Hyun Ok Park
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780231171922
- eISBN:
- 9780231540513
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231171922.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Chapter 5 interprets the involuntary recollections of the Chinese Cultural Revolution that arose among Korean Chinese while working in South Korea as a sign of the historical repetition of violence.
Chapter 5 interprets the involuntary recollections of the Chinese Cultural Revolution that arose among Korean Chinese while working in South Korea as a sign of the historical repetition of violence.
Linda Tsung
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0008
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
In her chapter, Linda Tsung draws on her fieldwork in primary schools in southern Xinjiang, and asks the question of what happens to educational outcomes when English is introduced into a bilingual ...
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In her chapter, Linda Tsung draws on her fieldwork in primary schools in southern Xinjiang, and asks the question of what happens to educational outcomes when English is introduced into a bilingual curriculum in the XUAR. She concludes that due to poor teaching materials, inadequate teacher training, and limited resources, Uyghur students struggle to keep up with their Han peers in this sort of trilingual environment, and the end result is poor academic achievement, and increased disparity between Uyghur and Han students. This situation is further exasperated by the gap between urban and rural schools, with urban schools and students better equipped for bilingual and trilingual education, while rural Uyghur students fall further and further behind. Finally, in her opinion, the government-backed merge of schools in Xinjiang has largely failed to address these inequalities, with significant barriers remaining in place (linguistic, cultural and institutional), which prevent any meaningful interaction either inside the classroom or on the playgroundsLess
In her chapter, Linda Tsung draws on her fieldwork in primary schools in southern Xinjiang, and asks the question of what happens to educational outcomes when English is introduced into a bilingual curriculum in the XUAR. She concludes that due to poor teaching materials, inadequate teacher training, and limited resources, Uyghur students struggle to keep up with their Han peers in this sort of trilingual environment, and the end result is poor academic achievement, and increased disparity between Uyghur and Han students. This situation is further exasperated by the gap between urban and rural schools, with urban schools and students better equipped for bilingual and trilingual education, while rural Uyghur students fall further and further behind. Finally, in her opinion, the government-backed merge of schools in Xinjiang has largely failed to address these inequalities, with significant barriers remaining in place (linguistic, cultural and institutional), which prevent any meaningful interaction either inside the classroom or on the playgrounds
Zuliyati Simayi
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0007
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
In her Chapter, Zuliyati Simayi provides a comprehensive and sophisticated survey of bilingualism in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). She highlights some of the important accomplishments ...
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In her Chapter, Zuliyati Simayi provides a comprehensive and sophisticated survey of bilingualism in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). She highlights some of the important accomplishments over the last couple of decades, and some of the systemic limitations inherent in the current system. In particular, she emphasizes the way in which a minzu-based education, rather than one that takes the individual as its starting point, can undermine learning and social outcomes, echoing the debate in Western liberalism over the relationship between group and individual rights. She concludes: “…one of the essential objectives of school education should be not only the cultivation of respect for different ethnic group’s history, culture and guaranteed development, but also the cultivation of ethnic minorities into equal citizens of the state. The best way to realize this objective is to promote multicultural education that targets justice and equality at the individual level rather than a group basis.”Less
In her Chapter, Zuliyati Simayi provides a comprehensive and sophisticated survey of bilingualism in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). She highlights some of the important accomplishments over the last couple of decades, and some of the systemic limitations inherent in the current system. In particular, she emphasizes the way in which a minzu-based education, rather than one that takes the individual as its starting point, can undermine learning and social outcomes, echoing the debate in Western liberalism over the relationship between group and individual rights. She concludes: “…one of the essential objectives of school education should be not only the cultivation of respect for different ethnic group’s history, culture and guaranteed development, but also the cultivation of ethnic minorities into equal citizens of the state. The best way to realize this objective is to promote multicultural education that targets justice and equality at the individual level rather than a group basis.”
Baogang He
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780748699711
- eISBN:
- 9781474416139
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748699711.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Chapter 7 examines the theoretical sources of current Chinese policies on minority rights. It traces a complex combination of various intellectual inheritances, combining echoes of Confucian ideas of ...
