This paper looks at a group of thirteen Chinese language (CSL) textbooks for foreign students. It focuses on analyzing the representation of Chinese ethnic minority groups, revealing that when present in CSL texts, they present the foreign student with a picture of minorities that sing and dance, are rural, and have unique traditional customs and festivals. This paper also reviews much of the discourse regarding stereotypes and changes in ESL/EFL and other language textbooks and relates this to the case of minorities in CSL texts. It concludes that similar to the concern for political correctness in other language texts, the portrayal of minorities in CSL texts is also politically correct, but in a different sense. Currently, attitudes about minorities in China, unlike the compulsive assimilation policies of the Cultural Revolution, emphasizes minority characteristics and celebrates the diversity they add to China and this is seen in the presentation of minorities in CSL texts.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-04252006-184313 |
Date | 27 June 2006 |
Creators | White, Chris M. |
Contributors | Dr. Nicole Constable, Dr. Wenfang Tang, Dr. Xinmin Liu |
Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | text |
Format | application/pdf |
Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04252006-184313/ |
Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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