Abstract:

This paper examines the specific cultural characteristics of guanxi {relationship}. The author first summarized the cultural theme, structural theme, and instrumental theme in the academic research on guanxi and then explained the necessity to go back to the cultural theme. The author concluded that general sociological concepts and theories should be applied to delineating and dissecting the guanxi phenomenon in Chinese society in order to break the dependence on the cultural interpretations based on the endogenous concepts only. As an exploratory step, the author recommended the concept of weak ties in the social network theory for its particular helpfulness to the understanding of guanxi in Chinese society, where guanxi refers to external social relationships in contrast to internal familial relationships, the former being characteristic of weak ties while the latter of strong ties. The two types of relationships display significant differences in their potential for personal choices, regularity, and social stratifying effects. Guanxi, in the author’s opinion, is in fact an action model that guides social members in their dealing with social relationships outside the family. In addition, guanxi in China represents not just a culture of weak ties; it profoundly cultivates the Chinese social structure owing to its powerful agency to transform its weak valence toward the strong end.

Key words: guanxi, weak ties, culture of weak ties