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Chapter 7 examines the theoretical sources of current Chinese policies on minority rights. It traces a complex combination of various intellectual inheritances, combining echoes of Confucian ideas of paternalistic guardianship over “backward groups” or "younger brothers" with echoes of Marxist/Leninist ideas of ethnic autonomy, mixed with further echoes of liberal ideas of minority rights and affirmative action policies for minority groups.Less
Chapter 7 examines the theoretical sources of current Chinese policies on minority rights. It traces a complex combination of various intellectual inheritances, combining echoes of Confucian ideas of paternalistic guardianship over “backward groups” or "younger brothers" with echoes of Marxist/Leninist ideas of ethnic autonomy, mixed with further echoes of liberal ideas of minority rights and affirmative action policies for minority groups.
He Baogang
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0003
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
In his chapter He Baogang identifies a distinct linguistic trajectory over the longue durée of Chinese history: what he terms a type of “Chinese linguistic imperialism,” which makes multilingual ...
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In his chapter He Baogang identifies a distinct linguistic trajectory over the longue durée of Chinese history: what he terms a type of “Chinese linguistic imperialism,” which makes multilingual education an unstable, and possibly untenable, proposition in contemporary China. The spread of Han characters (hanzi), he argues, has closely followed the expansion of Han culture and political rule—a sort of “soft power” that has resulted in the gradual, yet inextricable decline of alternative, minority languages. He suggests that this history of linguistic imperialism, as signified by the traditional concept of “Great Unity” (datong) and the administrative tradition of gaitu guiliu (replacing native chieftains with Han administrators), serves as a powerful counterbalance to Fei Xiaotong’s pluralistic unity paradigm, and ultimately presents a serious barrier to any bona fide and practical multicultural education in China. While He Baogang stakes out a normative claim for multilingualism, language is but one element of cultural diversity, and one can point to numerous examples of ethnicity that is not based on language.Less
In his chapter He Baogang identifies a distinct linguistic trajectory over the longue durée of Chinese history: what he terms a type of “Chinese linguistic imperialism,” which makes multilingual education an unstable, and possibly untenable, proposition in contemporary China. The spread of Han characters (hanzi), he argues, has closely followed the expansion of Han culture and political rule—a sort of “soft power” that has resulted in the gradual, yet inextricable decline of alternative, minority languages. He suggests that this history of linguistic imperialism, as signified by the traditional concept of “Great Unity” (datong) and the administrative tradition of gaitu guiliu (replacing native chieftains with Han administrators), serves as a powerful counterbalance to Fei Xiaotong’s pluralistic unity paradigm, and ultimately presents a serious barrier to any bona fide and practical multicultural education in China. While He Baogang stakes out a normative claim for multilingualism, language is but one element of cultural diversity, and one can point to numerous examples of ethnicity that is not based on language.
Yu Haibo
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0016
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
In her chapter, Yu Haibo explores the attitudes of Han university administrators, and stresses the importance of listening to and surveying mainstream attitudes on ethnic minorities and minority ...
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In her chapter, Yu Haibo explores the attitudes of Han university administrators, and stresses the importance of listening to and surveying mainstream attitudes on ethnic minorities and minority education. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty university administrator in 2010 and 2011, Yu demonstrates how a range of opinions co-exists among Han educators, including discriminatory perceptions of minorities as slow, violent and/or backward. She calls for further education, but also stresses that the minorities themselves have an important role to play in leading by example, allowing their own efforts to shine through with the help of their teachers and other educators.Less
In her chapter, Yu Haibo explores the attitudes of Han university administrators, and stresses the importance of listening to and surveying mainstream attitudes on ethnic minorities and minority education. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty university administrator in 2010 and 2011, Yu demonstrates how a range of opinions co-exists among Han educators, including discriminatory perceptions of minorities as slow, violent and/or backward. She calls for further education, but also stresses that the minorities themselves have an important role to play in leading by example, allowing their own efforts to shine through with the help of their teachers and other educators.
Zhao Zhenzhou
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0012
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
In her chapter, Zhao Zhenzhou examines a group of ethnically Mongolian university students who are studying outside their autonomous region following their graduation from an experimental trilingual ...
