| Parents and children’s relationship is very important for a family. Because of the world globalization, international families have increasingly emerged in more and more countries, especially in America and China. For a Chinese family which is under the influence of Confucianism, Xiao Shun(Filial Piety) is an important value for the relationship between parents and children. But for American families, under the influence of Christianity, individualism is considered as the mainstream values. Therefore, the relationship between American parents and children are more equal and more respected to each other. The question is what will happen when the view of a Chinese traditional family meets with the view of an American family.This thesis, using Hofstede’s individualism-collectivism, Edward T. Hall’s high power-low power distance and high context-low context culture as the theoretical basis, and taking Ang Lee’s films as the cases, discusses the differences of parent-child relationship in Chinese culture and American culture. Based on the situations in the cases, the thesis probes into the roots of the cultural differences, and also points out the change of the relationship between parents and children nowadays which caused by the intercultural influence in the context of globalization.This thesis suggests that there are many differences between the parents-children relationship in China and America. Those differences induce the conflicts between the two cultures. By studying three of Ang Lee’s films, Pushing Hand, The Gua Sha Treatment and The Wedding Banquet, the differences of parent-child relationship between the two cultures are manifested in the following forms: Chinese children’s filial obedience and American children’s personal freedom, Chinese parents’ hierarchy and American parents’ equality, Chinese parents and children’s silent love and American parents and children’s speaking out love. Besides, the parents’ transformation in the three films proves the possibility of cultural fusions. In the context of globalization, recognizing the differences and, at the same time, seeking the similarities among the cultures are the keys to realizing the harmony and the harmonious development in families and societies. |
