Lessons in Being Chinese

Open-access edition: DOI 10.6069/9780295804125 Two very different ethnic minority communities—the Naxi of the Lijiang area in northern Yunnan and the Tai (Dai) of Sipsong Panna (Xishuangbanna), along Yunnan’s border with Burma and Laos—are featured in this comparative study of the implementation and...

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Auteur principal: Hansen, Mette Halskov
Format: Online
Langue:anglais
Publié: University of Washington Press 2023
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Accès en ligne:ONIX_20230828_9780295804125_9
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author Hansen, Mette Halskov
author_browse Hansen, Mette Halskov
author_facet Hansen, Mette Halskov
author_sort Hansen, Mette Halskov
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description Open-access edition: DOI 10.6069/9780295804125 Two very different ethnic minority communities—the Naxi of the Lijiang area in northern Yunnan and the Tai (Dai) of Sipsong Panna (Xishuangbanna), along Yunnan’s border with Burma and Laos—are featured in this comparative study of the implementation and reception of state minority education policy in the People’s Republic of China. Based on field research and historical sources, Lessons in Being Chinese argues that state policy, which is intended to be applied uniformly across all minority regions, in fact is much more successful in some than in others. In Lijiang, elite members of the Naxi ethnic group (minzu) have a centuries-old connection with Chinese state educational systems as avenues to social mobility, and have continued this tradition under Communist rule. They participate enthusiastically in the present system, using education to gain official and professional positions. In contrast to the Lijiang area, Sipsong Panna functioned in many ways as a separate kingdom until 1950, with its own script and a separate educational system centered in Theravada Buddhist monasteries. Today, many Tai in that area still prefer monastic education for their sons, and most parents are indifferent to state education. This study finds that standardized, homogenizing state education is in itself incapable of instilling in students an identification with the Chinese state, ironically often increasing ethnic identity. Lessons in Being Chinese enhances our understanding of how state policy toward minorities works in many areas of life, and its conclusions can be extended well beyond the sphere of education. It will be of interest to both anthropologists and educators.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1214612025-03-20T13:26:37Z Lessons in Being Chinese Hansen, Mette Halskov Social and cultural anthropology Open-access edition: DOI 10.6069/9780295804125 Two very different ethnic minority communities—the Naxi of the Lijiang area in northern Yunnan and the Tai (Dai) of Sipsong Panna (Xishuangbanna), along Yunnan’s border with Burma and Laos—are featured in this comparative study of the implementation and reception of state minority education policy in the People’s Republic of China. Based on field research and historical sources, Lessons in Being Chinese argues that state policy, which is intended to be applied uniformly across all minority regions, in fact is much more successful in some than in others. In Lijiang, elite members of the Naxi ethnic group (minzu) have a centuries-old connection with Chinese state educational systems as avenues to social mobility, and have continued this tradition under Communist rule. They participate enthusiastically in the present system, using education to gain official and professional positions. In contrast to the Lijiang area, Sipsong Panna functioned in many ways as a separate kingdom until 1950, with its own script and a separate educational system centered in Theravada Buddhist monasteries. Today, many Tai in that area still prefer monastic education for their sons, and most parents are indifferent to state education. This study finds that standardized, homogenizing state education is in itself incapable of instilling in students an identification with the Chinese state, ironically often increasing ethnic identity. Lessons in Being Chinese enhances our understanding of how state policy toward minorities works in many areas of life, and its conclusions can be extended well beyond the sphere of education. It will be of interest to both anthropologists and educators. 2023-11-16T11:07:58Z 2023-11-16T11:07:58Z 2023-08-28T08:09:45Z 2011 book ONIX_20230828_9780295804125_9 OCN: 45730201 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/75796 9780295804125 9780295977881 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/121461 eng Studies on Ethnic Groups in China open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/75796/1/9780295804125.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/75796/1/9780295804125.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/75796/1/9780295804125.pdf University of Washington Press University of Washington Press 10.6069/9780295804125 10.6069/9780295804125 05b43d6c-b025-4c47-9778-32ac09131cc4 9780295804125 9780295977881 University of Washington Press 248 Seattle open access
spellingShingle Social and cultural anthropology
Hansen, Mette Halskov
Lessons in Being Chinese
title Lessons in Being Chinese
title_full Lessons in Being Chinese
title_fullStr Lessons in Being Chinese
title_full_unstemmed Lessons in Being Chinese
title_short Lessons in Being Chinese
title_sort lessons in being chinese
topic Social and cultural anthropology
topic_facet Social and cultural anthropology
url ONIX_20230828_9780295804125_9
work_keys_str_mv AT hansenmettehalskov lessonsinbeingchinese