Face (social sciences)

Face is a class of behaviors and customs, associated with the morality, honor, and authority of an individual (or group of individuals), and its image in social groups.

Face refers to a sociological concept in general linked to the dignity and prestige that a person has in terms of their social relationships. This idea with different nuances is observed in many societies and cultures such as Chinese, Arabic, Indonesian, Korean, Malaysian, Laotian, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai, Russian and other East Slavic cultures.

Face has particularly complex dynamics and meanings within the context of Chinese culture, and its usage in the English language is borrowed from Chinese.[1]

  1. ^ Qi, Xiaoying (2017-12-20). "Reconstructing the concept of face in cultural sociology: in Goffman's footsteps, following the Chinese case". The Journal of Chinese Sociology. 4 (1): 19. doi:10.1186/s40711-017-0069-y. ISSN 2198-2635.