consistency of individual response to a variety of situations and approximates the kind of concept the layman uses to describe people. One way to
understand about traits is to consider how we describe ourselves ibid, 5. On the other hand, the concept of type refers to the clustering of many different
traits. People are generally described as belonging to a specific type, although they can have many traits to varying degrees ibid, 6. While process refers to
the process aspects of human behaviour. Growth and development relates to the growth and development of
human’s behaviour. There are two determinants in this component, genetic and environmental determinants. Genetic factors play a main role in
determining personality. They are generally more important in characteristics, such as intelligence and temperament, and less important in regard to values,
ideals, and beliefs. Environmental determinants are culture, social class, family, and peers ibid, 9. They are influenced by individual’s experiences as
a result of membership in a particular culture. The members of a culture will have certain personality characteristics in common because each culture has
its own patterns of learned behaviours, rituals, and beliefs ibid, 10. Social class influences how individuals see themselves and how they perceive
members of other social classes. It also influences the ways people define situations and how they respond to them ibid, 11. Family is one of the most
important environmental factors because the home is the person’s primary environment from the time he was born until the time he dies. An individual
does not only have experiences at home, but also outside the home. The 15
interaction outside the home with his peers also influences his behaviour and provides new experiences ibid, 14.
c. Theory of Personality Development
Hurlock 1976: 7 defines personality as a stage in growth of a constantly changing and evoking process within an individual. People change
throughout their lifetime. Someone’s personality develops and changes under some influences. They may be genetic factors, family, friends, and society or
culture around the individual Pervin and John, 1997: 9-14. Family and environment have a very important role in forming one’s
personality Hurlock, 1976: 234-235. Family is the closest one to every individual because he has been at home since the first time he was born and he
grows in the home. Environment also gives significant impact to the individual because an individual lives not only at home, but also outside the
home Pervin and John, 1997: 14. During his growth, he is surrounded by the members of the family and educated by them, as well as surrounded by people
outside the home living in the same pattern of environment. Those form his personality and personality development since an individual changes through
his lifetime.
B. Review of Traditional Chinese Culture
Chinese is known as the largest world’s population which has complex cultural forms and pattern. According to Damen 1987: 367, culture learned and
shared human patterns for living, form day to day living patterns. These patterns cover all aspects of human social interaction. Culture is also defined as patterns
16 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
related to behaviour and the products of human action which may be inherited, passed on from generation to generation Parson, 1949: 8. China is known as a
state that is rich of cultural forms and patterns, which form the way they think and behave toward each other that are inherited from generation to generation. Here
the writer provides some patterns of Chinese culture that are unique and may be contrary to and different from most cultures of other states.
1. Male and Female Position in the Society
For traditional Chinese, women lacked equality with men. Women were considered less important than man Chang, 1960: 6. Even in a family,
sons were more expected to be born than daughters. Age, generation, and sex were the dominant influences on behaviour in interpersonal relationships. The
age principle was also modified by the sex of the individuals. Women were subordinate to men under most circumstances ibid, 161.
2. Marriage
Chinese people seldom considered love in marriage. Love matches replaced family-arranged marriage ibid, 7. For Chinese family, husband-wife
relationship was less reciprocal than father-son relationship. A wife had to submit to her husband as long as he lived. A wife’s position in her husband’s
family was more secure when she bore sons, because the sons’ birth insured the continuity of her husband’s family. Traditional Chinese marriage was not
the free union of two young adults to establish a new household. Chinese people did not get married for love but love match done by their parents ibid,
160. 17
