More than relationship: Chinese interaction and the principle ofkuan‐hsi

Through an interpretive analysis of interviews of Chinese in Taiwan, it is demonstrated that the principle of kuan‐hsi (relations) undergirds the functional aspects of Chinese interpersonal relationships. Originally based on the teachings of Confucian philosophy, and grounded in the notion of the family as microcosm of the larger society, kuan‐hsi has evolved into a social resource in a sense somewhat at odds with the Confucian ideal, that is, more as an interpersonal resource in Chinese society. Findings of the study help to reevaluate the commonly held perceptions that Chinese are collective, concerned with social harmony over the individual, and indirect in their communication.