The articulation of a contemporary perspective on Chinese social identity and inter-group relations requires integration of three basic strands of knowledge: interdependent and independent selves from cross-cultural psychology; social identity and self-categorization from inter-group psychology; and historical analysis, weaving these strands of influence into the context of Chinese culture and its evolving indigenous psychology. This article reveals that with the onslaught of Western imperialism over the last two centuries, traditional Chinese civilization collapsed and traditional Chinese virtues came to be understood as flaws by leading Chinese intellectuals and their political rulers. Using a representational and historically contingent approach to social identity and inter-group relations, this article argues that the ethical and relational origins of traditional Chinese social identity enable culturally unique predictions about how Chinese people manage cultural diversity and international relations today.

This research examines the cultural origins of sexism and how it is enacted within cultures. The harmonious tenor of Taiwanese collectivism and the competitive individualism of American culture are hypothesized to afford benevolent sexism and hostile sexism, respectively. Whereas hostile sexism was expected to affect Americans' bias in favor of men more than benevolent sexism, benevolent sexism should affect Taiwanese bias favoring men more than hostile sexism. Deferential family norms and support for hierarchical intergroup relationships (social dominance orientation) were hypothesized to increase support of sexism in both cultures. Two studies within each culture confirmed the aforementioned hypotheses. The cultural roots of legitimizing ideologies and the cultural origins of different forms of sexism are discussed.

Responses of Taiwanese graduate students to favor requests from different social targets (peer vs. superior) were compared across two scenarios. Factors influencing the decision to accept or reject the request were also explored. When the favor request was consistent with the relational context (academic research), participants were more likely to accept the request from a professor than from a classmate. Those who accepted the professor’s request were more likely to report authority-oriented reasons. When the content of the favor request was inconsistent with the relational context, participants tended to reject the request from both a professor and a classmate. Those who rejected the professor’s request reported more self-assertive reasons for their decision. Although participants rated Rational Reciprocity as the most important factor in making their decision, interpersonal closeness seemed to be a major concern in deciding to do a favor for a peer. Social interactions for acquaintances in a Confucian society are influenced by Confucian ethics advocating the principle of respecting the superior and the principle of favoring the intimate, rather than solely by the principle of social exchange.

Seven hundred and twenty-six adult subjects in Taiwan categorized themselves into one of six identities: Taiwanese, Taiwanese but Chinese too, Chinese, Chinese but Taiwanese too, new Taiwanese, or general Chinese. The six identity groups had almost equally high rating scores of Taiwan on an index of social identification, but differed in their degree of identification with China. Participants who incorporated Taiwanese as a part or the whole of their self-identity were psychologically distant from China. By investigating the relationship between ethnic identities chosen by people in Taiwan and their social identification with Taiwan versus China as two categories of nationalism, the results of the present study indicate that the bases of Chinese identification are mainly cultural and have a historical connection with China, while the basis of Taiwanese identification is mainly the sharing of life space in the Taiwanese district from which the people have acquired a kind of primordial attachment, regardless of their ethnic identity.

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