14
Face: Power, Not Authority
At this point, it may be necessary to discern face from authority. Although face allots influence to a person over others, it is not authority. A high official has the authority to carry out policies because his status grants him so, and he may have face to influence other officials, not under authorized control, to carry out actions favourable to him. A mandarin has face in a village and has influence to persuade many people in his village to favour certain issues. Another mandarin does not necessarily have the face to exert this influence. Face goes with persons who display performance concordant to social expectations. It does not go directly with status, and is therefore not authority. Face is a means of social control based on reciprocity whereas authority is unidirectional (Ho, 1975: 874).
Face As A Means Of Social Control
Even though the power that goes with face is not authority, it is attractive enough for people to act accordingly. Once a person has a big face, he would protect it and, in addition, he would also try to gain more face so that he could gain more honour, influence and deference. Having these and gaining more of these would provide a person with the basis for soliciting other 'goods' in society. Naturally, a person would be tempted to place himself in an advantageous position by complying with the rules of the game. To gain more honour, influence and deference and thereby other desired goods, a person would try to gain more face, by enhancing either or all of the variable dimensions: status, role performance, moral conduct or others' reactions.
More so, the fundamental concern for face means a concern for looking like what one is supposed to be with respect to status and role. If one wants to be treated with face, one must act according to the expectations of one at one's specific status and role in society. Otherwise, his status or his position in society will be undermined, and his face, at the same time, will be at stake.
Face is seen as “status rectitude” (Stover, 1962: 347). It serves to bind people in role-relationships with regard to their positions in society. In this sense, losing face would result in a loss of control over one's status, a loss of power over others in a bargaining situation, and a loss of identity in a social interaction in which a person may have to resign to the favour of other members in an interaction.
14
Face: Power, Not Authority
At this point, it may be necessary to discern face from authority. Although face allots influence to a person over others, it is not authority. A high official has the authority to carry out policies because his status grants him so, and he may have face to influence other officials, not under authorized control, to carry out actions favourable to him. A mandarin has face in a village and has influence to persuade many people in his village to favour certain issues. Another mandarin does not necessarily have the face to exert this influence. Face goes with persons who display performance concordant to social expectations. It does not go directly with status, and is therefore not authority. Face is a means of social control based on reciprocity whereas authority is unidirectional (Ho, 1975: 874).
Face As A Means Of Social Control
Even though the power that goes with face is not authority, it is attractive enough for people to act accordingly. Once a person has a big face, he would protect it and, in addition, he would also try to gain more face so that he could gain more honour, influence and deference. Having these and gaining more of these would provide a person with the basis for soliciting other 'goods' in society. Naturally, a person would be tempted to place himself in an advantageous position by complying with the rules of the game. To gain more honour, influence and deference and thereby other desired goods, a person would try to gain more face, by enhancing either or all of the variable dimensions: status, role performance, moral conduct or others' reactions.
More so, the fundamental concern for face means a concern for looking like what one is supposed to be with respect to status and role. If one wants to be treated with face, one must act according to the expectations of one at one's specific status and role in society. Otherwise, his status or his position in society will be undermined, and his face, at the same time, will be at stake.
Face is seen as “status rectitude” (Stover, 1962: 347). It serves to bind people in role-relationships with regard to their positions in society. In this sense, losing face would result in a loss of control over one's status, a loss of power over others in a bargaining situation, and a loss of identity in a social interaction in which a person may have to resign to the favour of other members in an interaction.
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