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In her chapter, Zhao Zhenzhou examines a group of ethnically Mongolian university students who are studying outside their autonomous region following their graduation from an experimental trilingual class in middle school. She demonstrates how neo-liberal market reforms in China are slowly squeezing out minority languages, like Mongolian, which are increasingly undervalued within the Chinese linguistic marketplace. The emphasis placed on English by the state and its schools intensifies this problem, as minority students are now required to master three languages to achieve success in the state educational system, and often feel like they cannot keep up. Despite some sense of “imagined empowerment.” Zhao argues that the state has distorted the linguistic marketplace in China by attaching greater symbolic importance to English, despite its still-limited role in Chinese society. She calls for a “diversification of international language learning in China,” which would allow minority languages to be viewed as an asset in today’s increasingly globalized world.Less
In her chapter, Zhao Zhenzhou examines a group of ethnically Mongolian university students who are studying outside their autonomous region following their graduation from an experimental trilingual class in middle school. She demonstrates how neo-liberal market reforms in China are slowly squeezing out minority languages, like Mongolian, which are increasingly undervalued within the Chinese linguistic marketplace. The emphasis placed on English by the state and its schools intensifies this problem, as minority students are now required to master three languages to achieve success in the state educational system, and often feel like they cannot keep up. Despite some sense of “imagined empowerment.” Zhao argues that the state has distorted the linguistic marketplace in China by attaching greater symbolic importance to English, despite its still-limited role in Chinese society. She calls for a “diversification of international language learning in China,” which would allow minority languages to be viewed as an asset in today’s increasingly globalized world.
James Leibold and Yangbin Chen (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.001.0001
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
This edited volume brings together essays by leading experts exploring different aspects of ethnic minority education in China: among these are the challenges associated with bilingual and trilingual ...
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This edited volume brings together essays by leading experts exploring different aspects of ethnic minority education in China: among these are the challenges associated with bilingual and trilingual education in Xinjiang and Tibet; Han Chinese reactions to preferential minority education; the role of inland boarding schools for minority students, and the mediation of religion and culture in multiethnic schools. The book covers these topics from a range of different perspectives: Uyghur, Tibetan, Korean, Mongolian, Han, and those of the West, combining empirical field studies with theoretical approaches. Previous scholarship has explored the pedagogical and policy challenges of minority education in China; this is the first volume to recast these problems in light of the Chinese Party-state’s efforts to balance ethnic diversity and cohesion through a shared sense of national belonging in the twenty-first century.Less
This edited volume brings together essays by leading experts exploring different aspects of ethnic minority education in China: among these are the challenges associated with bilingual and trilingual education in Xinjiang and Tibet; Han Chinese reactions to preferential minority education; the role of inland boarding schools for minority students, and the mediation of religion and culture in multiethnic schools. The book covers these topics from a range of different perspectives: Uyghur, Tibetan, Korean, Mongolian, Han, and those of the West, combining empirical field studies with theoretical approaches. Previous scholarship has explored the pedagogical and policy challenges of minority education in China; this is the first volume to recast these problems in light of the Chinese Party-state’s efforts to balance ethnic diversity and cohesion through a shared sense of national belonging in the twenty-first century.
John Powers
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195174267
- eISBN:
- 9780199835447
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195174267.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Debates over how Tibetan history should be construed have raged for centuries and have been particularly intense in recent years. Chinese historians wish to construct a narrative that gives them a ...
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Debates over how Tibetan history should be construed have raged for centuries and have been particularly intense in recent years. Chinese historians wish to construct a narrative that gives them a right to be in Tibet and that justifies China’s record since its takeover in the 1950s. Tibetan historians offer a very different picture, one that excludes China and pushes it to the periphery and derives Tibet’s history and culture from indigenous sources and India. One of the main contributions of this book is its exploration of the ideology that underlies China’s concern with Tibet and its willingness to invest huge sums of money and attract worldwide criticism for its treatment of the Tibetan people. The author argues that the roots of Chinese attitudes lie in the Nationalist period (1911–1947), when public pronouncements and school textbooks declared that Tibet is the “back door to China” and that Western imperialists were plotting to conquer Tibet, which would later be a staging ground for invasion of interior China. The book looks at the key points of Tibetan history and how each side constructs them as part of a larger narrative, beginning with the marriage of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gambo in the 7th century to a Chinese princess. One important conclusion is that both sides agree on the main aspects of what happened, but disagree fundamentally on the psychological motives they attribute to historical figures. Where Chinese historians portray Tibetan historical figures as Chinese patriots seeking greater integration with the Chinese motherland, Tibetan historians tend to view them as devout Buddhists with purely religious motives.Less
Debates over how Tibetan history should be construed have raged for centuries and have been particularly intense in recent years. Chinese historians wish to construct a narrative that gives them a right to be in Tibet and that justifies China’s record since its takeover in the 1950s. Tibetan historians offer a very different picture, one that excludes China and pushes it to the periphery and derives Tibet’s history and culture from indigenous sources and India. One of the main contributions of this book is its exploration of the ideology that underlies China’s concern with Tibet and its willingness to invest huge sums of money and attract worldwide criticism for its treatment of the Tibetan people. The author argues that the roots of Chinese attitudes lie in the Nationalist period (1911–1947), when public pronouncements and school textbooks declared that Tibet is the “back door to China” and that Western imperialists were plotting to conquer Tibet, which would later be a staging ground for invasion of interior China. The book looks at the key points of Tibetan history and how each side constructs them as part of a larger narrative, beginning with the marriage of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gambo in the 7th century to a Chinese princess. One important conclusion is that both sides agree on the main aspects of what happened, but disagree fundamentally on the psychological motives they attribute to historical figures. Where Chinese historians portray Tibetan historical figures as Chinese patriots seeking greater integration with the Chinese motherland, Tibetan historians tend to view them as devout Buddhists with purely religious motives.
