Cultural County

Author: (Denmark) Cao Shidi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The original intention behind writing Cultural County was to introduce the fascinating history of Chinese education to readers beyond the cup. Now, the Chinese translation is about to be published, which will give Chinese readers who have personally experienced the historical changes discussed—whether as students or teachers—the opportunity to understand how a foreigner interprets this important part of Chinese history. I am very happy about this. On the surface, modern education shares some very similar experiences across countries. In any nation, children sit in classrooms learning to read, write, and calculate, and they also receive education about their own and world history and geography. Through this educational process, they are shaped into citizens of their country. However, despite these similarities, there are still considerable differences in the specific ways citizens are socialized between countries. Even within culturally similar European nations, one can observe significant differences in their education systems, especially in what is referred to as the "spirit" of the schools. Therefore, studying education is essentially studying the cultural norms and customs deeply rooted in it. Visiting Chinese classrooms and discussing the educational experiences of many Chinese people has been an excellent opportunity for me to gain a deeper understanding of China and explore how Chinese people think about their past, present, and future. Of course, some Chinese readers may disagree with certain viewpoints in my book, but I hope they can see that I have tried to reflect as truthfully as possible how students in Zouping experienced these educational changes in the 20th century. At the same time, I am particularly grateful for any criticism and corrections from Chinese readers.