Standardizing Minzu: A Content Analysis of the Depiction of Shaoshu Minzu in Three Chinese Elementary Curriculum Standards and Textbooks Yiting Chu A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2016 Reading Committee: James A. Banks, Chair Geneva Gay Stevan Harrell Walter C. Parker Program Authorized to Offer Degree Curriculum and Instruction ©Copyright 2016 Yiting Chu ii University of Washington Abstract Standardizing Minzu: A Content Analysis of the Depiction of Shaoshu Minzu in Three Chinese Elementary Curriculum Standards and Textbooks Yiting Chu Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. James A. Banks College of Education This study analyzes the depictions of shaoshu minzu, or ethnic minority groups in China, in elementary curriculum standards and textbooks that are used in Chinese schools for three subjects—Moral Education and Life/ Society (MEL/S), Chinese Language (CL), and Minzu Solidarity Education (MSE). Previous studies of textbook representation of minority groups in culturally diverse societies indicate that these groups are often systematically excluded from the curriculum materials and that their depictions often reinforce the dominant ideologies and unequal power relationships between minority and majority social groups. This study draws from the theoretical frameworks of critical studies of education and multicultural education, particularly the relationships between power and the knowledge construction process. Methodologically, this study uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative content analysis. A sample of 74 textbooks published by three different publishers and the national curriculum standards for the three subjects was selected for analysis. Two electronic coding instruments were used to quantitatively code the texts and visuals in the iii textbooks and qualitative analysis was performed on all identified content that was related to the Chinese concepts of minzu. Results of this study revealed that shaoshu minzu in these textbooks were not only underrepresented but also misrepresented and that the knowledge about these groups was often constructed from the perspective of the dominant Han Chinese. Content about shaoshu minzu usually focused on selected stereotypical minzu features, such as minzu cuisine, clothes, singing and dancing, and holidays and festivals. Several ideologies and discourses that were highlighted in relation to the shaoshu minzu content included patriotism, the Zhonghua Minzu (Chinese Nation) identity, and minzu solidarity. Individuals and groups of shaoshu minzu were depicted as patriotic citizens who are members of the Zhonghua Minzu community and maintain solidary relationships with each other and with the Han Chinese. Shaoshu minzu-related content canonized in this way prioritized political unity over cultural diversity and reproduced the ideologies of the party-state about shaoshu minzu issues. I concluded, based on the data that I analyzed, that the representations of shaoshu minzu in textbooks reflected a process of normalization and standardization of the knowledge production of shaoshu minzu in China. The depiction of shaoshu minzu in textbooks in China reproduce and reinforce the cultural and political contexts in which the exclusion and stereotyping of shaoshu minzu are legitimized. I discuss the implications of my findings for teaching about shaoshu minzu, teacher education, and further research. iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, who always inspire me the most as a child and an adult. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to first thank my great mentors at the University of Washington (UW): James A. Banks for his incomparable mentorship and intellectual guidance. Geneva Gay for the generosity with which she gives her time, energy, and encouragement. Randal Beam for teaching me content analysis and guiding me through the whole process of developing and revising the coding instruments as an unofficial committee member. Stevan Harrell for his excellence in scholarship and deep commitment to shaoshu minzu issues in China. Walter Parker for his discerning comments as a reader and incredibly lucid writing style from which I benefit greatly. I could not have accomplished this challenge without the continued support of them throughout this process. I am truly grateful to my friends and colleagues in the College of Education at the UW: Natalie White, Jenny Halpin, Tao Wang, Deborah Silvis, Alizer Fones, Huanshu Yuan, Winston Benjamin, Sunun Park, Anthony Longoria, Ziyan Bai, Hyerim Park, Nicole Barone, Suzie Hodges, Somin Yeon, MJ Kim, and Lin Wu for their support and encouragement as well as their critical comments and candid feedback when I presented earlier versions of this work at a variety of occasions. I also thank members and participants of the China Anthropology Group at the UW organized by Dr. Harrell, including Gladys Ge Jian, Jie Li, Xiang He, Xiaoshun Zeng, Juan Luo, and Lillian Prueher, A special thanks to W. Elizabeth Chapin for her feedback on earlier versions of the visual coding instrument and to Jessica Sijia Bao for helping me develop and pilot test the final coding instruments as a second coder. vi I am also thankful to the great leadership and support of Kent Jewell, Martin Howell, Norah Fisher, and Paula Wetterhahn at the College of Education. I would not have been able to complete this task without their effort. Finally, I would like to thank my girlfriend Weijia Wang for her days and nights of hard work in helping me prepare the most important and the best presentation I have ever given. There is no way for me to survive the most difficult time of my doctoral study without her trust, encouragement, and accompany. vii Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...iii List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………………………...3 Chapter I: Introduction and Background…...……………………………………………………. 4 Background of the Problem……………………………………………………….………4 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………….………7 Research Questions………………………….……………………………………..…...…9 Research Design…………………………..……………………………...……….…….. 10 Significance of the Study……………………………………………………...…………10 Chapter II: Literature Review ...............................................................................................…... 12 Textbook Content Analysis in the United States …………………………..……………13 Textbook Content Analysis in Other Societies ……………………………………….…17 Representation of Shaoshu Minzu in Textbooks and Other Domains in China …..….…18 Discussion of Prior Research ……………………………………………………...….…20 Rationale for the Current Study …………………………………………………………26 Chapter III: Conceptual Framework ……………………………………………………............ 28 Theorizing Minzu …………………….……………………………………………….…28 Power and Knowledge Construction …………………………………………...…….…37 Multicultural Education ………………………………………………………...…….…41 Chapter IV: Methodology………………………………………..……………….……...….….. 48 Rationale for a Content Analysis……………………………………………….…….….48 Data Sources………………………………………………………………………..……48 Textbook Coding Instruments…………………………….…………………………..….52 Data Collection……......................................................................................................... 54 Data Analysis…….............................................................................................................55 Chapter V: Textual Findings..........................................................................................................57 Part I: Findings from the Curriculum Standards………………..…………………….….58 Part II: Textual Findings from MEL/S Textbooks…..………………………………..….61 Part III: Textual Findings from CL Textbooks ………..………………...……..………..80 1 Part IV: Textual Findings from MSE textbooks …............……………………..……. .101 Chapter VI: Visual Findings……………………………………………………………………106 Part I: Visual Findings from MEL/S Textbooks………………………….…………….106 Part II: Visual Findings from CL Textbooks…………………………………………...127 Part III: Visual Findings from MSE Textbooks………………………...….…………...141 Summary of Findings………………………………………………….………………..144 Chapter VII: Discussion, Conclusions, and Implications............................................................150 Minzu and Zhonghua Minzu……………………………………………………….……150 Contributions and Additive Approaches in Depicting Shaoshu Minzu ..........................169 Contributions of Shaoshu Minzu .........................................................................170 The Additive Approach .......................................................................................171 Shaoshu Minzu as Patriotic Citizens ...............................................................................173 Minzu Solidarity ..............................................................................................................177 Shaoshu Minzu and Civilization .....................................................................................181 Summary..........................................................................................................................185 Limitations ......................................................................................................................186 Implications for Practice and Future Research ...............................................................187 References ………………………………………………………….………………..…..……. 191 2 List of Abbreviations BNUP: Beijing Normal University Press CPC: Communist Party of China CESCLC: Compulsory Education Standards of Chinese Language Curricula