Forging a Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation through Centrally Compiled Educational Materials for Language Arts: Characteristics, Mechanisms, and Pathway

Abstract

The centralized compilation and use of educational materials for the three subjects of language arts, ethics and the rule of law (ideology and politics), and history are important moves in the fundamental task of creating educational materials to build up the state’s authority and instill virtue and nurturing the young. Here, centrally compiled educational materials for language arts have unique advantages with respect to strengthening education in the standard spoken and written Chinese language, enhancing the cohesion of the Chinese nation, and so on, and they play an irreplaceable role in forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation. Centered on the “Five Identifications,” this study sets out from the three-dimensional perspective of cognitive factors, affective factors and behavioral factors, to build a framework for analysis of educational materials based on the connotations of the sense of community for the Chinese nation. The characteristics of the representation of the connotative factors of the sense of community for the Chinese nation in centrally compiled educational materials for language arts are: The educational materials comprehensively and emphatically embody the educational content of the “Five Identifications”; the educational content for the different types of identification comprehensively addresses educational objectives in the three areas of cognition, affection and behavior; and educational content on cultural identification is the most enriched. Among the inherent mechanisms for forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation through the centralized compilation of educational materials for language arts, the first is organically integrating the connotative factors of the sense of community for the Chinese nation on the basis of the patterns of the subject of language arts as well as curriculum standards; the second is to use cultural identification as a focal point in promoting education for the “Five Identifications,” while highlighting the unique value of the subject of language arts; and the third is to comprehensively strengthen education for identification with the community of the Chinese nation centered on the text selection system, in combination with the design of form factors and educational activities. The main pathways for forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation through the centralized compilation of educational materials for language arts are: (1) Synchronously strengthening identification with the community of the Chinese nation in the process of improving students’ language arts skills and accomplishments, based on the learning situation; (2) Creating three-dimensional educational objectives for education in the community of the Chinese nation on the basis of cognitive patterns, to build firm ideological foundations; (3) Applying diverse teaching methods and educational techniques to promote consolidation of the sense of community for the Chinese nation in language arts studies and in life.

Keywords:

• Central compilation of educational materials for language arts
• education for identification with the community of the Chinese nation
• five identifications
• sense of community for the Chinese nation

Acknowledgment

This paper is an interim finding of “Embodiment of the Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation” (Zhonghua minzu gongtongti yishi zai jiaocai zhong de tixian” (Project No. ZXJD18001), a national key project for scientific research on ethnic education for the year 2018 of the Ethnic Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education.

Notes

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4 Xi Jinping. Juesheng quanmian jiancheng xiaokang shehui duoqu xin shidai Zhongguo tese shehuizhuyi weida shengli (Securing victory in comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, and striving for great victory for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era). Renmin ribao, 10-28-2017 (1). People.cn. Zhonggong shijiu jie si zhongquanhui zai jing juxing (The Fourth Plenum of the Nineteenth Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is held in Beijing). (11-01-2019) [01-06-2021]. http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2019/1101/c1001-31431736.html. News Portal of the Chinese Communist Party. Zhonggong shijiu jie wu zhongquanhui zai jing juxing (The Fifth Plenum of the Nineteenth Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is held in Beijing). (10-30-2020) [01-06-2021]. http://dangjian.people.com.cn/n1/2020/1030/c117092-31912127.html.

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6 Zhonggong Zhongyang guanyu jianchi he wanshan Zhongguo tese shehui zhuyi zhidu tuijin guojia zhili tixi he zhili nengli xiandahua ruogan zhongda wenti de jueding (Decision of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on certain major issues in upholding and perfecting the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics to promote the modernization of the national system of governance and governance capabilities). Renmin ribao, 11-06-2019 (1).

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8 For the specific process of argumentation, see: Zheng Wangquan, Zhao Xiaofei, “Zhonghua minzu gongtongti yishi de huayu yanjin yu neihan shenhua—jiyu ‘wuge rentong’ jiangou Zhonghua minzu gongtongti yishi neihan xitong kuangjia” (Discursive evolution and deepening of the connotations of the sense of community for the Chinese nation—building a theoretical framework for the system of connotations of the sense of community for the Chinese nation based on the “Five Identifications”), Minzu jiaoyu yanjiu (Journal of Research on Education for Ethnic Minorities), 2021, no. 2.

9 If a single selected text simultaneously contained different factors for identification, then it was recorded once for each of the different factors for identification.

10 Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. Putong gaozhong yuwen kecheng biaozhun (2011 nian ban) (Curriculum standards for language arts in compulsory education [2011 version]) [S]. Beijing: Beijing shifan daxue chubanshe, 2011: 2.

11 Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. Putong gaozhong yuwen kecheng biaozhun (2017 nian ban) (Curriculum standards for language arts at general senior secondary schools [2017 version]). Beijing: Renmin jiaoyu chubanshe, 2017: 3–4.

12 China Learning Network for Leadership, China Youth Net. Xi Jinping yong “wuge renting” gonggu shengming xian (Xi Jinping uses the “Five Identifications” to strengthen lifelines). (09-30-2015) [01-06-2021]. http://news.youth.cn/gn/201509/t20150930_7171893_1.htm.

13 People.cn. Xi Jinping tan Zhonghua youxiu chuantong wenhua: shanyu jicheng cai neng shanyu chuangxin (Xi Jinping discusses the excellent traditional Chinese culture: only by excelling in inheritance can one better innovate). (02-13-2017) [06-06-2021]. http://cpc.people.com.cn/xuexi/n1/2017/0213/c385476-29075643.html.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shuo Yuan

Shou Yuan is a senior editor at People’s Education Press, Beijing.

Mengyuan Zhou

Mengyuan Zhou is an editor at People’s Education Press, Beijing.