Chapter Two The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Case Study

Li Jun, a Chinese university lecturer, was teaching in a British university. One day, he went to a party, and he noticed that men and women touched each other a lot more than he was used to.One woman came to hug Li Jun, but he stiffened as she attempted to give him a hug. He had never hugged any women except his wife. Other women noticed this, and no one else tried to hug him. However, Li Jun felt left out when people hugged each other but not him. He found himself in a very awkward situation: he did not want to be hugged, nor did he want to be left out. He did not know what he wanted or how to resolve his conflicting emotions.

Case Analysis:

1. Chinese people seldom hug each other, particularly in public.

2. In China, you will see senses of greeting and goodbye with all the feelings expressed in the eyes and the face, but it is unlikely that people hug each other, with only the younger generation as an exception.

3. In contrast, the westerners touch each other in communication much more than people of Chinese culture.

4. At a time of meeting a friend or upon departing, hugging each other is very natural for British people.

5. One’s discomfort at hugging in such situations may be interpreted by Britons as unfriendliness.