DOCSLIB.ORG

The First Child in a Chinese Family Who Could Read Prior to Entry Into Elementary School: a Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The First Child in a Chinese Family Who Could Read Prior to Entry Into Elementary School: a Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2011 The First Child in a Chinese Family Who Could Read Prior to Entry into Elementary School: A Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study Shu Ping Zhang University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the Early Childhood Education Commons Recommended Citation Zhang, Shu Ping, "The First Child in a Chinese Family Who Could Read Prior to Entry into Elementary School: A Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 960. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/960 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. THE FIRST CHILD IN A CHINESE FAMILY WHO COULD READ PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: A QUALITATIVE INTRINSIC CASE STUDY __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Morgridge College of Education University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Shu Ping Zhang March 2011 Advisor: Dr. Nicholas Cutforth ©Copyright by Shu Ping Zhang 2011 All Rights Reserved Author: Shu Ping Zhang Title: THE FIRST CHILD IN A CHINESE FAMILY WHO COULD READ PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: A QUALITATIVE INTRINSIC CASE STUDY Advisor: Dr. Nicholas Cutforth Degree Date: March 2011 ABSTRACT This study is an account of the literacy-related human environment a Chinese girl experienced as the first person in the history of her family who was able to read prior to entry into elementary school. Temporally speaking, the study spanned more than a decade from the initial, tentative research question to the formal, primary research question. Spatially speaking, it crossed three cultures: the Chinese, Korean, and American cultures. The study was inspired by the Zero Project in China, known as the “Project of Quality Education and Implementation for Children Aged Zero (fetus) to Six.” The significance of the content issue in a child’s literacy curriculum was explored in an interdisciplinary way. Case study served as a holistic research approach and provided the researcher with free temporal and spatial distance to pursue the indefinably multi-dimensional intricacies of a child’s early literacy acquisition among generations in the family. Interpretation of the case was based on the relevant concepts within the scope of the researcher’s knowledge of Chinese culture. Major findings revealed that the child’s literacy acquisition was inseparably related to her parents’ background as well as their awareness of and attitudes towards literacy, and that the foundation of all this was the harmony of the family. Through the lens of generational attitudes towards literacy and especially the lens of the researcher’s multicultural life experiences, this study contributes ii to the field of curriculum studies in general and early literacy curriculum in particular by stimulating people to reconsider what to read to children, besides how to read to them. It calls attention once again to the classic curriculum question, “What knowledge is of most worth?” as well as what is the most essential spiritual food human beings need besides physical needs. This study suggests that Chinese philosophy should be included in a child’s early literacy curriculum in China and calls for dialogues on the content issue of curriculum to gain a deeper understanding of human nature so that humans might co-live peacefully with all beings in the universe. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “书不尽言, 言不尽意,” said Confucius in the “Commentary of the Appended Judgments to the Yijing,” meaning that words and language cannot express thought completely. However I would still very much like, using my limited language, to express my heartfelt thanks to the people who have been indispensable in the completion of my dissertation. My sincere thanks go to Dr. Bruce Uhrmacher, whose inspiring courses laid an all-important foundation for the dissertation. I am deeply indebted to my former advisor, Dr. Edith King, who supported me extensively and gave me wise advice since the beginning of my Ph.D. studies and retired near the end of the dissertation process. Moreover, I am very grateful to Dr. Nicholas Cutforth, who graciously agreed to be my new advisor and dissertation chair despite his heavy workload. His efficiency, conscientiousness, and precious advice are most impressive. Further, I would like very much to thank my committee members, Dr. Karin Dittrick-Nathan and Dr. Peter Bonaker, and my outside chair, Dr. Ralph DiFranco, all of whom helped me by contributing their special expertise and perspectives. I also want to thank my editor, Pat Corwin, whose professionalism is phenomenal. I dedicate this dissertation to my family into which I feel very fortunate to have been born and lived with: my father, my mother, my elder sister, my younger brother, my husband, and my daughter. All my love for my family is expressed in the Chinese saying, 一切尽在不言中 [All that one wants to express is expressed in wordlessness]. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER. 1. BACKGROUND .........................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................1 Low Rate of Literacy and Language Reform in China ................................1 Chinese and Other Languages .....................................................................5 Difficulty of Learning to Read Chinese ...................................................... 