Saving Face: Authority and Harmony in Contemporary Chinese Society

The notion of face (mianzi, 面子; lian, 脸), has been long seen as an essential and pervasive element of Chinese culture. As David Yao-fai Ho argued ‘It is virtually impossible to think of a facet of [Chinese] social life to which the question of face is irrelevant.’ (Ho, 1976, 883). As such it has also been closely linked with other crucial for Chinese culture concepts among which authority (quan, 权) and harmony (he, 和) are of the utmost importance.

The aim of the Proposed Doctoral Research is to examine this relation between the notion of face in China and traditional social values such as authority (quan, 权) and harmony (he, 和). It will conduct, from philosophical and socio-psychological perspectives, an in-depth analysis of the Chinese notion of face and its dialectical relation with the two other focal concepts in the socio-cultural life of Chinese people.

The Proposed Doctoral Research is to be a critical inquiry into the meaning and application of social values in communication and social behaviour. As such, it will require a significant portion of independent study and research. An in-depth understanding of and ability to apply research methods borrowed from philosophy and social psychology will be indispensable for the successful completion of the project.

For more information about doctoral scholarship and PhD programme at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU): Please visit:

http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/phd/entry-requirements.html

http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/phd/feesscholarships.html

Requirements:
The candidate should have a first class or upper second class honours degree, or a master’s degree (or equivalent qualification), in Social Studies, Chinese or related area. Evidence of good spoken and written English and Chinese is essential. The candidate should have an IELTS score of 7 or above, or an equivalent qualification if the first language is not English. The candidate should also have a New HSK Level 6, Old HSK Advanced Level 9 or TOCFL Level 6 if the first language is not Chinese. This position is open to all qualified candidates irrespective of nationality.

Degree:
The student will be awarded a PhD degree from the University of Liverpool (UK) upon successful completion of the programme.

How to Apply:
Interested applicants are advised to email [Email Address Removed] (principal supervisor’s email address) the following documents and copy [Email Address Removed] (please put the project title in the subject line).

• CV
• Two reference letters with company/university letterhead
• Personal statement outlining your interest in the position
• Proof of English language proficiency (an IELTS score of 7 or above, or an equivalent is required)
• Proof of Chinese language proficiency (New HSK Level 6, Old HSK Advanced Level 9, TOCFL Level 6 or equivalent is required)
• Verified school transcripts in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)
• Verified certificates of education qualifications in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Pawel Zygadlo ([Email Address Removed]), whose personal profile is linked below,
http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/departments/academic-departments/china-studies/staff/pawel-zygadlo