Abstract

Marriage is one of the progressing symbols of human civilization. With the development of society, people's demands on civilization have been higher and higher, and they pay more and more attention to details of marriage, thus gradually becoming a ritual. Due to various factors such as economy, politics, history, religion, geographic features and so on, people in different districts of the East and West have shaped their own characteristic marriage customs，which reflect effectively the discrepancies between China and the West. 

This thesis attempts to explore the discrepancies in marriage customs between Chinese and Western cultures in terms of food, clothing, etiquettes and wedding shower. Based on comparing different cultures, we will better understand differences of historical development and cultural background between China and the West to boost the efficiency of learning the Eastern and Western cultures so as to improve English abilities as well as broaden horizons. What's more, grasping cultural differences could make further efforts to advance cultural exchange, which has a positive impact on the effective development of international communication and cooperation. Therefore, it is urgent to adopt measures to reduce disparities, such as improving teaching methods, emphasizing on students' non-verbal communication abilities, changing teachers' way of thinking, blending Chinese and Western Cultures and so on.

Key words: marriage customs; cultural difference; main reasons; measures

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-1

3. Differences in Chinese and Western Marriage Customs-2

3.1 Chinese Marriage Customs-2

3.2 Western Marriage Customs-5

4. Reasons for Differences between Western and Eastern Cultures-8

4.1 Western Theories -8

4.2 Chinese Theories-9

5. Cultural Integration-10

5.1 Tendency of the Cultural Integration-10

5.2 Importance of Understanding Cultural Differences-11

5.3 Measures of Promoting Cultural Integration-11

6. Conclusion-13

Works Cited-15