5 Difficulty as a Culturally Relative Concept .................................................7 The Zero Project .........................................................................................7 Purpose of the Study ..............................................................................................11 Research Questions ...............................................................................................11 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................12 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE .....................................................................16 Introduction ............................................................................................................16 Early Childhood Education and Early Literacy in Ancient China .........................18 Human Nature and Deep Belief in the Importance of Education and Learning ..................................................................................18 The Aim and Principle of Early Childhood Education ..............................20 Fetal Education ..........................................................................................22 Early Character Recognition and Early Reading .......................................24 China Encountering and Learning From the West ................................................32 Three Debates on the Issue of Chinese and Western Culture ....................33 Three Movements of Studying Abroad in Modern China .........................34 Introduction of Western Thought and Western Educational Ideas in China ................................................................................36 The New Culture Movement .....................................................................38 John Dewey’s Visit to China and the American Influence on Chinese Education ....................................................................40 The New Early Childhood Education in China .....................................................41 Reform of Children’s Curriculum and Promotion of Baihua ....................42 Westernization of the New Early Childhood Education in China .............43 The New Early Childhood Education After Founding of the People’s Republic of China ..........................................................................46 The Zero Project ....................................................................................................47 Theoretical Foundations of the Zero Project .............................................47 Connection Between Western Literature and the Zero Project .................47 Theoretical Guide of the Zero Project .......................................................51 The Centrality of Mastery of Written Language in the Zero Project .........52 Deleterious Consequences of the Absence of Training in Early Character Recognition and Early Reading .....................................54 The Highest Ideal and “Only Right Way” for Early Character Recognition and Early Reading .....................................................55 v Optimal Age, Principles, and Methods for Early Character Recognition and Early Reading in the Zero Project ......................56 Successful Cases of Early Readers From the Zero Project ........................58 The Status Quo of Early Childhood Education and Early Literacy in China ........59 Relationship Between Chinese Culture, Family, and Language ............................60 Definition of Culture ..................................................................................61 Language,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Web That Has No Weaver
    THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER Understanding Chinese Medicine “The Web That Has No Weaver opens the great door of understanding to the profoundness of Chinese medicine.” —People’s Daily, Beijing, China “The Web That Has No Weaver with its manifold merits … is a successful introduction to Chinese medicine. We recommend it to our colleagues in China.” —Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China “Ted Kaptchuk’s book [has] something for practically everyone . Kaptchuk, himself an extraordinary combination of elements, is a thinker whose writing is more accessible than that of Joseph Needham or Manfred Porkert with no less scholarship. There is more here to think about, chew over, ponder or reflect upon than you are liable to find elsewhere. This may sound like a rave review: it is.” —Journal of Traditional Acupuncture “The Web That Has No Weaver is an encyclopedia of how to tell from the Eastern perspective ‘what is wrong.’” —Larry Dossey, author of Space, Time, and Medicine “Valuable as a compendium of traditional Chinese medical doctrine.” —Joseph Needham, author of Science and Civilization in China “The only approximation for authenticity is The Barefoot Doctor’s Manual, and this will take readers much further.” —The Kirkus Reviews “Kaptchuk has become a lyricist for the art of healing. And the more he tells us about traditional Chinese medicine, the more clearly we see the link between philosophy, art, and the physician’s craft.” —Houston Chronicle “Ted Kaptchuk’s book was inspirational in the development of my acupuncture practice and gave me a deep understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.
