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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2011

Wing-Wah Law  and
Wai-Chung Ho
Wing-Wah Law*
Affiliation:
The University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Education, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Chinawwlaw@hku.hk
Wai-Chung Ho
Affiliation:
Hong Kong Baptist University, Department of Music, Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Chinatediwch@hkbu.edu.hk
*
Corresponding author: Wing-Wah Law
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Abstract

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.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Music Education , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , November 2011 , pp. 371 - 388
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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