Isidore Cyril Cannon
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789622099616
- eISBN:
- 9789882207301
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789622099616.003.0018
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Looking into how Brewitt-Taylor (B-T) rose from a poor family suggests that the class structure during that era was rigid, and that social mobility was enabled through education. He was able to ...
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Looking into how Brewitt-Taylor (B-T) rose from a poor family suggests that the class structure during that era was rigid, and that social mobility was enabled through education. He was able to change his social status after he attended the Royal Hospital School. B-T's sense of social marginality enabled him to appreciate China's contrasting culture. His humble beginnings may have allowed him to foster persistence, dedication, and conscientiousness. Social marginality may have furthered his interest in Chinese minority appeal. Other characteristics such as his ability to withdraw and his concentration allowed him to cope with his second wife's mental illness. Because he had to tend to such needs, he was also frugal and careful with money. This final chapter summarizes B-T's personality and characteristics.Less
Looking into how Brewitt-Taylor (B-T) rose from a poor family suggests that the class structure during that era was rigid, and that social mobility was enabled through education. He was able to change his social status after he attended the Royal Hospital School. B-T's sense of social marginality enabled him to appreciate China's contrasting culture. His humble beginnings may have allowed him to foster persistence, dedication, and conscientiousness. Social marginality may have furthered his interest in Chinese minority appeal. Other characteristics such as his ability to withdraw and his concentration allowed him to cope with his second wife's mental illness. Because he had to tend to such needs, he was also frugal and careful with money. This final chapter summarizes B-T's personality and characteristics.
Nicholas Khoo
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231150781
- eISBN:
- 9780231521635
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231150781.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Although the Chinese and the Vietnamese were Cold War allies in wars against the French and the Americans, their alliance collapsed and they ultimately fought a war against each other in 1979. More ...
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Although the Chinese and the Vietnamese were Cold War allies in wars against the French and the Americans, their alliance collapsed and they ultimately fought a war against each other in 1979. More than thirty years later the fundamental cause of the alliance's termination remains contested among historians, international relations theorists, and Asian studies specialists. This book brings fresh perspective to this debate. Using Chinese-language materials released since the end of the Cold War, the book revises existing explanations for the termination of China's alliance with Vietnam, arguing that Vietnamese cooperation with China's Cold War adversary, the Soviet Union, was the necessary and sufficient cause for the alliance's termination. The book finds alternative explanations to be less persuasive. These emphasize nonmaterial causes, such as ideology and culture, or reference issues within the Sino-Vietnamese relationship, such as land and border disputes, Vietnam's treatment of its ethnic Chinese minority, and Vietnam's attempt to establish a sphere of influence over Cambodia and Laos. The book also adds to the debate over the relevance of realist theory in interpreting China's international behavior during both the Cold War and post-Cold War eras. While others see China as a social state driven by nonmaterial processes, the book makes the case for viewing China as a quintessential neorealist state. From this perspective, the focus of neorealist theory on security threats from materially stronger powers explains China's foreign policy not only toward the Soviet Union but also in relation to its Vietnamese allies.Less
Although the Chinese and the Vietnamese were Cold War allies in wars against the French and the Americans, their alliance collapsed and they ultimately fought a war against each other in 1979. More than thirty years later the fundamental cause of the alliance's termination remains contested among historians, international relations theorists, and Asian studies specialists. This book brings fresh perspective to this debate. Using Chinese-language materials released since the end of the Cold War, the book revises existing explanations for the termination of China's alliance with Vietnam, arguing that Vietnamese cooperation with China's Cold War adversary, the Soviet Union, was the necessary and sufficient cause for the alliance's termination. The book finds alternative explanations to be less persuasive. These emphasize nonmaterial causes, such as ideology and culture, or reference issues within the Sino-Vietnamese relationship, such as land and border disputes, Vietnam's treatment of its ethnic Chinese minority, and Vietnam's attempt to establish a sphere of influence over Cambodia and Laos. The book also adds to the debate over the relevance of realist theory in interpreting China's international behavior during both the Cold War and post-Cold War eras. While others see China as a social state driven by nonmaterial processes, the book makes the case for viewing China as a quintessential neorealist state. From this perspective, the focus of neorealist theory on security threats from materially stronger powers explains China's foreign policy not only toward the Soviet Union but also in relation to its Vietnamese allies.