    [Show full text]
  • Searching for a New Cultural Identity: China's Soft Power and Media Culture Today Liu Kang Version of Record First Published: 02 Aug 2012
    This article was downloaded by: [Duke University Libraries] On: 25 December 2012, At: 21:43 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Contemporary China Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cjcc20 Searching for a New Cultural Identity: China's soft power and media culture today Liu Kang Version of record first published: 02 Aug 2012. To cite this article: Liu Kang (2012): Searching for a New Cultural Identity: China's soft power and media culture today, Journal of Contemporary China, 21:78, 915-931 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2012.701032 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Journal of Contemporary China (2012), 21(78), November, 915–931 Searching for a New Cultural Identity: China’s soft power and media culture today LIU KANG* The paper argues that China’s global expansion and calls for its use of soft power are provoking an ideological crisis which is becoming one of the most critical challenges of the present time.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    Administrative Services and Property Management SPECIFICATIONS SOLICITATION #: 15-22173 BUILDING: U-89 Uplands Campus Ottawa, Ontario PROJECT: U-89 Washroom Renovation PROJECT #: U89-5054 Date: January 2015 SPECIFICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS Construction Tender Form Buyandsell Notice Instructions to Bidders Ontario Sales Tax Acceptable Bonding Companies Articles of Agreement Plans and Specifications A Terms of Payment B General Conditions C Labour Conditions and Fair Wage Schedule D N/A Insurance Conditions E Contract Security Conditions F Security Requirement Check List G Directions to the Ottawa Research Facilities — Uplands NRC Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC-IAR) Research Road Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Tel: 613-991-5738 NRC Centre for Surface Transportation Technology (NRC-CSTT) 2320 Lester Road Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Tel: 613-998-9639 NRC Institutes/Branch/Program Buildings NRC Administrative Services and Property Management (NRC-ASPM) U-62 NRC Institute For Aerospace Research (NRC-IAR) U-61, U-66, U-67, U-69, U-70 NRC Centre for Surface Transportation Technology (NRC-CSTT) U-84, U-86, U-87, U-88, U89, U-90, U-91 By Road, from the MONTREAL RD FACILITIES to NRC-CSTT, 2320 Lester Road 1. Drive EAST on MONTREAL RD 2. Turn RIGHT on BLAIR RD, cross OGILVIE RD 3. Take the ramp and follow Highway 174 WEST 4. Keep RIGHT and take first exit on ramp Highway 417 EAST towards Cornwall/Montreal 5. Exit at WALKLEY RD, merge RIGHT on WALKLEY 6. Turn LEFT at CONROY RD 7. Turn RIGHT at DAVIDSON RD, cross BANK ST – name changes to LESTER RD 8. Continue on LESTER RD and watch for NRC Research Facilities signs Directions to the Ottawa Research Facilities — Uplands PAGE 2 of 4 By Road, from the MONTREAL RD FACILITIES to NRC-IAR, Research Road 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Man's Confucius for the West 10:55, May 08, 2009
    Common man's Confucius for the West 10:55, May 08, 2009 When Yu Dan, a media expert and professor at Beijing Normal University, sat down to interpret Confucian thoughts in 2006, little did she realize that this effort would catapult her to overnight fame, turning the wise and dusty old Confucian teachings into a Chinese version of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Yu Dan's Insights into the Analects, based on 7 lectures that Yu Dan gave in 2006 on China Central Television's (CCTV) primetime show "Lecture Room", sold a record 12,600 copies on the launch day. Within two years, the book sold 5 million legal copies and an estimated 6 million pirated ones, remaining at the top of the Chinese bestseller lists even today (ranked 23rd in the non-fiction category in March 2009). While the Chinese version continued to reap in rich harvests, last week, UK-based Macmillan Publishers Ltd, released the English version of Yu Dan's bestseller, Confucius from the Heart: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World, bringing 2500-year-old Confucian wisdom to modern Western readers. Translated from Yu Dan's original book, published by Zhonghua Book Company, which is based in Beijing, the English version has trumped the previous record money of 100,000 U.S. dollars Jiang Rong's Wolf Totem cost Penguin in September 2005. Macmillan has paid a record 100,000 British pounds to Zhonghua for obtaining the copyright of Yu's book. Macmillan published the book in UK on May 1, 2009. To promote her book, Yu Dan visited UK and gave speeches at Cambridge University, Manchester University and Asian House in April, attracting hundreds of British audience.(Photo: en.huanqiu.com) A few years ago, Chinese traditional culture was brought back in vogue by the CCTV show "Lecture Room", triggering nationwide enthusiasm and it also caught the attention of the Western media.
