roles, the supremacy of hierarchical relationships, compliance with authority, and the maintenance of stability. Identity is, largely, externally ascribed, subordinated to the collective, and seeks fulfillment through performance of duty, ordained roles, and patterns of filial loyalty. Within the United States the individual is recognized as the starting point for construing the social order, and the self is considered a psychological construct as much as an artifact of cultural, social, and political influences. These differences are shown to provide different foundations for thinking about the provision of education for adults. © 1991.