What is your understanding of the concept of "face" in Asian cultures?

Question

What social purpose has it served, historically, and is it still useful? Is it a help or a hindrance in modern cosmopolitan societies?

Answer 1

I find the question very funny. I am Asian. whats there in a face?

btw never heard this.

Answer 2

It is important to understand that "Face" means different things in different societies. For example, it means the opposite in Japan from in China.

FYI: the word that you are looking for is 面子 in both Chinese and Japanese.

In China face historically means looking good and going to lengths not to look bad. People will go to great lengths to gain/  not to loose face even if this means doing something that is morally questionable, or even illegal. For example, you might lie in order to make yourself look important or successful in front of a friend.

In Japan face is interprited as personal honor which in turn is interprited as personal integrity. It is more important to have gotten somewhere honestly than anything else. If you have to lie to make yourself seem important or successful then it doesn't count and instead of gaining face you loose it because you have act dishonorably.

In short, in China the end effect is more important, even if it was gained through dishonesty. While in Japan the journey is more important than the effect:it is more important to get a little way honestly than a long way dishonestly.

In China this developed because life was both hard and bound by tight restrictions. It was important to gain status (face with individuals or position in society) as this was the best way of ensuring your survival and the survival of your family, but this was not always easy so people took shortcuts.

In Japan this developed because the Japanese code of honor was artificially imposed on society as a way of binding and regulating it (the ultimate example of this was the imposition of Bushido on the Samurai classes as a way of tying them up with so much protocol that they didn't have time to rebel).

You had to be seen to be following the rules, and following them was more important than reaching the destination (whereas in China it was the destination that was important).

In today's society face (China) and honor (Japan) are both still important and relevant. In China businessmen will often offer praise or gifts in order to gain favor and to get on in business (to get in somebody's good books) while a Japanese businessman will use a strict adherence to the rules to demonstrate that they are trustworthy and that they will follow orders loyally in order to get on in business.