Chen Yangbin
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0010
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
In his chapter, Chen Yangbin suggests that given their different responses to the growing complexity of the “Xinjiang problem,” Uyghur graduates from specialized dislocated schools are likely to form ...
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In his chapter, Chen Yangbin suggests that given their different responses to the growing complexity of the “Xinjiang problem,” Uyghur graduates from specialized dislocated schools are likely to form a new educational elite group. These Uyghur youth, who attend boarding schools in inland cities (Xinjiangban) and undertook the university entrance exam in Putonghua, have gained access to universities across inland China, including some of China’s most prestigious. Based on an initial survey of these graduates, Chen delineates the uniqueness of their experiences both at university and in their daily lives in eastern China. He demonstrates their feeling of superiority in terms of educational achievement, which they attempt to balance with an equally strong sense of representing Uyghur culture. The chapter also analyzes the implications of this new group of elites when viewed against the background of identity, multiculturalism and ethnic integration in ChinaLess
In his chapter, Chen Yangbin suggests that given their different responses to the growing complexity of the “Xinjiang problem,” Uyghur graduates from specialized dislocated schools are likely to form a new educational elite group. These Uyghur youth, who attend boarding schools in inland cities (Xinjiangban) and undertook the university entrance exam in Putonghua, have gained access to universities across inland China, including some of China’s most prestigious. Based on an initial survey of these graduates, Chen delineates the uniqueness of their experiences both at university and in their daily lives in eastern China. He demonstrates their feeling of superiority in terms of educational achievement, which they attempt to balance with an equally strong sense of representing Uyghur culture. The chapter also analyzes the implications of this new group of elites when viewed against the background of identity, multiculturalism and ethnic integration in China
Teng Xing, Yang Hong, and Yang Qixue
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0009
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
With the support of the Ford Foundation, Professor Teng Xing of Minzu University in Beijing has overseen a long-term project aimed at promoting the educational opportunities among the Lahu minority ...
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With the support of the Ford Foundation, Professor Teng Xing of Minzu University in Beijing has overseen a long-term project aimed at promoting the educational opportunities among the Lahu minority girls of the remote and mountainous Muga township, which is situated along Yunnan province’s border with Burma. In his chapter, Teng and his colleagues reflect on the impact of the specialized Lahu girls’ classes they helped to establish in 2001, and chronicle the impressive academic achievements of two cohorts of students. Putting forward the “Lahu classes” as a successful example of “multicultural integration education,” they argue that the classes provide their lucky participants with the rudiments of a modern education—fluency in Putonghua, basic academic skills and a cultural toolkit—which enables them to survive outside their isolated, rural communities. At the same time, it is argued that the classes help the girls to take pride in their indigenous culture and language through the use of local curriculum materials and pedagogical strategies, while simultaneously promoting the integration of the Lahu minority into mainstream society and the cultural diversity of the Chinese nationLess
With the support of the Ford Foundation, Professor Teng Xing of Minzu University in Beijing has overseen a long-term project aimed at promoting the educational opportunities among the Lahu minority girls of the remote and mountainous Muga township, which is situated along Yunnan province’s border with Burma. In his chapter, Teng and his colleagues reflect on the impact of the specialized Lahu girls’ classes they helped to establish in 2001, and chronicle the impressive academic achievements of two cohorts of students. Putting forward the “Lahu classes” as a successful example of “multicultural integration education,” they argue that the classes provide their lucky participants with the rudiments of a modern education—fluency in Putonghua, basic academic skills and a cultural toolkit—which enables them to survive outside their isolated, rural communities. At the same time, it is argued that the classes help the girls to take pride in their indigenous culture and language through the use of local curriculum materials and pedagogical strategies, while simultaneously promoting the integration of the Lahu minority into mainstream society and the cultural diversity of the Chinese nation
Timothy Grose
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0011
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
In his chapter, Timothy Grose critically interrogates the relationship between social background and religiosity among his Uyghur informants. He explores the complex attitudes Uyghur students in ...
