Session Information
14 SES 09, Family Influences on Relationships and Schooling
Paper Session
Contribution
This proposal seeks to examine the extent to which cultural factors, in the shape of voluntary Saturday morning schools run by the Chinese community in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee help create that unique social environment which has been conducive to the impressive social advancement and educational achievement of the Scots Chinese community.
The impressive academic achievement of school children from ethnic minority Chinese groups in Europe and America has attracted significant comment from sociologists, psychologists, educationalists and politicians. The performance of young Scots Chinese is consistent with international trends . No significant research has been conducted in Scotland into the Chinese community and this proposal seeks to establish a research base on which comparability studies can be conducted with colleagues in Europe.
Recent research suggests that insufficient attention has been paid to the value added to social capital through the workings of voluntary ethnic institutions concerned with educational, entrepreneurial, church and other activities within the Chinese community . The preliminary results of my research suggests that such institutions ,often informal and voluntary, play a crucial role in developing social capital and in supporting the educational needs and aspirations both of pupils and their parents.
The integrity of this proposal lies in the fact that it is embedded directly in the experiences of the community of pupils, parents and teachers who use these schools. The Scots Chinese community numbers some 20,000. These 4 schools have for more than 20 years being providing lessons in Chinese language and culture for Scots Chinese pupils of primary (5-11) and secondary age (12-16).Very large numbers attend. The Glasgow school, the largest in the UK outside London, has an audited role of 860 puils with 68 staff.
This proposal then seeks to assess the extent to which these schools , and the values and attitudes they sustain :
- encourage a sense of social and cultural homogeneity amongst Chinese families
- supports the educational achievement of their children in the formal school systems
- reinforces the traditional aspirations of family solidarity, community support and the Confucian ideal.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Archer ,A. (2007) Understanding Minority Ethnic Achievement (Routledge) Arshad ,R et al (2004) Minority Ethnic Pupils' Experiences of School in Scotland (Edinburgh, Scottish Executive) Bhatti, G.(2000) Asian Children at Home and School (Routledge) Chau , R. (2001) Social Exclusion of Chinese people in Britain (Critical Social Policy 21(1) Davie, G (1961) The Democratic Intellect (Edinburgh University Press) Hall, S (1990) Culture, Identity and Diaspora in J Rutherford (ed) Identity, Community, Culture ,Difference (Lawrence and Wishart) Levitas, R (2005) The Inclusive Society (Palgreave) Oates , JV Social advancement and community cohesion. Paper given to the International Humanities Conference , Beijing, June 2009 Oates JV. Teaching 'China' In Scotland's Secondary schools: provision, pedagogy and progression ' Forthcoming article in the Educational Review Owen .D Chinese People and Other Ethnic Minorities in Great Britain (Warwick) Runnymede Trust (1986) The Chinese community in Britain (The Runnymede Trust)
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