Representations of Xinjiang in Tourism and Geography Education
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2010 Examining Narratives of Place: Representations of Xinjiang in Tourism and Geography Education Michael Church The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Church, Michael, "Examining Narratives of Place: Representations of Xinjiang in Tourism and Geography Education" (2010). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 405. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/405 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EXAMING NARRATIVES OF PLACE: REPRESENTATIONS OF XINJIANG IN TOURISM AND GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION TEXTS By Michael Church Bachelors of Arts, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 2004 Thesis Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Geography The University of Montana Missoula, Montana Official Graduation Semester Summer 2010 Approved by: J.B. Alexander Ross, Associate Provost for Graduate Education Graduate School Sarah J. Halvorson, Chair Geography Jeffrey A. Gritzner Geography Steven I. Levine Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center ii Table of Contents List of Figures . iv Abstract. v Acknowledgements . vi Chapter I: Introduction . 1 Contributions to Geography and Research Questions . 2 Arrangement of Thesis. 4 Chapter II: Theoretical and Conceptual Framework Introduction . 6 Cultural Geography: Contributions to the Study of Space and Place. 6 Geography Education . 8 Summary. 12 Chapter III: Methodological Approach Introduction. 13 A View of Xinjiang’s Cultural Geography from Academia. 13 Data Sources . 16 Procedure . 18 Summary. 20 Chapter IV: Background Information: Xinjiang’s Geography and History Introduction. 21 Physical Geography. 22 Human Geography. 25 Uyghur History . 27 Chinese Nationalism. 30 Ethnic Identity Discourse . 32 Production of Ethnic Space. 34 Ethnic Tensions . 35 Summary. 38 Chapter V: Xinjiang’s Tourism Space: Narratives of Place Introduction. 39 iii Chinese Ethnic Tourism Economy. 39 Tourism on the Silk Roads . 41 Qualitative Content Analysis of Xinjiang Tourism Brochures. 44 Summary. 50 Chapter VI: Analysis of Xinjiang Teaching Materials Introduction. 51 Framing Knowledge about Xinjiang Within China. 52 Narratives of Xinjiang in Geography Textbooks Education on Xinjiang . 57 Baerwald’s World Cultures: Building a Global Perspective (2009). 59 World Regional Geography Textbooks . 62 Lesson Plans and Curriculum Guides. 63 Xinjiang Education in Montana. 69 Tibet and Xinjiang . 73 Summary. 78 Chapter VII: Xinjiang Lesson Plans Introduction. 79 Lesson Plans: K-4. 80 Lesson Plans: 5-8. 81 Lesson Plans: 9-12. 82 Summary. 83 Chapter VIII: Conclusion . 84 Bibliography . 87 Appendices A. Content Analysis Tables . 94 B. Xinjiang Tourism Brochures . 97 C. Xinjiang Lesson Plans. 103 iv List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Xinjiang’s Location within Eurasia. 23 Figure 2. Multilingual Map of Xinjiang. 24 Figure 3. “Chairman Mao Is the Red Sun in Our Hearts”. 33 Figure 4. 100 Natural Wonders of the World: Dzungaria . 73 v Abstract This thesis examines how Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, located in northwest China, is represented in tourism and geographic education literature. The research demonstrates the limited and distorted place narratives of Xinjiang that are promoted by the government-backed tourist enterprise in China for consumption by English language speakers; as well as, the inadequate and uncritical representations of the region currently available to students in the United States. Qualitative content analysis methodology is employed to investigate the narrative representations of Xinjiang contained within tourist brochures, geography textbooks, and regionally appropriate curricular guides. The thesis includes a body of geographic lesson plans pertaining to Xinjiang I created that are informed by the research results. The purpose of this thesis is to move toward a more nuanced understanding of Xinjiang as a dynamic region of global significance, challenge prevailing stereotypes of the region, and strengthen geography literacy, particularly among school aged students. vi Acknowledgements First and foremost I must thank my parents, John and Barbara Church, for their unconditional support and for having the wisdom to remind me that, when I have felt like a boy trapped at the bottom of a well, writing a thesis is just an academic exercise. I must also thank my wife, Ali, for her unconditional support and for keeping life pleasant with her unfailing humor and patience. I would like to acknowledge Xiaofe Kang and Tom Barrett, my advisors during my undergraduate education at St. Mary’s College of Maryland with whom I studied Chinese and Russian history, for the solid academic foundation and encouragement they provided. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Steve Levine and Dr. Jeff Gritzner, for their critical support and thoughtful insights. Finally I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Sarah Halvorson, for her time, patience, and enthusiasm. This thesis is part of an ongoing effort by The University of Montana faculty to develop interest and support for collaborative research initiatives between the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, The University of Montana, and Xinjiang Normal University. Furthermore, the project enjoys the support of a partnership with the Montana Geographic Alliance. 1 Chapter I Introduction The state is invisible: it must be personified before it can be seen, symbolized before it can be loved, imagined before it can be perceived—Michael Walzer (see Denison, 2009, 1170). Narrative representations of place are a precondition of geographic knowledge. The above quotation encapsulates a complex process by which we ascribe meaning onto socially and politically bound space. Space only becomes meaningful when we become aware of its presence. The process of transforming empty space into a meaningful construct necessitates first visualizing in the mind’s eye what, or more importantly who, occupies that space. The cultural landscape, or social meaning, of space is rendered intelligible only when we attach to it some of the available representations while disregarding others (Davis, 2005). When stabilized over time, narrative representations of place have the potential to become deeply imbedded knowledge that have enormous implications for how we understand and interact with the world. This thesis examines how Xinjiang Uyghur1 Autonomous Region, located in northwest China, is represented in tourism and geographic education literature. The research demonstrates the limited and distorted place narratives of Xinjiang that are promoted by the government-backed tourist enterprise in China for consumption by English language speakers; as well as, the inadequate and uncritical representations of the region currently available to students in the United States. Qualitative content analysis methodology is employed to investigate the narrative representations of Xinjiang contained within tourist brochures,.