Family's Educational Strategies in the Minority Regions of Modern China:
A Case Study of Ethnic Mongols Focusing on Differences among Areas and Stratifications
2009 Volume 21 Pages 101-114
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2009 Volume 21 Pages 101-114
Since the 1990s, languages, cultures and educations of ethnic minorities have been changing rapidly in China with the development of market economy. In this paper, I try to clarify a part of the transfiuration of the society in the minority region investigating some cases of the ethnic Mongols in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, especially on the point of language and education.
In Inner Mongolia, most of the Mongolian have been living in rural areas. However, the Mongolian moving to city area has been increasing with the development of market economic. Academic background has become to be considered as the important cultural capital, and the school enrollment ratio of the Mongolian has improved. Moreover, the Chinese language usage has risen in the ordinary life of the Mongolian, as well as in the market. On the other hand, the practicality of Mongolian language has diminished, and the number of students studied with Mongolian language has been decreasing sharply in Mongolian.
This paper uses the data of interview investigation that executed in Khorchin District, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, to approach the problem from the viewpoint of qualitative grasp on the life realities and the educational strategies. The results of this analysis are as follows. (1) The educational strategies of ethnic Mongols various very much in the Area and Stratification.(2)The increase of the ratio of Chinese language education in ethnic Mongols resulted from the expansion of economic disparity which has come from the difference among areas (urban and rural), and occupational stratifications, rather than language selection.(3) The education disparity are growing not only between the Chinese languages’ schools and the Mongolian languages’ schools, but also among each languages’ schools.(4) Unlike literary, oral Mongolian language has inherited in Some Mongolian families across the Areas and Stratifications.
