Analysis and Comparison of Cultural Educational Schools
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Date
2016-06
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MA in Cultural Sustainability
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Abstract
Tibetan culture and languages encounter numerous challenges of globalization,
urbanization, and mainstream Chinese culture in contemporary society. In particular, the
Chinese education system interrupts the transmission of Tibetan cultural heritage to
Tibetan youngsters in state schools. To improve the situation of Tibetan culture and
languages, it is important to investigate possibilities for transmitting Tibetan cultural
heritage, the types of cultural program that may be feasible within the Tibetan cultural and
political context in China, and why particular cultural programs may contribute to Tibetan
cultural sustainability. Therefore, I conducted case study research on four ethnic cultural
educational institutions in the United States to explore the following questions: how these
schools were established, who are the targeted communities, what kinds of cultural courses
they teach, how they teach culture and language in their classes, and what are their polices
for administration? I am exploring these questions because I am a native Tibetan, and wish
to maintain Tibetan culture in my home community. I undertook research on this topic to
learn how such schools sustain culture in the context of educational programs. I have
worked to learn best models for culture-related educational programs. In my analysis, I
examine how these diverse U.S.-based models may help sustain Tibetan culture and
identity both inside and outside Tibet. I learned that these cultural schools may or may not
have big impacts on learning native culture and improving language fluency, however,
these schools create a sense of community, strengthen cultural identity, and build
confidence through the learning of culture and language. My overarching question asks:
How can an education system nurture and sustain traditional cultural knowledge?