Uvic Thesis Template
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Revealing China’s Hegemonic Project in Thailand: How the Confucius Institute Furthers the Chinese State’s International Ambitions by Ruji Auethavornpipat B.A., University of Victoria, 2011 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies Ruji Auethavornpipat, 2013 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Revealing China’s Hegemonic Project in Thailand: How the Confucius Institute Furthers the Chinese State’s International Ambitions by Ruji Auethavornpipat B.A., University of Victoria, 2011 Supervisory Committee Dr. Leslie Butt (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Supervisor Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Leslie Butt (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Supervisor Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Departmental Member This thesis examines the operations of the Confucius Institute in contemporary Thailand. By the end of 2012, there were already 400 Confucius Institutes around the world, 13 of which are in Thailand. It took the Confucius Institute less than a decade to rapidly expand around the globe. Despite its putative neutral objective of promoting Chinese culture and language globally, this thesis argues that the Institute is closely affiliated with the Chinese government, and is in fact part of the Chinese government’s broader hegemonic project. I define hegemony as dominance that rests on generally based consent and is established by social forces occupying a dominant role within a state that are projected outward on a world scale. I look at three aspects of hegemony: the negotiation of norms, the conferring of common interests and mutual benefits to members, and the lived social experience through selective and dominant cultural symbols. This thesis presents empirical data that was collected during three months of field research in Thailand in 2012. It shows that the Confucius Institute attempts to create a norm of international harmony which has its roots in the Chinese government’s domestic policy to construct a harmonious society by 2020. Furthermore, this thesis illustrates that students and people who are involved with the Confucius Institute perceive their participation as resulting in mutual benefits that are “real.” Their perceptions are related to international policies that show Thailand as benefiting by subordinating to China’s political and economic dominance. Lastly, cultural public events organized by the Confucius Institute demonstrate how hegemony is a lived social experience for participants. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee ...................................................................................................... ii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................ viii Chapter One Is China Seeking Hegemony or Not? ........................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 The Confucius Institute, Its History and Rapid Expansion ............................................. 4 International Concerns Surrounding the Confucius Institute.......................................... 8 Theoretical Frameworks ............................................................................................... 10 Hegemony: Norms Negotiation, Common Interests Formation and Lived Social Experience................................................................................................................. 10 Soft Power ................................................................................................................. 18 Summary of Thesis ....................................................................................................... 21 Chapter Two Understanding the Confucius Institute through Qualitative Methods ........ 24 Qualitative Research Methodology............................................................................... 24 Getting There: Methodological Approach ................................................................ 24 Fieldwork Preparation ............................................................................................... 28 Getting in: Methods in Application and Participant Recruitment ............................ 30 Not Getting in: Ruji as an Outsider and Insider Researcher ..................................... 34 Chapter Three The Hegemonic Production of Norms: Harmony, Chinese Foreign Policy and the Confucius Institute ............................................................................................... 42 Tracing Harmony: China is Calling for a Harmonious China, Asia and World ........... 43 Case Study: Princess Sirindhorn, China’s Best International Friend ........................... 48 Case Study: Director Wang, the Informal Ambassador................................................ 60 Case Study: Yang Laoshi, the Peaceful Volunteer Teacher ......................................... 65 Assessment:................................................................................................................... 69 Chapter Four Jumping on the Bandwagon: The Confucius Institute’s Role in Legitimating the Idea of a Community of Interests .......................................................... 72 Achieving a Community of Interests as the Goal for the Chinese Government ........... 75 Case Study: Leng and Ae, and Their Perceptions of Collective Benefits ................... 84 Assessment .................................................................................................................... 91 Chapter Five “Happy Chinese Language”: Hegemony Through Lived and Enjoyable Experience......................................................................................................................... 95 Confucius Institute’s Financial Capacity and Public Events ........................................ 97 Case Study: Bow, the Authentic Chinese Culture Performer ..................................... 103 Case Study: Hyperactive Participants and Free Souvenirs at the Chinese Bridge Speech Competition................................................................................................................. 107 Assessment:................................................................................................................. 115 Chapter Six Conclusion .................................................................................................. 119 Is the Confucius Institute a Successful Hegemonic Project? ...................................... 119 Summary of Findings .................................................................................................. 120 Limitations of the Study.............................................................................................. 124 v Recommendations for Future Research ...................................................................... 125 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 127 vi List of Tables Table 1: Hanban Annual Funding Worldwide .................................................................. 99 Table 2: Total Number of Activity Participants Worldwide .......................................... 100 vii List of Figures Figure 1: Map of Thailand marked with the locations of research sites. .......................... 31 Figure 2: Slushy Beer Night with Confucius Institute administrators .............................. 40 Figure 3: Princess Sirindhorn on the cover of a Confucius Institute magazine. ............... 55 Figure 4: Director Wang at the national level Chinese language speech contest in Bangkok in June 2012.. ..................................................................................................... 62 Figure 5: A close-up picture of a Thai and Chinese flags pin. ......................................... 63 Figure 6: Director Wang is taking a picture with the first prize winner at the singing contest. .............................................................................................................................. 63 Figure 7: Director Wang and Bow at the practice. ......................................................... 105 Figure 8: An example of a gift given at the event. .......................................................... 110 Figure 9: Hyperactive participants are raising their hands and fighting for the microphone from the staff.. ................................................................................................................. 111 viii Acknowledgments I would like to express