    [Show full text]
  • Humane Education, a Bridge to Peace (4)
    Special Series: Humane Education, A Bridge to Peace (4) Daisaku Ikeda Gu Mingyuan Peace and Happiness for All People Gu: This year, 2010, marks the eightieth anniversary of the founding of Soka Gakkai. On this occasion, I should like to express my fervent congratulations to you, President Ikeda, and to your organization and my heartfelt commendations for the contributions you make in the name of peace and spreading the spirit of love throughout society. Your first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, raised aloft the banner of educa- tional reform for the sake of the suffering masses and especially their children. Soka Gakkai came into being under his guidance. During World War II, your organization vigorously opposed nationalistic Shinto and Japanese militarism. As a consequence, the militarist government suppressed the organization. President Makiguchi was thrown into prison, where he died. Your sorrowful history makes it clear that, while waging a war of invasion that brought misery and suffering to China, Japanese militarists inflicted calamity and pain on good people in Japan as well. Nonetheless, you and other later Soka Gakkai leaders perse- vered in carrying out President Makiguchi’s aims and continue the mission of realizing peace and happiness for all people in highly admirable fashion today. The Path to Comparative Education—Interrelations between Culture and Education Ikeda: I am deeply grateful for your warm words. President Makiguchi once wrote, “A single courageous individual dedicated to the Great Good can accomplish far more important things....” You are precisely such a person, and I am sure that your profound understanding of us would make him very happy indeed.
    [Show full text]
  • Publications Were Issued in Latin Or German
    August 23–28, 2016 St. Petersburg, Russia EACS 2016 21st Biennial Conference of the European Association for Chinese Studies Book of ABStractS 2016 EACS- The European Association for Chinese Studies The European Association for Chinese Studies (EACS) is an international organization representing China scholars from all over Europe. Currently it has more than 700 members. It was founded in 1975 and is registered in Paris. It is a non-profit orga- nization not engaging in any political activity. The purpose of the Association is to promote and foster, by every possible means, scholarly activities related to Chinese Studies in Europe. The EACS serves not only as the scholarly rep- resentative of Chinese Studies in Europe but also as contact or- ganization for academic matters in this field. One of the Association’s major activities are the biennial con- ferences hosted by various centres of Chinese Studies in diffe- rent European countries. The papers presented at these confer- ences comprise all fields from traditional Sinology to studies of modern China. In addition, summer schools and workshops are organized under the auspices of the EACS. The Association car- ries out scholarly projects on an irregular basis. Since 1995 the EACS has provided Library Travel Grants to support short visits for research in major sinological libraries in Western Europe. The scheme is funded by the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation and destined for PhD students and young scholars, primarily from Eastern European countries. The EACS furthers the careers of young scholars by awarding a Young Scholar Award for outstanding research. A jury selects the best three of the submitted papers, which are then presented at the next bi-an- nual conference.
