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1. The values of a social group

The concern to maintain face is clearly and important dynamic in Chinese societies – and we’ll reflect theologically on the place of face later on. But today, we’re going to consider how the face behaviour of a group can reveal important insights into what is held as important by that group…

In his article, David Ho points out that the
things which cause a loss or gain in face are based on "sets of
criteria or standards which vary both cross-culturally and over time
within a single culture. These standards are rooted ultimately in the
value orientations of a given culture at a particular point in time." That is, different social groups have different values that they uphold and prize.

2. Stated values … and actual values

However, those who have worked in the business world will know very well that the stated values of an organisation can be quite different from what is actually valued in that organisation. Your company says it values ‘teamwork, openness, customer service’ – but at the end of the business year, the ones who get bonuses and promotions don’t actually exhibit ‘teamwork, openness and customer service’ at all. Instead, they could have the very opposite qualities!

And it’s in this area that the study of face can be particularly useful. David Ho writes that "the
study of face, therefore, gives us insight into not only the nuances of
social interaction but also the kinds of values that are upheld in a
given society, particularly those values which are deemed to be
prerequisites for all its adult members."

3. Discerning the true values of a social group

How does this work? Well, by observing what it is that causes people to gain or lose face in the community, you can get an uncomfortably honest picture of the true values of that community. But it’s particularly the ones which cause people to lose face that we should look out for. "The
kinds of behaviour judged to be face losing serve as an especially
sensitive indicator of the prevailing mores and morality of the times."

And so a social group (such as a business, or even a church) may claim to value
forgiveness, truthfulness and integrity – but is this really the case? The way you can tell is to see what sorts of things cause a loss or gain in face in that group.

If someone loses face because he is unforgiving, untruthful or lacks integrity, then it can truly be said that these are in fact true values for that particular group. And to a lesser degree, if people are held in high esteem by the group for being forgiving, truthful and acting with integrity, then you can say with some confidence these are in fact true values for that group.

However if that social group claims to value forgiveness, truthfulness and integrity – but in actual fact those people who are unforgiving, untruthful or lacking in integrity still have face… then it must be questioned if these are in fact the real values of that group.

Well if it isn’t forgiveness, truthfulness and integrity, what then are the things that are found in those who are highly esteemed? Look out for those who have lost face in that social group, and consider carefully: what really was it that they did which caused them to lose face? Was it that they were disloyal to the organisation? did they talk back to older people? did they question the past? If so, what does that suggest? It could mean that the true values of that social group may in fact lie in loyalty, in submission to one’s elders, in thinking the same way…

The thing about face is that the values that control the gaining and losing of face can’t be controlled by any one person – like the HR team sending out a memo to all the employees ("our three values are these…"). No, it’s out there, deeply ingrained within the members of the social group. And while one or two may deny that these are true values of their social group, the actual behaviour of the whole social group, in discounting the lien of an individual, reveals quite clearly what the true values of that group are.

4. Face and ministry

The truth about "the prevailing mores and morality" of your church can be quite shocking and depressing. But if we are bold enough to look at the ugly truth, this can be quite useful for us in ministry.

Because we want the values of people in our church to be transformed by the gospel. We want people to become forgiving, to be truthful, to have integrity in all their dealings. How wonderful it would be if, in our churches, what caused people to
lose face was that they were unforgiving! or untruthful! or lacked
integrity in all their dealings! While we may want to ultimately step back from extreme face-consciousness, knowing where your church is at is a good start, and a good indication of your progress – or lack thereof!

As people become Christians and grow, yes their behaviour may change in certain areas. They may start attending church regularly, they may stop smoking, they may invite people into their homes. And we can (and should) rejoice over such changes. Yet underneath that, old values can continue for many years unexamined, unchallenged, unreformed.

How do we go about changing the values of a social group? By revolution? evolution? sending out memos? I suspect that this is something individuals have little control over.
Not only is it an instinctive reflex from our heart, it’s also
something that is in many people all at once. But God is sovereign over
our hearts – and the hearts of all people. And so as we preach passionately, we must also pray fervently…

[ PS: what causes loss of face in your family? your company? your church? ]