A Chinese community is a social group of people with shared language, cultural tradition and/or heritage. Studies show that access to these resources fosters a sense of belonging and increases health outcomes (1,2).
Enhanced language skills and cultural immersion accelerate learning and facilitate meaningful integration. Community involvement also offers new types of social service agencies that serve diverse needs.
Family
The family is considered to be the most important unit of society in Chinese culture. It is a place of harmony and peace where filial piety and loyalty are valued. Children are expected to spend much time with their families and support the parents in times of need.
Clans, as anthropologists define them, are groups of people who claim common descent from a putative apical ancestor (even though that ancestor may be mythical). Historically, clans also served as mutual-aid associations, providing ways for Chinese who traveled away from home regions to locate kin and obtain assistance.
Today, the Chinese community is diverse and reflects the global influences on its society. Couples no longer marry purely for the sake of continuing their lineage and are often more selective in the number of children they have. This has led to a shift in the modern Chinese family structure towards one that is more couple-centric and more focused on love.
Education
The educational system continues to focus on developing a well-trained workforce in line with China’s economic goals. This is evident in the adoption of Confucian principles, such as respect for authority and the value of hard work, into global education policies and curricula.
Enrollment in primary schools is now virtually universal, and per-capita spending on education has increased dramatically. Educators are encouraged to promote innovative learning methods and incorporate modern technologies. In addition, the curriculum is expanding to include critical world issues, incorporating traditional Chinese values into a forward-thinking, global educational ethos.
Although tuition-free primary schooling has become a reality in most cities, higher education is still limited for the vast majority of Chinese students. Entrance to university is based on national examinations, and admissions are competitive. In order to meet the requirements of university admission, students must have senior middle-school education or equivalent. Many students attend universities with the financial assistance of their families.
Work
A key feature of Chinese culture is the importance placed on work. It is the vehicle through which individuals obtain a sense of dignity and social respect, enabling them to participate in activities such as guanxi (Lai & Ngo, 1997).
In a study of Chinese immigrants living in southern Spain, it was found that many worked actively in the service sector. They usually spent long hours without rest and their zeal impacted on the quality of their health:
Building guanxi takes time. It involves helping others, providing gifts and spending time socializing outside of work. It is also important to keep in mind that working in a different cultural context can be stressful. For example, in this study, the main researcher observed that when not attending customers, Chinese workers called their families on the phone, cooked meals for their children or grandchildren, or helped out with their business. This made it difficult to balance family and work life.
Religion
Many of the most important Chinese religious traditions are non-controversial and can be seen as one way of understanding Chinese culture. This is a useful conceptual framework, particularly when considering how Confucian beliefs and practices relate to modern China.
In fact, the government of the People’s Republic of China recognizes the importance of Confucianism and how its ideas align with socialist communal values and strict societal structures. It has even made efforts to revitalize the Confucian movement and encourage its intellectuals to develop neo-Confucian philosophies.
Nonetheless, the government imposes significant restrictions on religion, and religious groups that agree to abide by these restrictions are allowed to function. They must also accede to the principle that their beliefs are superstitious nonsense.
Despite these restrictions, the country continues to be home to a number of important religions. The largest religion is Islam in areas populated by Hui Muslims, and Buddhism remains popular among Tibetans and the majority of Han Chinese.