    [Show full text]
  • Tracing Confucianism in Contemporary China
    TRACING CONFUCIANISM IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA Ruichang Wang and Ruiping Fan Abstract: With the reform and opening policy implemented by the Chinese government since the late 1970s, mainland China has witnessed a sustained resurgence of Confucianism first in academic studies and then in social practices. This essay traces the development of this resurgence and demonstrates how the essential elements and authentic moral and intellectual resources of long-standing Confucian culture have been recovered in scholarly concerns, ordinary ideas, and everyday life activities. We first introduce how the Modern New Confucianism reappeared in mainland China in the three groups of the Chinese scholars in the Confucian studies in the 1980s and early 1990s. Then we describe how a group of innovative mainland Confucian thinkers has since the mid-1990s come of age launching new versions of Confucian thought differing from that of the overseas New Confucians and their forefathers, followed by our summary of public Confucian pursuits and activities in the mainland society in the recent decade. Finally, we provide a few concluding remarks about the difficulties encountered in the Confucian development and our general expectations for future. 1 Introduction Confucianism is not just a philosophical doctrine constructed by Confucius (551- 479BCE) and developed by his followers. It is more like a religion in the general sense. In fact, Confucius took himself as a cultural transmitter rather than a creator (cf. Analects 7.1, 7.20), inheriting the Sinic culture that had long existed before him.2 Dr. RUICHANG WANG, Professor, School of Culture & Communications, Capital university of Economics and Business. Emai: [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Democracy Education the Radical Teaching, Learning, and Doing of Tao Xingzhi
    Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies Democracy education The radical teaching, learning, and doing of Tao Xingzhi TODD ALAN PRICE National Louis University The apex of China’s 1911 Republican Revolution, the election in Nanjing of native son Dr. Sun Yat-sen, heralded an historic break with autocracy. Tragically, Sun Yat-Sen’s democracy did not last long. A bitter period of feudal strife followed as warlords sought to carve fiefdoms out of the young republic. Humiliating concessions to Japan under the Versailles Treaty added to the new republic’s problems. Continuing violation of China’s sovereignty spawned the May 4th, 1919 student movement in Peking. Reverberations from May 4th helped launch a small communist party cell in Shanghai and a larger democracy movement across the country. Trenchant feudalism, aspiring nationalism, and revolutionary communism together serve as the spectacular backdrop to progressive education reform and the journey of a public education missionary named Tao Xingzhi. Born to Christian parents, Tao Xingzhi would move from humble beginnings into the world of the Western-educated elite and would be both revered as a national hero and reviled as a dissident. At one of the pivotal turning points in his adult life, Tao Xingzhi donned the robes of a traditional peasant and, in the highly contested space between budding democracy and revolutionary communism, set out to preach to the common people the values of progressivism. Unwaveringly, with humility and pragmatism, his goal was simply to remake Chinese society through education, to develop “the union of teaching, learning and doing.” Life education I approach this research with some background in education under communism, having received a diploma for an independent study in Cuba: The Stages of Education and Revolution.
    [Show full text]
  • THE GLOBALIZATION of K-POP by Gyu Tag
    DE-NATIONALIZATION AND RE-NATIONALIZATION OF CULTURE: THE GLOBALIZATION OF K-POP by Gyu Tag Lee A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Cultural Studies Committee: ___________________________________________ Director ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Program Director ___________________________________________ Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Date: _____________________________________ Spring Semester 2013 George Mason University Fairfax, VA De-Nationalization and Re-Nationalization of Culture: The Globalization of K-Pop A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at George Mason University By Gyu Tag Lee Master of Arts Seoul National University, 2007 Director: Paul Smith, Professor Department of Cultural Studies Spring Semester 2013 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Copyright 2013 Gyu Tag Lee All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION This is dedicated to my wife, Eunjoo Lee, my little daughter, Hemin Lee, and my parents, Sung-Sook Choi and Jong-Yeol Lee, who have always been supported me with all their hearts. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation cannot be written without a number of people who helped me at the right moment when I needed them. Professors, friends, colleagues, and family all supported me and believed me doing this project. Without them, this dissertation is hardly can be done. Above all, I would like to thank my dissertation committee for their help throughout this process. I owe my deepest gratitude to Dr. Paul Smith. Despite all my immaturity, he has been an excellent director since my first year of the Cultural Studies program.
