Assimilation or Ethnicization: An Exploration of Inland Tibet Class Education Policy and Practice

Abstract:

Assimilation and ethnicization are mainstream voices in current studies of ethnic relations. The former suspects that current social system arrangements are meant to assimilate minority groups into the cultural system of the mainstream ethnic group, while the latter believes that current systemic arrangements will cause minority groups to tend toward having ethnic social lives. The authors examine the life histories of 40 inland Tibet class students who studied in inland classes, moved on to college education, and then returned to Tibet to work. It gives a detailed account of the history and development of the inland Tibet class policy, the practice of inland Tibet class education, the educational experiences and ethnic identification of students, and students’ life status after returning to Tibet to work. In this overall course of examination the authors find that actually assimilation and ethnicization are only one side or one stage in the many life courses of inland Tibet class students.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yang Miaoyan

Yang Miaoyan is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at Xiamen University.

Nima Dunzhu

Nima Dunzhu is a master’s student in the Department of Sociology at Peking University.