The Ancient Chinese Views of Family Education Recorded in Pre-Qin (before 221 BC) Confucian Classics

Authors

  • Ho-kin Tong The Education University of Hong Kong

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v6i5.1166

Keywords:

Chinese Culture, Chinese Education, Confucianism, Family Education, Pre-Qin Period.

Abstract

The Pre-Qin family education is a long neglected but important research topic in understanding Chinese education and culture. Although Chinese traditional family education is mostly under the influence of Confucianism there is not sufficient discussion in the Pre-Qin period as there are only scattered records related to this topic in various Pre-Qin classics. In addition, most research outputs in the field are on “jiaxun” (family instruction) which normally refers to family seniors’ commandments to their juniors from a cultural perspective. However, “jiating jiaoyu” (family education) can be defined as a mutual learning process in which individuals are socialized in family settings from perspectives of education and sociology. Based on this definition, the paper aims at exploring the special roles and contributions of the early Pre-Qin Confucian classics to the development of family education in China in terms of principle, aim, pedagogy, and role expectation of family member. The result shows that the Yijing (Book of Changes) brings out the views of strict family management style, supreme status of the father and role differentiation in the Pre-Qin period. The Lunyu (Analects) emphasizes the value of learning the shi (Book of Songs) and the li (Book of Rites) while the book Mengzi proposes a couple of innovative views on the parent-child relationship, role models, mutual education, environmental influence, and moral and role expectations in family education. The practicability of impartiality in family education and effectiveness of direct instruction in education are areas that need special attention from researchers and education policy makers.

Author Biography

  • Ho-kin Tong, The Education University of Hong Kong
    Department of Literature and Cultural Studies

References

Ames, R. & Hall, D. (2003). (Trans.). Daodejing “Making this life significant” (a philosophical translation). New York: Ballantine Publishing Group.

Ames, R. & Rosemont Jr., H. (1998). The Analects of Confucius: a philosophical translation. New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group.

Ban, Gu. (1987). Baihu tongyi in the Siku quanshu (Complete library in four sections). Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, vol. 850.

Bi, Cheng. (1997). Zhongguo gudai jiating jiaoyu (Ancient Chinese family education). Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan.

Brezinka, W. (1997). (Trans. by James Stuart Brice). Educational Aims, Educational Means, Educational Success, Contributions to a System of Science of Education. Aldershot, Brookfield, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney: Avebury.

Bucher, A. (1997). The influence of models in forming moral identity. International journal of Educational Research, 27(7), 619-27.

Chen, Caijun. (2007). Zhonghua mengxue jingcui (The essence of child enlightenment). Beijing: Haichao chubanshe.

Chen, Chaofan. (2008). Handai shiren jiating jiaoyu yanjiu (Study on family education of the Han scholars). (Unpublished master dissertation). Fujian Normal University, China.

Chen, Qiyou. (2000). (Ed.). Han Feizi xinjiaozhu (New commentary on the Hanfeizi). Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe.

Dong, Zhongshu. (1989). Chunqiu fanlu (Luxuriant dew of the spring and autumn annals). Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe.

Donnelly, K. (2014). “Chalk and talk” teaching might be the best way after all. Retrieved from the Conversation website: http://theconversation.com/chalk-and-talk-teaching-might-be-the-best-way-after-all-34478

Ding, Chao. (2010). Gudai jiaxun (Ancient family instructions). Changchun: Jinlin wenshi chubanshe.

Freedman, M. (1993). The Kindness of Strangers: adult mentors, urban youth and the new voluntanism. San Fransisco: Jossey-bass.

Giddens, A. (2001). Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Gu, Mingyuan. (1990) (Ed.). Jiaoyu dacidian (Comprehensive dictionary of education). Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe.

Halstead, J. (2011). Navigating the New Pedagogy. Lanham, New York, Toronto, Plymouth: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Hamill, S. & Seation, J.P. (1998). (Trans.). The essential Chuang Tzu. Boston and London: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Hamilton, S. F. (1991). Unrelated Adults in Adolescent Lives. New York: Cornell University.

Lee, T. (2000). Education in Traditional China: A History. Leiden: Brill.

Li, Guojun. (1997). Preface in Ma Yong’s Zhongguo jiating jiaoyu shi (History of Chinese family education). Changsha: Huinan jiaoyu chubanshe.

Li, Maoxu. (1998). Zhonghua chuanshi jiaxun (Transmitted Chinese family instructions). Beijing: Renmin ribao chubanshe.

