Editorial : ‘Face’ and its cultural dimensions : some considerations for nurse educators

The concept of ‘face’ is commonly associated with Chinese culture (Ho1976). However, face is probably a universal notion, experienced differently in varying cultural contexts. Ting-Toomey and Kurogi (1998, p. 187) defines face as ‘a claimed sense of favourable self-worth that a person wants others to have of her or him’. The term is perhaps most commonly used in the expression, ‘saving face’ which refers to keeping one’s reputation and the respect of others.