Studies on Taboo Customs in China and Western Countries From the Perspective of Intercultural Communication

Abstract

With the continuous process of globalization, the intercultural communication between China and Western countries is steadily expanded. Due to different cultural backgrounds, misunderstandings are inevitable in intercultural exchanges, which may cause embarrassing situation or unnecessary trouble. As a part of culture, taboo customs involve political, economical, social, and many other aspects, ranging from people's daily life to the global diplomacy. Thus, studies on taboo customs in China and Western countries are meaningful to the understanding of different cultures. This paper mainly discusses the taboo customs from two aspects, in intercultural verbal communication and nonverbal communication, which is necessary for the smoothness and effectiveness of intercultural exchanges.