Algoritmo CBMine

To illustrate teachers’ perceptions of Chinese identity, the meanings they assigned to the ‘Chinese nation’ ought first to be explored. Generally speaking, from the teachers’ perspectives, the Chinese nation has multiple meanings.

I have never thought about what the Chinese nation is. For me, it feels like an instinct being a part of the Chinese nation. It is like I am a woman, but I have never thought about why. It cannot be more natural.

(An, female, teaching Morality and the Rule of Law)

Most teachers were got caught off guard when asked to illustrate their perceptions of the Chinese nation. The above quote is largely reflective of the opinions expressed across the interviews, indicating that most of the teachers regard national identity as an instinctive sentiment. According to them, close links between individuals and the Chinese nation are constructed at birth. Therefore, teachers take their Chinese identity as granted and rarely experience or express confusion around it.

I have deep faith in the Chinese nation because I am a member of the CPC… The interests of the Chinese nation and the Party are above all. That is what I have learned and believe in.

(Yan, female, teaching Comprehensive Practice)

Similar sentiments were shared across the interviews. The teachers rarely made a distinction between the CPC and the Chinese nation. Some teachers even tended to express their beliefs and faith in the CPC rather than the Chinese nation to demonstrate their Chinese identity. It is a truism that political parties and nations are distinct concepts. However, there was a tendency among teachers in the school to conflate the two.

It feels like the Chinese nation is my own child. I love it, cherish it, take care of it and try my best to advance its development.

(Siyue, female, teaching Music)

I think we should be forgiving. Making mistakes is inevitable in children’s growth and nations’ development… I cannot agree with some people’s criticism of China, as the problems they point out are common to other countries, and even more serious… We should be optimistic about the future of China rather than paying excessive attention to its problems.

(Shilin, male, teaching English)

Furthermore, national sentiment was frequently equated with the unconditional love between parents and children. The teachers showed a tendency to personify the Chinese nation as their child. Taking the role of parents, teachers expressed

their love for the Chinese nation in various forms, including appreciating its advantages and cheering for its development. They admitted that China is not perfect, but made no specific reference to its problems. Instead, a recurring argument against criticism of China was that some problems China faces are even worse in other parts of the world.

6.1.1.2 Two types of comparison

All the teachers who participated in the interviews claimed to have a strong Chinese identity. Some emotive words, including love, loyalty and pride, were frequently used. From the teachers’ perspectives, all Chinese people should build emotional connections with the Chinese nation.

I feel proud of the Chinese nation, especially its long history and rich cultures. Our ancient civilisation is brilliant and better than other nations’… We certainly should not dwell on the past. However, these factors make me proud of the Chinese nation.

(Xiaoxin, female, teaching Morality and the Rule of Law)

Horizontal comparison between the Chinese nation and other nations served as an important means through which the teachers’ Chinese identity was constructed. Chinese culture and history were cited as the most important attributes in distinguishing the Chinese nation from others. The teachers mentioned China’s rich culture and long history in different interviews, but provided no explanation of what they were exactly talking about. They commonly expressed strong emotional connections to ancient China, which accordingly contributed to their strong identification with the Chinese nation.

I am so proud of being a member of the Chinese nation. We have experienced 100 years of turbulence transforming from a feudal society to a modern society. China is currently in a good development situation and has been playing an increasingly important role in the global community… I felt envious of people who could go abroad in the past, especially in the 1990s when other countries were developing faster than us. However, nowadays China has surpassed those countries and is already a leader in the world…In terms of my personal living experience, I was born in the 1980s, when China started to develop dramatically because of the implementation of the Reform and Opening-up policy, therefore my happiness index is relatively high.

(Siyue, female, teaching Music)

Horizontal comparison with other nations was certainly important, but the vertical comparison between China’s present and past was found to contribute more to the teachers’ sense of Chinese identity. Averaging just over 15 years of teaching experience, the teachers were commonly born in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when China started to implement the Reform and Opening-up policy and experience a dramatic political and economic transformation. The teachers belong to the generation that had the experience of living in both poverty and prosperity. They were more sensitive than other generations to these changes and had a tendency to attribute the changes to the rapid development of China. In other words, it was the rapid development of China that led to the improvement of the teachers’ living standards, which accordingly strengthened their Chinese identity.

A Taiwanese teacher said he felt unsafe taking trains when he came to China 10 years ago. However, when he came to our school for an educational exchange last year, he praised the improvement of China’s public transport and admitted that our lives were more convenient than theirs. I told him that the facilities in Beijing and Shanghai were far more developed than in our city.

(Yongshan, female, deputy head teacher)

The above quote suggests that Chinese people’s personal experiences may not be convincing enough to demonstrate the progress that has been achieved by the Chinese nation. If outsiders, especially those coming from regions that used to be ahead of Mainland China, express their admiration for the Mainland, the sense of achievement can be more warranted.

6.1.1.3 Being a patriotic Chinese

Like Wen, the educational expert, the teachers commonly used the word ‘patriotism’ instead of ‘national identity’. According to them, being patriotic is an ideal personality trait and way of life.

Patriotism is reflected in subtle forms. For example, as a teacher, I must do my job to guide students, which is a way of showing patriotic sentiment.

(Xiaoxin, female, teaching Morality and the Rule of Law)

As the teachers stated, patriotism is a value that can manifest in various forms. Cultivating oneself, caring for others and developing passion for life were all cited as forms of patriotism. On the one hand, this establishes patriotism as a down-to-earth sentiment, while on the other, it creates more requirements for people who want to be patriotic. Anyone who fails to meet these criteria may be labelled unpatriotic.

As a Chinese person, you should develop awareness of the Chinese nation. For example, you should be able to introduce its characteristics when asked by foreigners. You should learn Chinese traditional culture. If you do not know about Nüwa [女娲, mother goddess of Chinese mythology], the education you have experienced is a failure… There are more than 100 Confucius Institutes around the world and lots of foreign people are passionate about learning Chinese culture. Foreigners would laugh at you if you lacked the knowledge of Confucius.

(Liang, female, teaching Chinese)

In addition, the teachers expressed their belief that curriculum should incorporate Chinese culture as a significant element, and that it would otherwise be deficient. From their perspectives, awareness and knowledge of the Chinese nation is essential for people who strive to be patriotic Chinese. The teachers made specific reference to Confucianism. According to them, a patriotic Chinese person should be equipped with richer knowledge of Confucius than outsiders.

We should have a positive attitude towards China, especially when it is facing difficulties. The argument that China is hopeless should be avoided. I believe the Chinese nation is promising.

(Manjun, female, teaching Chinese)

The mass media makes our voices and judgments jumble together. I have seen lots of people who were educated and raised in China speak against China. I do not mean that China cannot be criticised. Instead, I think the critique should be made with love and hope for China. There

are so many people who have got fed up with the Chinese nation and who criticise it for nothing.

(Yongshan, female, deputy head teacher)

Zhengnengliang [正能量, positive energy], which is a popular word used in China

basically referring to optimism and a tendency to focus on people and things that bring hope, was frequently mentioned by the teachers while discussing the value of patriotism. According to them, individuals should always take positive attitudes towards the Chinese nation, especially when seeing the nation encounter difficulties and obstacles. Criticism that shows limited confidence in the Chinese nation is based in Funengliang [负能量, negative energy], and should therefore be dismissed. The teachers argued they did not blindly worship China, as they admitted that China have certain shortcomings and problems. However, when hearing criticisms of the Chinese nation, either from insiders or outsiders, they felt uncomfortable.

6.1.2 Teachers’ perceptions of global identity