'Rice theory' explains north-south China cultural differences, study shows

PhysOrg.com ^ | May 9, 2014 | PhysOrg Dot Com

[fishtank]

'Rice theory' explains north-south China cultural differences, study shows

A new cultural psychology study has found that psychological differences between the people of northern and southern China mirror the differences between community-oriented East Asia and the more individualistic ...

[fishtank]

So, I am going to give a translation of this article:

Southern China GOOD.

Northern China BAD.

[MUDDOG]

differences between community-oriented East Asia and the more individualistic Western world – and the differences seem to have come about because southern China has grown rice for thousands of years, whereas the north has grown wheat

So it's not the white devils. It's the wheat devils.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"So, I am going to give a translation of this article:
Southern China GOOD.

Northern China BAD."

In terms of who is conservative, according to this article it is the wheat growing north who would tend to be individualistic/i.e. conservative rather than the socialistic/i.e. liberal rice growing south. So I think you have it mixed backwards.

[backwoods-engineer]

US government bans wheat in 3...2...1...

[Old Teufel Hunden]

unless of course you were being sarcastic, in which case I didn’t pick it up.

[Corporate Democrat]

Interesting stuff. I know that historically Chinese civilization began in the North, and the Southerners were actually considered barbarians until about 2,500 years ago. That there can be distinctive differences in culture even now might be part of why that is.

[ifinnegan]

That’s the way it is, of course.

It’s interesting you say that, cause I’ve always got this impression from my Chinese friends.

[Nevadan]

Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers talks about the rice culture and why the Chinese (and Asians in general) are so much better at math. That is just one of the chapters. The entire book is fascinating. See: http://gladwell.com/outliers/rice-paddies-and-math-tests/ http://chineseculture.about.com/b/2008/12/16/why-are-chinese-better-at-math.htm

[ifinnegan]

I’ve thought it is the northerners who were the usurpers. The Manchu Qing who took over from the good Han Ming, real Chinese.

Made everyone shave their forehead and wear pigtails.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

There’s an easy check on this theory. Southern rice and northern wheat also apply to India.

(a very good basic guide to Indian cuisine.)

http://www.weavethousandflavors.com/2010/03/10-things-you-ought-to-know-about-indian-food-before-you-seek-it-cook-it-or-eat-it.html

“The grain of North India is wheat not rice. Therefore unleavened breads rule - naan, tandoori roti, rotis or chapaatis are traditionally eaten with foods of this region.”

“The grain of South India is rice not wheat. This region is rich with paddy fields so rice remains a staple through & through.”

[Corporate Democrat]

Depends on how far North you want to go. The Manchus came from what’s now northern Manchuria, and were barbarians until a few centuries ago. Beijing roughly marks the northern frontier of the ancient Chinese civilization.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Not only usurpers, but traitors to the Chinese nation. Pu Yi (”The last Emperor” was the one who invited the Japanese into Manchuria leading to the invasion of China.

Read The Rape of Nanking a long time ago, but just saw this film on Netflix.

City of Life and Death

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1124052/

[latina4dubya]

thank you... i am going to purchase this book right now...

[reed13k]

Interestingly the wheat/rice discussion also indicates that the north is taller and more robust due to this difference in diet.

[Corporate Democrat]

An interesting map I found of the world according to the Zhou Dynasty (500 BC~).

Huaxia roughly means 'civilization'.

Nanman was 'Southern Barbarians' (Southern Chinese)

Beidi was 'Northern Barbarians' (Mongolians, Manchus, Turks) etc.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

People in the north are thought to be more aggressive and independent, while people to the south are considered more cooperative and interdependent.

Does this mean its OK again to make sweeping generalizations about large groups of people, or ws the PC editor was asleep at the switch on this one?

[To Hell With Poverty]

Ping?

[mikey_hates_everything]

"Southern China GOOD.

Northern China BAD."

I am under the impression from Chinese that it's basically just Shanghai BAD. From personal experience, however, I'd say central (Chengdu) good, southern and central coastal bad, northern coastal ok.

[Born to Conserve]

I think what they are saying is that communists are good, and capitalists are evil.

[fishtank]

I was talking from the persepctive of the liberal authors and researchers.

forgot the /sarc