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In his chapter, Timothy Grose critically interrogates the relationship between social background and religiosity among his Uyghur informants. He explores the complex attitudes Uyghur students in Beijing have towards Ramadan, the obligatory month-long fast observed by Muslims worldwide. He reminds us how fluid and situational ethnic identity is outside official state discourse, and warns against the dangers of reifying educational categories like minkaomin (minority students taking exams in minority languages) and minkaohan (Han students taking exams in Chinese) or projecting cultural stereotypes onto them. He demonstrates how the decision to fast during Ramadan is closely correlated with family background and personal choice rather than educational background. It is an important reminder that while state categories might be rigid, quotidian identity (both group and individual) is anything but.Less
In his chapter, Timothy Grose critically interrogates the relationship between social background and religiosity among his Uyghur informants. He explores the complex attitudes Uyghur students in Beijing have towards Ramadan, the obligatory month-long fast observed by Muslims worldwide. He reminds us how fluid and situational ethnic identity is outside official state discourse, and warns against the dangers of reifying educational categories like minkaomin (minority students taking exams in minority languages) and minkaohan (Han students taking exams in Chinese) or projecting cultural stereotypes onto them. He demonstrates how the decision to fast during Ramadan is closely correlated with family background and personal choice rather than educational background. It is an important reminder that while state categories might be rigid, quotidian identity (both group and individual) is anything but.
Gerard Postiglione, Ben Jiao, Li Xiaoliang, and Tsamla
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888208135
- eISBN:
- 9789888268283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888208135.003.0006
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
The remote, sparsely populated, and harsh environment of Tibet plateau further complicates educational reform in this frontier region. In their chapter, Gerard Postiglione, Ben Jiao, Li Xiaoliang, ...
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The remote, sparsely populated, and harsh environment of Tibet plateau further complicates educational reform in this frontier region. In their chapter, Gerard Postiglione, Ben Jiao, Li Xiaoliang, and Tsamla survey the challenges associated with popularizing basic education in the nomadic regions of Tibet. Drawing on fieldwork in remote Nakchu and Ngari prefectures, they identified a significant gap between the perceptions and desires of state educators and the families of Tibetan nomads. While the state is focused on meeting enrolment targets, most nomadic families continue to question the value of a modern-style education, resulting in high rates of truancy and drop-outs. What is required, they argue, is a curriculum that is “culturally sensitive, regionally relevant, and responsive to the realities of the nomadic community.” In particular, they identify the lack of sufficient vocational training and locally-embedded schools and curriculum as two important hurdles to improving the uptake of basic education for Tibetan nomads.Less
The remote, sparsely populated, and harsh environment of Tibet plateau further complicates educational reform in this frontier region. In their chapter, Gerard Postiglione, Ben Jiao, Li Xiaoliang, and Tsamla survey the challenges associated with popularizing basic education in the nomadic regions of Tibet. Drawing on fieldwork in remote Nakchu and Ngari prefectures, they identified a significant gap between the perceptions and desires of state educators and the families of Tibetan nomads. While the state is focused on meeting enrolment targets, most nomadic families continue to question the value of a modern-style education, resulting in high rates of truancy and drop-outs. What is required, they argue, is a curriculum that is “culturally sensitive, regionally relevant, and responsive to the realities of the nomadic community.” In particular, they identify the lack of sufficient vocational training and locally-embedded schools and curriculum as two important hurdles to improving the uptake of basic education for Tibetan nomads.
