Does anyone have good sources on psychological, philosophical, and/or sociolinguistic aspects of deception / lying / face-saving in Asian cultures? What are typical perceptions, taught cultural norms on deceiving (falsifying or any other kind ,e.g. concealing) or being deceived? Is it simply frowned upon? Highly immoral? All right under some circumstances? How does shame and face-saving factor in? To what extent do people go to avoid scandals? How is it talked about, if at all? I'd much appreciate your thoughts as well as pointers to research literature. Or any other unexpected sources of insights for that matter (e.g., ancient scriptures that may have influenced generations). Truly appreciate your help!
This is not scientific. It is simply based on my life experience. We have had friends from Singapore, Vietnam, Mainland China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. I make no claims to expertise, but regarding Singaporean (especially), Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese friends and host students, I have found a cultural hesitance to disappoint or let one down, which sometimes causes friends to say what they think we want to hear rather than what is actually the case. At first I believed this was dishonesty, but a Singaporean friend explained it to me in terms of his culture, so that I came to understand what was happening. So, when dealing with friends from those three Asian countries I preface my comments with a disclaimer that they must not worry about making me upset or angering me. I genuinely want to know the truth of a matter no matter how disappointing it may be. Our Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese friends seem not to have the same customs. They tend to speak very straightforwardly. Those from Hong Kong seem to be of both varieties: some do not wish to upset (usually older people), others (usually younger people) are very straightforward.
Again, not scientific; but in India, it depends on who you're trying to deceive. The higher up in authority the person you're lying to (like your parents) the worse the physical cues of lying become (the shaky voice, or long pauses, or lowered eye contact). Some claim not to lie at all, and white lies are a bit more common. Also, errors of omission versus commission would need to be evaluated separately too. It isn't whether you're a "good liar" or no, but whether your lie is caught. And once it is, no matter what culture you're in, the liar is ashamed (if not shamed) and the act is considered inappropriate. Hope this helps :)
Thank you, Larisa, this is indeed what I was looking for. I finally got around to reading your suggested article. Victoria
Victoria here is a book that a local ESL teacher recently told me about. It addresses the topic you're asking about.
http://www.amazon.com/Lies-that-Bind-Chinese-Truths/dp/074255404X
What a valuable resource, thank you Bill! I was just working on an editorial that's addressing these issues. Thank you for keeping my question in mind and sharing the link!
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