从沃尔玛的入驻争议看中美小镇文化的不同

　　Abstract：Smalltownsculturecanberepresentativeofacountrysculture。Thispaperdiscusseslocalpeoplesdifferentattitudetowardsupermarkets‘enteringAshlandinAmericaandGuanlininChinatoanalyzetwocultures。
　　KeyWords：DifferencesbetweenChineseandAAmericanCulture
　　【摘要】小鎮文化具有代表性。本文分析中国官林镇与美国阿西兰镇居民对大超市进驻的不同态度来看出两国文化的不同。
　　【关键词】中美差异；美国文化
　　TheU。S。isabigcountrymadeupwithsmalltowns，andsmalltowncultureisthecoreofAmericaCulture。Thispaperwillstartonthebasisoftwosmalltowns，AshlandinAmericaandGuanlininChina，andanalyzethecitizensattitudetowardbusinessdevelopment，traditionalcultureandpoliticalrights。AshlandisasmalltowninVirginiawith7200citizens。SuchatowncanbefoundeverywhereinAmerica。Guanlin（官林镇）isauthorshometown，whichisasmalltowninJiangsuProvince。Sincetherapiddevelopmentoftransportationandbusiness，morechainsupermarketsandshoppingmallsareexpandingandaskingforabiggermarket，andtheiraimnowistransformedfrombigcitiestosmalltowns。
　　Normally，Americantraditionaltownsarequietandpeaceful。Withamainstreetthroughthetowncenter，citizenshavetheirmainactivitiesdonewithinthetown。Ashlandisawonderfulplaceforagingpeoplepassingtheirretiredlifeandforchildrengrowingup。However，theWalMartssettingupinthecitybrokethepeacefulatmosphereinthetownandspreadtensionforcitizenswereworriedaboutthelargeshoppingmallwouldmakethetraditionalshopownerslosetheirmarketandgetstarve。So，AshlandorganizedademocraticvotingontheWalMartissue。Opinionsweredivided。Ontheonehand，agingcitizensandshopownersvetoedtoWalMartssettingupforthereservationoftownstraditionalcultureandtraditionalbusiness。
　　Guanlinisasmalltownwithmanyvillagesaroundit。SameasAshland，bigsupermarkettriedtogetintothetown。DifferentwithAshland，supermarketssucceededinsettingupinthetowncenterandreceivedwarmheartedwelcomefromgovernmentleadersforsuchaprojectishugetoasmalltownaswellastotheirpoliticalcareer。Forcitizens，itwasagoodthingtoo，forlargesupermarketscouldfacilitatetheirdailylifeandoffermorecompleteserviceforthem。Itshouldbeawinwinprojectbutitcouldnothidethefactthelocalstoreswereaffectedandsometraditionalstoresweregone。Farmersmarketusedtobefulfilledwithcostumersbutnowitisnottheirfirstchoice。TheoldladywhousedtoprovidetraditionalDouhua（豆花）toChildrenwasnotthereanymore。
　　Toconclude，thereexistthreedifferences。
　　First，theprocessofdecisionisdifferent。InAmerica，townsareselfgovernedandselfreliant。Onthecontrary，Chinesecitizenswillnotparticipateintheprocessofmakingdecision，butonlybetoldwhatthedecisionis。Ofcourse，thebuildingofasupermarketisacommercialactivity，butitisahugethingtoasmalltown。ThedemocraticprocessisfullyoperatedinAshlandbutpoorlyinGuanlin，whichcanshowtheAmericanandChinesepeoplesdifferentrelationshipbetweengovernmentandpeople。InAshland，morethanhalfofgovernmentofficersarevoluntarilyservedbycitizens。Itismorelikeservingforthepublicandworkingvoluntarilythanbeingaleader（林达，2011：148）。Onthecontrary，inChina，thegovernmentsdecisionisknownbypeopleonlyafterthedecisionismadedone，especiallyinsmalltownwithsmallerpopulation。Itistheeconomicbuildingefficiencythatmattersmostratherthantheprocessofdemocracy。
　　Second，peoplesattitudetowardtraditionalcultureisdifferent。InAshland，citizensconsideredtraditionalbusinessandrelationshipvaluableandrefusedWalMartscominginordertoprotectthepeacefulsmalltownstraditions。Fromsuchprotection，itcanbetoldthatthemainstreetanditsshopsmustbeonaveryimportantposition。Themainstreetisthecenterofcitizensdailylife，wheretheycangetdailysupply，chatwithfriends，buildupsocialnetwork，chargeitwhenyouforgettobringyourpocket，etc。Insuchaplace，everyoneisfamiliarwitheachotherandtheyareallneighborsorfriends。Bycontrast，authorshometownwhichhasexperiencedhugechangesduringthelast30yearssincetheOpeningandReformPolicy。TheTypicalJiangnanTownislosingitsfeaturesandlocalcitizensarelosingtheirpeacefultowninmemory。
　　Toconclude，byanalyzingtheWalMartsettingupissue，thispaperputupthreemaindifferencesbetweenAmericanandChineseSmallTownsculture，whicharetheprocessofmakingdecisions，peoplesattitudetowardtraditionalcultureandpeoplesparticipationinpublicissues。
　　References
　　林達，2011，历史深处的忧虑〔M〕，生活读书新知三联书店。