Line of Enquiry:
【1】 Why do people like to have dinner to improve their relationship with each other?
【2】 How is emotional communication (language + behavior) carried out at the table?
【3】 Is table etiquette an emotional connection during eating? Why?
【4】 What are the non-verbal behaviors of table etiquette that can enhance emotions and promote emotional communication?
Main Enquiry:
【5】How to Visualize Emotional Connections in Traditional Chinese Dining Etiquette: Decoding Non-Verbal Communicative Behaviour?
Purpose:
I want my audience to pay attention to and be aware of the loving behaviors hidden at the table.
Audience:
People who are curious about Chinese table etiquette in the context of Chinese food culture; people who grew up in a non-Chinese food culture context
The Difference Between Chinese and Western Table Etiquette
Eastern societies are relationship-based, emphasizing group belonging and collectivism；Western societies emphasize individual independence and freedom of choice
Chinese: at the Chinese table, pinching food, offering to share and give up the best part of the food (crab meat and cream, fish face meat, chicken legs, shrimp…) sharing food, passing food, clinking utensils (helping to hold food apart, clinking glasses…) and other behaviors are all ways to express love and care. These behaviors all reflect the Chinese preference for expressing love through actions rather than words, and the dinner table has become an important venue for family emotional exchange.
Western: Due to the prevalence of separate meals, table manners in the West are more concerned with a sense of proportion and personal space, and interactions are relatively restrained:
– Food is usually distributed independently, and the act of holding food for each other is rare.
– The atmosphere during meals is quieter, and people are more likely to talk to their neighbors than to cross over to a more distant seat.
– Individual choices are respected, e.g. food or wine is not forced, and there is more room for free choice.
However, Westerners also show care and affection through verbal communication, eye contact, and polite phrases