Lynn, R. J. (1994). The Classic of Changes. New York: Columbia Press.

Ma, Yong. (1997). Zhongguo jiating jiaoyu shi (History of Chinese family education). Hunan jiaoyu chubanshe.

Miller, T. (2011). Making sense of fatherhood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Palmer, M. & Breuilly. E. (1996). (Trans.). The Book of Chuang Tzu. London: Penguin Group.

Rose, D. (2004). The potential of role-model education, the encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from the infed website: http://infed.org/mobi/the-potential-of-role-model-education/

Shaughnessy, E. L. (1999). Western Zhou Dynasty. In M. Loewe & E. Shaughnessy (Eds.), The Cambridge history of ancient China (pp.292-351). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tomilinson, H. B. & Andina, S. (2015, July 8). Parenting education in Indonesia: review and recommendations to strengthen programmes and systems. Retrieved from the World Bank website: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/912501468001757855/Parenting-education-in-Indonesia-Review-and-recommendations-to-strengthen-programs-and-systems

Tong, Ho-kin. (2015). The family instructions of Ji Dan recorded in the Book of Documents. Asian Culture and History, 7(1), 240-49.

----- (2016). The family education between King Wu and Ji Dan in the ancient Chinese book: Remnants of Zhou Documents. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 4(5), 271-78.

Tu, Wei-ming. (1998). Probing the “Three Bond” and “Five Relationships”. In H. Walter and A. George (Eds.), Confucianism and the Family (pp. 121-36). Albany: State University of New York Press.

U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Parent Training Programs: Insight for Practitioners. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Wang, Changjin. (2006). Chuantong jiaxun sixiang tonglun (General discussion on traditional thought of family instructions). Changchun: Jilin chubanshe.

Wang, Lihua. (2007). Zhongguo jiating shi diyijuan xianqin zhi nanbeichao shiqi (A general history of Chinese family Vol. 1: the origin and early development of Chinese family (from the period of Pre-Qin to the Southern and Northern Dynasties). Guzngzhou: Guangdong renmin chubanshe.

Wang, Mengou. (1984). Liji jinzhu jinyi (Contemporary commentary and translation of the Book of Rites). Taipei: Shangwu yinshuguan.

Watson, B. (2003a) (Trans.). Zhuangzi. New York: Columbia University Press.

----- (2003b). Han Feizi: basic writings. New York: Columbia University Press.

----- (2007). The Analects of Confucius. New York: Columbia University Press.

Xie, Baoqiu. (1997). Zhongguo jiaxun jinghua (Essence of Chinese family instructions). Shanghai: Shanghai shehui kexueyuan chubanshe.

Xing, Tie. (2003). Ershi shiji guonei zhongguo jiating shi yanjiu shuping (Review on the study of family education in the twentieth century China). Zhongguo shi yanjiu dongtai, no.4, 16-21.

Xu, Shaojin & Chen, Yanbin. (2003). Zhongguo jiaxunshi (History of Chinese family instructions). Xian: Shaanxi renmin chubanshe.

Xun, Peiqing. (1992). (Ed.). Zhongguo jiaoyushi (History of Chinese education). Shanghai: Huadong Shifandaxue chubanshe.

Yan, Aimin. (1997). Zhongguo gudai de jiajiao (Ancient Chinese family education). Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan.

Yang, Bojin. (1980). Lunyu yizhu (Commentary and translation of the Analects). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company.

Yang, Muzhi. (1999a ) (Ed.). Mencius. Changsha and Beijing: Hunan People’s Publishing House and Foreign Languages Press.

----- (1999b). (Ed.). Xunzi. Changsha and Beijing: Hunan People’s Publishing House and Foreign Languages Press. Two volumes.

Zhai, Bo. (2002). Zhongguo jiaxun jingdian (Classics of Chinese family instructions). Haikou: Hainan chubanshe.

Zhang, Guangming. (2009). Zhonghua chuanshi jiaxun (Transmitted Chinese family instructions). Huihe haote: Neimenggu renmin chubanshe.

Zhou, Xinfu. (2006). Jiating jiaoyuxue-shehuixue quxiang (Study of family education: sociological perspective). Taipei: Wunan Book Press.

Zhu, Mingxun. (2008). Zhongguo jiaxunshi lungao (Proceedings of Chinese family instructions). Sichuan: Bashu shushe.

Downloads

Published

2017-04-27

Issue

Section

Article

Similar Articles

1-10 of 400

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.