Reconstructing the nation: Struggles in portraying ethnic minorities in Chinese history textbooks

Fei YAN, Liz JACKSON

Research output: Contribution to conferencePapers

Abstract

This paper examines changes to the portrayal of ethnic minorities in Chinese history textbooks published since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. It finds that ideological shifts in Beijing have led to ethnic minorities being portrayed in changing and even contradictory ways in textbooks. However, what remains unchanged throughout PRC history is the representation of the “backwardness” of the ethnic minorities in relation to the majority Han group, which has always been portrayed as “advanced.” Based on this analysis, this paper concludes that while underlying conceptions of Chinese nationhood (as constructed in the textbooks) have been rather fluid, there has been no consistent progress towards a more inclusive notion of “Chinese-ness” (Chinese identity or essence). Copyright © 2022 AERA.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022
Event2022 Annual Meeting of American Educational Research Association: "Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century" - San Diego, United States
Duration: 21 Apr 202226 Apr 2022
https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/2022-Annual-Meeting

Conference

Conference2022 Annual Meeting of American Educational Research Association: "Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century"
Abbreviated titleAERA 2022
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego
Period21/04/2226/04/22
Internet address

Citation

Yan, F., & Jackson, L. (2022, April). Reconstructing the nation: Struggles in portraying ethnic minorities in Chinese history textbooks. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (AERA 2022), San Diego, US.

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