Compare and Contrast Essay: Australian and Chinese Identities

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Recommended: Two elements of national identity

With globalization, people from different countries may have more opportunities to communicate with each other. China, as an East Asian country, has a different national identity from Australia. To avoid misunderstanding and improve effective communication between China and Australia, it is important to find out the differences and similarities between Chinese identity and Australian identity. Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon (2014) defines ‘national identity’ as ‘the depiction of a country as a whole, encompassing its culture, traditions, language, and politics.’ Therefore, this essay will analyze the national identity of Australia and China from the aspects of their unique histories and political systems meanwhile focus on how these features influence Australian and Chinese national identities.

Australia is a relatively egalitarian society in that most people are treated equally and hold a belief of anti-authority. The idea of equality and anti-authority started from the earlier colonial history; was guaranteed by the political system and realized in the social lives of Australian. Disher (1987) indicated that Australian history began with a dark period when many convicts were sent to this colony. These convicts lived in hard conditions. They worked under supervision by British colonists and free settlers as servants and laborers. The British colonists were the authorities who owned privileges and enslaved these convicts. These convicts dissatisfied with this unfairly targeted. They desired freedom and equal rights to free settlers. Hence, they fought with the authorities to gain their human rights. For instance, Disher (1987) reported that hundreds of convicts fought with the colonists for freedom at Castle Hill govern...

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Dugan, M. & Szwarc, J. (1987), Australia’s Migrant Experience. Caulfield East, VIC: Edward Arnold Australia.

Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon (2014), National identity. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from Dictionary.com website:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/national+identity

Grimsley, S. (2014), Long-Term Orientation vs. Short-Term Orientation: Hofstede's Definition, Lesson & Quiz. Retrieved from

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/long-term-orientation-vs-short-term-orientation-hofstedes-definition-lesson-quiz.html#lesson

Sherington, G. (1980), Australia’s Immigrants: 1788-1978. Sydney: Allen& Unwin.

Yum, J.O. (1994), The impact of Confucianism on interpersonal relationship and communication in East Asia, in L.A. Samovar & R.E. Porter, (Ed) (1994) Intercultural communication: a reader. California: Wadsworth Pub. pp. 77-79

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