A preliminary study on music as a tool of nationalistic education: From Western Zhou, Han and Tang dynasties to contemporary Hong Kong

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss nationalistic education in Hong Kong from a cultural perspective. It highlights the challenges faced by the Hong Kong government and the growing antagonism and mistrust between the young generation and the government. The paper reviews the cultural policies adopted by the Western Zhou, Han and Tang dynasties in ancient China.
Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a historical approach by reviewing the policies in music and culture in Chinese history and argues for the adoption of a soft approach to nationalistic education in Hong Kong.
Findings: Results show that being inclusive towards diverse cultures, trusting and valuing people's voices and accepting differences of opinion are effective policies that were adopted by the respective dynasties. The results shed light on the possibility of nurturing nationalism through education in music and culture.
Research limitations/implications: The historical examples mentioned in this paper are only selected periods of Chinese history. Thus, the survey could not be taken as a comprehensive review.
Practical implications: This paper reviews the policies concerning music and culture in ancient China and argues for transferring the soft approach of predecessors towards these subjects as part of the nationalistic education of Hong Kong.
Originality/value: The originality of this research lies in its dealing with nationalism and national education, recommending a soft approach to education viewed through the prisms of music and culture. Copyright © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited.