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Journal of Black Studies
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Artide
Communication
Implications in an African
and an Asian Society
Abstract
Corresponding Author:
Molefi KeteAsante,Temple University, African American Studies, 1115 PollettWalk, Gladfelter
Hall 810, Philadelphia, PA 19122.
Email: Masante@/temple.edu
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120 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
Keywords
communication, destiny, culture, ideology
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Asante and Chai 121
theorizing in culture an
siderable time seeking to
nation of major concepts
and new technologies ha
ness of conflicts. Yet there are other interactions that should allow us to enter
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122 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
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Asante and Chai 123
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124 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
The lotus seed is theyin, but it cannot grow by itself into a plant; rather
its growth is aided by human effort, soil fertilizers, sunlight, air, and a
pond or earthen pot filled with water. These are the necessary condi
tions for the growth of the lotus plant and, as such, are the assisting
yuan. (Sun, 2008, p. 96)
In order for a thing to exist, the yuan must be present and ignited (Sun,
2008). There is the beginning (ignition) of yuan to start with, and the decline
of yuan (yuan qi yuan mie) explains the life cycle of things, including inter
personal relationships (Sun, 2008).
The meaning of yuan may be broken down in three main categories,
according to (a) the duration, (b) the quality or nature of relationship formed,
and (c) the type.
Two different kinds of yuan are found in the category of duration: yuanfen
and jiyuan (yuan of opportunity or chance). Yuanfen is thought to have per
manent influence, and jiyuan is the yuan of temporary interaction (Yang &
Ho, 1988). Yuanfen determines all lasing relationships involving family
members, relatives, friends, or colleagues. Jiyuan, on the other hand, is
thought to exist when two or more persons find themselves riding on the
same tour bus, staying in the same hotel, or even experiencing similar misfor
tunate. The quality of yuan can be broken down into good yuan (Hang yuan)
and bad or evil yuan (nie yuan). Good yuan is said to be a gift from heaven,
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Asante and Chai 125
1. You yuan qian lilai xiang hui, wu yuan dui mian bu xiang feng.
Translated, it means that if jyuan is present, people will travel thou
sands of miles to meet each other. However, if there is no yuan, two
people might have a face-to-face encounter and not have any form
of connection at all.
2. Yin yuan bens hi qian sheng ding, bus hi yin yuan mo qiang qiu.
Translated, it means that the yuan available to form an intimate or
marital relationship is predetermined in one's past lives. If such
yuan does not exist, one should not forcibly try to make it happen.
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126 Journal of Mack Studies 44(2)
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Asante and Chai 127
A recent preliminary st
whom 86% were college s
significant, positive corre
tionship satisfaction (Che
participants, extended int
Buddhist conception of y
Chinese think about thei
In another study that exp
distributed to more than
sity resulted in three the
or disbelief in yuan, and
analysis to examine the r
pants subscribed to the
uncontrollable. The catego
in yuan revealed that a hi
ings attributed to yuan (Y
believe in the power of y
ship works out or not can
book The Art of War, Tz
answered by the one who
derived from Heaven and
Although the association
has weakened (Yang & H
young Chinese today (part
that have so far been con
Chen, 2010; Yang & Ho,
modern Chinese," who ar
Chinese but still maintain
and practices (Bond, 19
seen as fatalistic but is co
ception of relationships i
brought upon by persona
tion of the two forces.
Three elements in fatalis
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128 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
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Asante and Chai 129
The yam that will burn when fried will also burn when boiled.
The tree that will shed its leaves knows no rainy season.
If you are destined to die by the gun, you will not die by the arrow.
What is destined to succeed will not fail to prosper.
If wood remains in the water for a thousand years, it will never become
a crocodile.
In these passages, the Akan philosophers are stating the precise idea that all
things have their own nkra as dictated before they began to function. In fact,
wood will remain wood and will never become a crocodile because the des
tiny of wood and the destiny of a crocodile are different. One can say that the
tree that sheds its leaves is not a tree of the tropic regions because the destiny
has already been decided. Like the tree or the crocodile, the human being has
a particular destiny. While the idea of destiny is often thought of in connec
tion with free will, determinism, and punishment, the African thinkers who
designed the concept for the Akan society had their own reasons for doing
so. As Gyekye (1995) observed, in Akan, if a thing is named, then it is real.
Furthermore, each human being has one head, but heads differ; so it is with
destiny. There are many destinies according to the number of human beings,
but all humans have destiny. Thus, the Akan notion of nkrabea is tied to
Divine Providence in a way that yuanfen is not. Indeed, Western humanism
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130 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
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Asante and Chai 131
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132 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
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Asante and Chai 133
A Concluding Wor
Western consciousness carries the conviction that adults are masters of their
fate. Unexpected events and mysterious coincidences challenge this cultural
bias. For Westerners, however, these challenge can evoke a spiritual
response—greater openness to dimensions of life that lie beyond autono
mous personal control. Having a strong connection to their extended families
and institutions, the Akan and the Chinese have a complex sense of personal
agency in the interest of family and community. As we have shown, the con
cepts of yuan and nkrabea as well as other ideas must be explored in any
attempt to construct a clear pathway to a holistic philosophy of communica
tion. An appreciation of the various manifestations of African and Asian
cultural concepts will broaden and enlighten the discourse in communication
and other disciplines.
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134 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publica
tion of this article.
References
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Asante and Chai 135
Triandis, H. C. (1993). Culture and social behavior. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Tzu, S., Giles, L., & Minford, J. (2008). The art of war. North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle.
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136 Journal of Black Studies 44(2)
Author Biographies
Molefi Kete Asante teaches African history, culture, a
American Studies at Temple University.
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