    [Show full text]
  • Zhou-Master.Pdf (1.441Mb)
    Are You a Good Chinese Musician? The Ritual Transmission of Social Norms in a Chinese Reality Music Talent Show Miaowen Zhou Master’s Thesis in East Asian Culture and History (EAST4591 - 60 Credits) Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Spring 2015 © Miaowen Zhou 2015 Are You a Good Chinese Musician? The Ritual Transmission of Social Norms of a Chinese Reality Music Talent Show http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo II Abstract The sensational success of a Chinese reality music talent show, Super Girls’ Voice (SGV), in 2005 not only crowned many unknown Chinese girls/women with the hail of celebrity overnight, but also caused hot debates on many subjects including whether the show triggered cultural, even political democracy in China. 10 years have passed and China is in another heyday of reality music talent shows. However, the picture differs from before. For instance, not everybody can take part in it anymore. And the state television China Central Television (CCTV) joined the competition for market share. It actually became a competitive player of “reality” by claiming to find the best original and creative Chinese musicians whose voices CCTV previously avoided or oppressed. In this thesis, I will examine one CCTV show, The Song of China (SOC), in order to examine what the norms of good Chinese music and musicians are in the context of reality music talent shows. My work will hopefully give you some insights into the characteristics and the wider social and political influences of such reality music talent shows in the post-SGV era.
    [Show full text]
  • Creative Spaces Within Which People, Ideas and Systems Interact with Uncertain Outcomes
    GIMPEL, NIELSE GIMPEL, Explores new ways to understand the dynamics of change and mobility in ideas, people, organisations and cultural paradigms China is in flux but – as argued by the contributors to this volume – change is neither new to China nor is it unique to that country; similar patterns are found in other times and in other places. Indeed, Creative on the basis of concrete case studies (ranging from Confucius to the Vagina Monologues, from Protestant missionaries to the Chinese N & BAILEY avant-garde) and drawing on theoretical insights from different dis- ciplines, the contributors assert that change may be planned but the outcome can never be predicted with any confidence. Rather, there Spaces exist creative spaces within which people, ideas and systems interact with uncertain outcomes. As such, by identifying a more sophisticated Seeking the Dynamics of Change in China approach to the complex issues of change, cultural encounters and Spaces Creative so-called globalization, this volume not only offers new insights to scholars of other geo-cultural regions; it also throws light on the workings of our ‘global’ and ‘transnational’ lives today, in the past and in the future. Edited Denise Gimpel, Bent Nielsen by and Paul Bailey www.niaspress.dk Gimpel_pbk-cover.indd 1 20/11/2012 15:38 Creative Spaces Gimpel book.indb 1 07/11/2012 16:03 Gimpel book.indb 2 07/11/2012 16:03 CREATIVE SPACES Seeking the Dynamics of Change in China Edited by Denise Gimpel, Bent Nielsen and Paul J. Bailey Gimpel book.indb 3 07/11/2012 16:03 Creative Spaces: Seeking the Dynamics of Change in China Edited by Denise Gimpel, Bent Nielsen and Paul J.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Children on the Margins: The Global Politics of Orphanage Care in Contemporary China Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4434c760 Author Wang, Leslie Kim Publication Date 2010 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Children on the Margins: The Global Politics of Orphanage Care in Contemporary China By Leslie Kim Wang A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Thomas B. Gold, Co-Chair Professor Barrie Thorne, Co-Chair Professor Marion Fourcade-Gourinchas Professor You-Tien Hsing Fall 2010 Abstract Children on the Margins: The Global Politics of Orphanage Care in China by Leslie Kim Wang Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology University of California, Berkeley Professor Thomas B. Gold, Co-Chair Professor Barrie Thorne, Co-Chair Since beginning its rapid transition to a market economy in 1978, the People’s Republic of China has sought to become internationally dominant. In order to develop human capital and labor power, it has implemented a range of ideologically-driven policies that have been geared towards improving the overall mental, moral and physical “quality” (suzhi) of the population. The current criteria for assessing the individual value of citizens have resulted in new lines of stratification being drawn among children. As a result, healthy rural daughters and special needs children in particular are now considered unworthy of intensive investment and face a higher likelihood of being abandoned to state care.
    [Show full text]