Evaluating the Impact of collectivism and individualism on argumentative writing by Chinese and North American college Students

Authors
Citation
Sy. Wu et Dl. Rubin, Evaluating the Impact of collectivism and individualism on argumentative writing by Chinese and North American college Students, RES TEACH E, 35(2), 2000, pp. 148-178
Citations number
61
Categorie Soggetti
Education
Journal title
RESEARCH IN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH
ISSN journal
0034527X → ACNP
Volume
35
Issue
2
Year of publication
2000
Pages
148 - 178
Database
ISI
SICI code
0034-527X(200011)35:2<148:ETIOCA>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
This study analyzed writing features conceptually linked to collectivist or individualist orientations among students from Taiwan and the U.S. These f eatures were indirectness, personal disclosure (first person singular prono uns and personal anecdotes), use of proverbs and other canonical expression s, collective self (first personal plural pronouns and statements of humane ness and collective virtues), and assertiveness. Comparisons were made acro ss languages and nationalities (Taiwanese and U.S. students) and also acros s language alone (Taiwanese writing in Chinese and in English). Association s with each writer's degree of collectivism as a personality trait were als o tested. U.S. students writing in English, compared to Taiwanese students writing in Chinese, were found to be more direct and to reveal more persona l anecdotes. Taiwanese students, in contrast, tended to use more proverbs a nd to express humaneness and collective virtues with greater frequency. Tai wanese students' English writing showed influences of their L1 (first langu age) writing conventions in terms of indirectness, humaneness, collective v irtues, and limited use of personal anecdotes. Taiwanese students writing i n English, as compared with their L1, were more likely to use first person pronouns, were less likely to use proverbs and were also less assertive. Us e of writing features was associated with nationality and language but not with writer's individual levels of collectivism. These associations imply t hat certain writing features may be more a matter of socialized discourse c onventions than directly attributable to differences in collectivist or ind ividualist ideation. Moreover, other findings of variability, especially am ong Taiwanese writers, belie any simplistic cultural essentialism.