Adventures in China

Chinese society, and institutions, are still very hierarchical and have very rigid authority structures. In schools, the administration has total control over the teachers who have total control over the students. Complaints about management, or even suggestions for changes, are virtually never voiced for fear of retaliation. Because the Chinese economy is poor and the unemployment is high, workers fear that drawing attention to themselves will result in a layoff. Workers may request permission to do something (like an activity with the students) but would never openly challenge the decisions of someone above them.

This, of course, is not how most Americans operate. I, personally, have a great deal of respect for those in positions of power who use their power carefully and intelligently. I also assume it is my duty to challenge authority, and that they should listen to my complaints. If the authority disserves my respect, they will weigh my opinions and make a decision based on certain principles that very from person to person and place to place. As one might expect, western teachers and Chinese employers often have power struggles.

The first thing foreign workers need to recognize is that most Chinese authorities do not believe in constructive criticism and that any criticism is a personal attack on their position. If a western teacher simply wants to make a suggestion, they need to learn a certain amount of finesse, first. However, even if the foreign teacher makes an effort to accommodate the Chinese individual's culture, most Chinese have never had to deal with a non-Chinese point of view and find it difficult. This difficulty to imagine the impact of another cultural background and a certain vagueness about a foreign teacher's role in the school hierarchy can cause a bit of conflict. The administration usually wants to deal with foreign teachers as though they are a Chinese teacher. This means they can demand almost anything of you (changing working days, times, amounts, demanding extra classes or talks suddenly, asking you to go to be shown off at business dinners) at a moments' notice and expect you to comply without a fuss. But you are also foreign. Being foreign in China elevates you up the hierarchical scale.

There is also the issue that the employer is ultimately responsible for the foreigner's behavior and safety. If you read your contract and foreign expert license carefully, you will see that if something happens to the foreigner or the foreigner becomes involved in Chinese activities (say, pro-democracy movements or religious institutions) and gets into trouble, the blame and fines will fall directly onto the employer, no one else. Some of the overprotective and overbearing behavior of your employer may be due to concern about getting into trouble because of your actions. When you are debriefed by the local police department when you arrive in China, there are rules such as "you will always sleep in your residence," so staying over at a friend's home may get you, and your school, into trouble.

Basically, if you allow your employer to push you around like a Chinese employee, they will. This means adjusting your schedule, inside and outside of school, to their liking without American style planning. Often, you could be lucky to receive a one or two hour notice before an event they will assume you will adapt to, simply because they ask. Some schools go so far as to restrict when teachers can leave grounds, where they go, and who they visit.

If you do not want to be treated like a Chinese teacher, you don't have to comply to all their requests. It is often possible to get out of requests by claiming you are tired, that you have other plans, or that you don't have time. If, however, there is a point of conflict about everyday policy, like your ability to leave school grounds alone, you may need to stand your ground. It is, of course, a better bargaining strategy to show you understand their concerns and to offer compromises. In the end, such showdowns often side for the Westerners. Remember, you are a valuable commodity, and if you make it absolutely clear you will not be pleased with a certain policy, it often has a magical way of changing.

In the end, most foreigners reach an understanding with their employers. The foreigners submit to some of the employer's requests and the employers "overlook" some of the foreigner's strange preferences. If handled carefully, and with a certain amount of patience, the conflicts can lead to meaningful conversations and a better understanding of each other.