Modernity And Nationality: An Investigation And Analysis On The Chorus Of Dong-nationality From The Perspective Of Educational Anthropology

As a majority of nationalities' modernization process is categorized into "posterior -external model", thus how to transform this "posterior" modernization into its own modernization? How to change those resistive and obstructive factors in the traditional culture into facilitative forces? The above questions are worth thinking for these minority nationalities.Focused on the chorus of Dong-nationality, mainly on its structure and educational function, this dissertation aims to answer the above-mentioned questions in the light of pedagogics. The chorus of Dong-nationality is a kind of important social structure in Dong society, all the members join in it when very young, and a great deal of social communication is realized by means of the chorus. What is more important, it not only creates the world-famous artistic wonder, namely, the Great Song of Dong-nationality, but also bears the important function of the cultural transmission of its nation, it is an important component of the traditional education. Then, what are the features of this social organization, its modality and its structure? How does it work in the traditional Dong-nationality? What is its educational function? What varieties is it taking place in the process of modernization? And can it be a facilitative force to promote the ethnical modernization?Based on the above consideration, the author carried out a 5-month anthropological field track in Xiaohuang village, Congjiang county, Guizhou province. The whole process of research follows the paradigm of functional anthropology, and a mixed methodology is adopted in this research. That is, holistic study is combined with special investigation, field probe with function analysis, observation with individual interview and door-to-door investigation. Firstly, a holistic description about Xiaohuang village is given, mainly from the perspective of its historical origin, natural surrounding, social environment and spiritual background, and the cultural ecological environment in which the chorus organization exists is thus shown. This cultural and ecological environment can be summarized as 1) living around hills and beside rivers thus convenient for farming, and rice-planting in particular; 2) one village composed of 3 small stockaded villages thus relatively closed; 3) no characters or letters thus songs are used instead to transmit culture; 4) a society of agriculture which is now making for modernization. The author probes into the organization forms of the chorus and its contents, the local characteristics of traditional chorus in combination with the in-village singing groups, the age features of the same-age singing groups and the sex features of the same-sex singing groups, in doing so, such new changes are illustrated as how women break through the tradition that women cannot join in the chorus after marriage, how male chorus is facing the hard choice to exist, and why demonstrative choruses are appearing in large numbers. The inner relations of the chorus and its important links with the marriage system, the leadership system as well as the village alliance system are also analyzed. In addition, the chorus activities such as songs-learning and rehearsal, songs competence at drum tower, sitting up while singing, mutual assistance both in life and production along with religious sacrifice are described in great details. In accordance with the above investigation, the role that chorus plays in people's socialization is revealed, which is reflected in the acquisition of singing knowledge and skills of Dong-songs, the understanding of people's daily life and production and the historical knowledge of their nation as well as the cultivation of people's behavior norms and ethnics, the role is also reflected from the formation of people's character.Based on the above-mentioned anthropological investigation and analysis, conclusions are drawn as follows:Firstly, In reference to the general education theory, combined with the educational practice presented in the chorus, the educational activity, according to the subjects' self-awareness (that is, the educator and the educated), can be categorized into the following 4 types: teaching model, situational model, self-taught model and life model. This kind of division offers the understanding of education a new perspective.Secondly, in the progress of the national modernization, national education is supposed to follow the road of harmonious development to construct new harmony education. This kind of harmony education can be understood in the following ways: 1) Education is always in the process of "harmony—inharmony—harmony" kind of spiral development, the new harmony comes from the transcendence and development over the primary one; 2) harmony education demands harmonious people; 3) harmony education aims to realize the harmonious co-existence among different types of education, and in the process of modernization, the key lies in the harmonious co-existence between traditional ethical education and the school education.Thirdly, during the process of ethical modernization, the traditional ethical education plays an important role in transmitting the ethical culture, enhancing the ethical spirit and strengthening ethical cohesion. It can also become an important power in promoting the ethical modernization by means of adaptation to meet the need of it.Lastly, during the process of ethical modernization, the pride and prejudice of the "exterior" school education not only affects the construction of harmony education in the ethical society, but also prevents itself from realizing its target. What's more, it can do great harm to the ethical culture, including those factors that are beneficial to the development of modernization in the ethical culture. Therefore, only if the school education be combined with the ethical culture and forms inseparable and harmonious whole with other types of education in the ethical society, can the true "ethical" modernization be realized. School education should follow the forthcoming strategies in the process of constructing harmonious ethical education: for one thing, the ethical cultural tradition should be respected; for another, school education can take the initiative to adapt and to be rooted in the ethical society and thus becomes "ethical" school education by means of careful study on ethical culture together with its education, approaching the ethical social life and assimilating the educational elements in the traditional ethical society.