scholarly journals Music education in China: In search of social harmony and Chinese nationalism

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wing-Wah Law ◽  
Wai-Chung Ho
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Historical Memory ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Social Harmony ◽  
Politics Of Memory ◽  
Chinese Nationalism ◽  
Chinese Music ◽  
School Music ◽  
Education In China

This article critically examines how interactions between social changes, social harmony, and historical memory shape school music education in China. As a historical review and documentary analysis, it traces the historical development of music education and examines the Chinese government's role in such interactions over time. The article argues that the Chinese government uses music and music education as an influential nation-building system to enrich the politics of memory. In particular, it adapts the nation's past for political ends, and passes on state-prescribed values to its citizens with a view to legitimising its power. The dynamics and dilemmas that challenge school education result from two divergent aims: (1) to combine the functional education of Confucianism and nationalism so as to encourage social harmony and maintain national myths; and (2) to encourage popular and other world music with traditional Chinese music by using multicultural teaching strategies in music lessons. The question remains how to balance ideas of social harmony, musical cultures and nationalism in school music education in the contexts of current Chinese education policies, teacher education and the globally oriented economics of China today.

Sociopolitical culture and school music education in Hong Kong

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai-Chung Ho ◽  
Wing-Wah Law
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Students ◽  
Multicultural Music Education ◽  
Chinese Music ◽  
Musical Cultures ◽  
School Music ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Education In Hong Kong

In the last two decades, educational and curricular reforms in Hong Kong have been designed to prepare students for the challenges of the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the UK to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1997. This paper focuses on students' and teachers' attitudes towards a multicultural music education, which includes Chinese music, in response to this socio-political change. A mixed method design, involving a content analysis of relevant official educational and music documents, a questionnaire survey to 3,243 school students, and semi-structured interviews with 20 music teachers have been employed to further understanding of the development of politics and culture in Hong Kong society, which was investigated between winter 2006 and spring 2007. This paper argues that access to various musical cultures is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the development of music education in Hong Kong. Questions of how to integrate both Chinese music and other musical cultures in music education will remain a challenge for the future.

Music education and cultural and national values

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-232
Author(s):  
Wai-Chung Ho ◽  
Wing-Wah Law
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Chinese Music ◽  
National Values ◽  
School Music

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine music teachers' perceptions of teaching cultural and national values (also defined as national cultural values) to explore the tensions facing school music education in the choice of music types to be delivered in Hong Kong and Taiwan.Design/methodology/approachWith specific regard to music teachers' perceptions of “values,” “music cultures” and “nationalism,” data were drawn from a survey questionnaire given to 343 music teachers (155 preservice and 188 in-service music teachers) and semistructured interviews with 36 of these respondents.FindingsThe findings of the study showed that though many respondents in Hong Kong and Taiwan felt comfortable teaching traditional Chinese music, they did not want to teach contemporary Mainland Chinese music and other political or patriotic forms in the school music curriculum. The data also demonstrated some shortcomings in introducing a balance of music types into the curriculum, as well as limitations in promoting national education in response to the respective sociopolitical situations in Hong Kong and Taiwan.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was subject to limitations regarding the potential generalizability of the findings on school music teachers' perceptions in Hong Kong and Taiwan.Practical implicationsThe implications for teachers and student teachers regarding the development of cultural and national values related to the political processes in Hong Kong and Taiwan are complicated, because of not only their relationship with Mainland China and its education based on nationalism but also the extent of teachers' professional training to help create an enabling environment for national and cultural development.Originality/valueThe findings of this study revealed that there are fundamental gaps in the overt and operational curricula in Hong Kong and Taiwan concerning the sociopolitical function of values in school music education in response to their respective sociopolitical situations.

The Promotion of Multiple Citizenships in China’s Music Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 90-106
Author(s):  
Wai-Chung Ho ◽  
Wing-Wah Law
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
Free Trade Agreements ◽  
Trade Agreements ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
School Music ◽  
Chinese School

This chapter analyzes how ideas about multiple citizenship in Chinese school music education are put into practice, interpreted, and negotiated in this age of modernization and globalization. Education for multiple citizenships is made possible by an increasingly relaxed social environment attributable to international free trade agreements and the cultural and economic influences of globalization. Despite an emphasis on individualism and diversity in school music education, however, this educational project continues to consolidate the authority of the Chinese government by promoting traditional Chinese cultural and socialist values. This chapter furthers understanding of how China’s school music education responds to economic, political, and social demands and shapes students’ ideas about citizenship and identity. To this end, it includes discussions on education policy, pedagogy, community cohesion, democracy, and social justice as they relate to the formation of multiple citizenships in school music education.

scholarly journals Challenges to globalisation, localisation and Sinophilia in music education: A comparative study of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai-Chung Ho ◽  
Wing-Wah Law
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Traditional Music ◽  
School Cultures ◽  
Chinese Music ◽  
School Music ◽  
Musical Practices ◽  
Other World

In the past, the music curricula of Hong Kong (HK), Mainland China and Taiwan have focused on Western music, but with the advent of music technology and the new tripartite paradigm of globalisation, localisation and Sinophilia this has begun to change. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei share a common historical culture and their populations are mainly Chinese, but their recent socio-political experiences have been diverse. This paper aims to explore the secondary school cultures of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei by examining the similarities and differences between their musical practices and the ways in which they have delineated this tripartite paradigm. Data are drawn from questionnaires completed by 5,133 students (1,750 from HK, 1,741 from Shanghai, and 1,642 from Taipei) attending grades 7 to 9 and interviews with their 46 music teachers between March and August 2004. The survey data show that students from the three communities much prefer Western classical and popular music to their respective forms of local traditional music and to traditional Chinese styles. Though most music teachers recognise the importance of teaching traditional Chinese music, local traditional music, and other world music in schools, they believe that it is difficult to teach different types of music in the classroom. This article argues that globalisation is leading to a common cosmopolitan culture of Western musical learning in school; the emergence of traditional Chinese music, local music, and socio-political movements challenge globalisation in school music education.

Assessment in Music Classes in China

2019 ◽  
pp. 338-357
Author(s):  
Dennis Ping-Cheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Education Assessment ◽  
Music Assessment ◽  
Chinese Music ◽  
Curriculum Guidelines ◽  
Valid Assessment

This chapter outlines the historical background and current development of music education assessment in China. Following the revision of the national curriculum guidelines in 2011, the chapter analyzes (1) the value of the national standards at different school levels, (2) how the national standards affect teachers and schools, and (3) how much the teachers read/follow the guidelines in China. This chapter investigates and examines how assessment policy and practice are used in Chinese music classrooms from elementary, middle, and high schools. Furthermore, it discusses how local music teachers assess their music students and the effectiveness of the national curriculum guidelines used in music classes. The author determines that the current practice of music assessment at all school levels in China is too basic and not diversified. Designing a valid assessment that allows students at all levels to demonstrate their learning outcomes seems to be necessary for music education in China.

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