[
    {
        "id": 212955,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1993",
        "page_number": 23,
        "title": "RAS-1993",
        "content_text": "2\n\ndictionaries of phrases, many of them carry the figurative meaning. What more, these 'phenomena' suggest that the concept of face is important.\n\nis\n\nFace Is Important\n\nLu Xun, the author of the epic A Q, had written many stories, articles, and poems. Among them, one article was solely devoted to the concept of face (Lu, 1934).* Another contemporary writer, Lao She also took pains to single out face as the central theme in one of his early plays: Mianzi Wenti (The Question of Face), a three-act play published in 1941.6\n\nIn what can be regarded as a concise statement of what Lu Xun and Lao She had tried to convey, Lin Yutang, the famous linguist, wrote that face was 'yet the most delicate standard by which Chinese social intercourse [was] regulated' (Lin, 1935: 200). He also lamented that if China was to become strong, it was necessary for her people, especially those who had face, to cast aside this concern (Lin, 1980: 210). His underlying assumption was that the concern with face barred the country from developing into a state ruled by law and thereby a strong state. This view was shared by other social critics like Bo Yang (Bo, 1987: 121). Even some Westerners who had much experience living in China feel the same (Bo, 1987: 338-339).\n\nSome Western scholars also attended to the concept. Elizabeth Croll, for example, in her study of marriage rituals, concluded that the scale of marriage was taken as a symbol of a household's or even a larger social group's status. Wedding banquets were used by those who experienced changes in their status to advertise their new positions in society. Although the word 'face' was not directly used, it is apparent that the concept worked in this context. As far as this ritual was concerned, the situation remained the same in post-1949 China. More so, the cadres themselves, rather than the villagers, were the group being indulged in extravagant feasting.\n\nEven in the political arena, the concept of face appears to be important. In an analysis of the dynamics of political factions, Lucian Pye has argued that, very often, politicians would not be totally driven out, nor would political factions be totally defeated. This is to save the losers from a complete dismantling of their status, power and other means of living. This is also important to allow the defeated to live on by saving them from a 'deep sense of loss of face' which implies loss of respect and dignity (Pye, 1980: 188-189).\n\n* A copy of the bibliography is available from the Hon. Editor",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1993.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/66833t302",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 213019,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1993",
        "page_number": 87,
        "title": "RAS-1993",
        "content_text": "66\n\nAs controls, the face situations that were on foreign athletes and countries reflected a different picture. In face-enhancing situations, the victories of their athletes or countries were either basked in as glories for Asia, the world in which China had her part, or detached from the owners of success, or even devalued. Many victories of foreign athletes were not given due space and coverage. Even when they tied with Chinese athletes, they were concealed from the readers by either hook or crook: smaller characters, indirect mentioning, or even total disappearance.\n\nIt may be argued that because they did not concern Chinese readers that they were swallowed up by the press. But why were there so many negative portrayals of foreign victors, why was there so much coverage on the foreign losers, so much space on foreign athletes succumbing under Chinese sportsmen? Why could foreign victors not be lauded for their efforts, for their good national sports infrastructure? Why could foreign losers not be excused for injury, for weather, for crowd noise; justified for hard work, for good morale; accounted in favourable contexts of past victories, good records and so on?\n\nThe reason for all these partial presentations is that the Chinese press had to downplay the favourable images and to blast the unfavourable ones of foreigners so as to boost those of the Chinese. And in doing so, the press could present a picture of China's benevolent national face, with the Chinese victories enhanced and entitled to the delegation, the sports bureau, the people and the country as a whole. And the fundamental motive for such favourable presentations may be originated from political considerations.\n\nFace And Politics\n\nSome scholars have already discussed the relationship between face and politics. Among them, two studies are of relevance for discussion here. First, Lucian Pye's study of political factions in China has been quoted in the foregoing chapters. He came to the conclusion that loss of face would mean total disfunctioning for a person, so a politician or a political faction would never be entirely defeated (Pye, 1980: 188-189). This is to reserve some room for the defeated individuals to live in. Likewise, the defeated athletes were never heavily scolded. In fact, they were often excused, justified and saved from the loss of face. This is perhaps because of the same reason.",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1993.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/66833t302",
        "rank": 0
    }
]