Wai Chung Ho

Between globalisation and localisation: a study of Hong Kong popular music

Popular music in Hong Kong is the production of a multi-faceted dynamic of international and local factors. Although there has been much attention to its growth from different perspectives, there has been no single study that systematically addresses the complicated interplay of the two interrelated processes of globalisation and localisation that lie behind its development. The main aim of this paper is to explore how social circumstances mediate musical communication among Hong Kong popular artists and audiences, and contribute to its growing sense of cultural identity – how locality emerges in the context of a global culture and how global facts take local form. Firstly, I propose a conceptual framework for understanding the cultural dynamics of popular music in terms of the discourse of globalisation and localisation. Secondly, I consider local practices of musical consumption and production. Thirdly, this paper discusses the impact of the global entertainment business on local popular music. I conclude with a summary of the effects of the interaction between globalisation and localisation on Hong Kong popular music.

Values, music and education in China

This article examines the complexity of the education of values in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) since the beginning of the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). It attempts to provide an insight into how the central state has managed the values of music education with respect to the dynamic changes to its political ideology across these four decades. It explores how the Chinese Communist government uses music to articulate a sense of corporate identity around traditional values and Communist ideology, whilst being responsive to the demands of the contemporary world. The main argument of this article is that the Chinese state is the primary agent of cultural transformation in music education, which, as such, has continued to play a significant role in determining musical knowledge as a sociopolitical disciplining of society. The challenges to values education in Chinas music education are the interplay between Communist ideology and contemporary values, and that between Communist revolutionary music and other contemporary musical styles.

Globalization, values education, and school music education in China

This paper examines music education’s legitimation of values as a means of preparing students for entry into the new ‘knowledge society’ of the People’s Republic of China in a global age. It explores the ways in which values education relates to the teaching of both musical and non‐musical meanings in the dual context of nationalism and globalization, and discusses some problems that values education faces in school music classrooms. It examines the ways in which globalization has pressured values education into resolving the apparent contradiction between national identity and national unity in the ever‐changing play of Chinese history and politics. It concludes with a discussion of how music education might juggle three pairs of apparently contradictory relationships in the curriculum: between contemporary cultural and social values on the one hand, and traditional Chinese and Communist ideologies on the other; between collectivism and individualism; and between national and global cultures.

Values Education in Hong Kong School Music Education: A Sociological Critique

ABSTRACT:  This article examines the social development of Hong Kongs cultural and national identity since its return from the UK to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) nearly six years ago, focusing on the extent to which Hong Kong students are now inculcated in traditional Chinese music and express their devotion to the PRC through singing the national anthem. Hong Kong music teachers experience conflicts concerning their roles as music teachers and as purveyors of values education. These observations raise fundamental questions concerning the sociopolitical function of values education in the music classroom.

Challenges to globalisation, localisation and Sinophilia in music education: A comparative study of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei

In the past, the music curricula of Hong Kong (HK), Mainland China and Taiwan have focused on Western music, but with the advent of music technology and the new tripartite paradigm of globalisation, localisation and Sinophilia this has begun to change. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei share a common historical culture and their populations are mainly Chinese, but their recent socio-political experiences have been diverse. This paper aims to explore the secondary school cultures of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei by examining the similarities and differences between their musical practices and the ways in which they have delineated this tripartite paradigm. Data are drawn from questionnaires completed by 5,133 students (1,750 from HK, 1,741 from Shanghai, and 1,642 from Taipei) attending grades 7 to 9 and interviews with their 46 music teachers between March and August 2004. The survey data show that students from the three communities much prefer Western classical and popular music to their respective forms of local traditional music and to traditional Chinese styles. Though most music teachers recognise the importance of teaching traditional Chinese music, local traditional music, and other world music in schools, they believe that it is difficult to teach different types of music in the classroom. This article argues that globalisation is leading to a common cosmopolitan culture of Western musical learning in school; the emergence of traditional Chinese music, local music, and socio-political movements challenge globalisation in school music education.

Music education in Taiwan: the dynamics and dilemmas of globalization, localization and sinophilia

The article examines the complicated interplay of globalization, localization and sinophilia that, along with associated social changes, determines reforms in Taiwanese music education today. Students are expected not only to be tri-lingual, in so far as they are obliged to learn English, Mandarin and a local language, such as Southern Fujianese, Hakka or an aboriginal dialect, but they must also become tri-cultural with respect to western classical music, traditional Chinese music and indigenous Taiwanese music. The findings of our questionnaires suggest that the processes of globalization, localization and sinophilia are unequal determinants in the transformation of Taiwanese music education. The survey, which was conducted among 2596 primary and secondary school students (1309 from Tainan and 1287 from Taipei) between May and November 2000, shows that schools are less inclined than the Taiwanese government to promote local music. Students in the survey much prefer western classical and popular music to local Taiwanese and traditional Chinese styles. They show little interest in promoting Chinese culture or in singing Taiwans national anthem. By examining the major concerns of music education from the perspective of the complex dynamics of globalization, this study illuminates the tensions and dilemmas facing the music curriculum of Taiwan today.

Hong Kong Secondary Music Education: political transition and civic education

ABSTRACT This paper analyses, from a historical perspective, the implementation of civic education in Hong Kong secondary music education in the 1980s and 1990s. It attempts to explore the struggles between political ideology and civic education in the Hong Kong music education system from a non‐musical perspective. The paper argues that the promotion of civic education in Hong Kong music education has been seen as a significant indicator for pursuing smooth social transitions. The singing of the national anthem of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is seen as a vehicle for cultivating political and civic values in school. Nevertheless, the findings of a questionnaire—survey on the perception of secondary music teachers show that the level of willingness with which they teach the PRCs anthem is not consistent with their comprehension of their national or communal commitment.

Music education in China: In search of social harmony and Chinese nationalism

This article critically examines how interactions between social changes, social harmony, and historical memory shape school music education in China. As a historical review and documentary analysis, it traces the historical development of music education and examines the Chinese governments role in such interactions over time. The article argues that the Chinese government uses music and music education as an influential nation-building system to enrich the politics of memory. In particular, it adapts the nations past for political ends, and passes on state-prescribed values to its citizens with a view to legitimising its power. The dynamics and dilemmas that challenge school education result from two divergent aims: (1) to combine the functional education of Confucianism and nationalism so as to encourage social harmony and maintain national myths; and (2) to encourage popular and other world music with traditional Chinese music by using multicultural teaching strategies in music lessons. The question remains how to balance ideas of social harmony, musical cultures and nationalism in school music education in the contexts of current Chinese education policies, teacher education and the globally oriented economics of China today.

Moral education in China’s music education: Development and challenges

This article considers the conjunction of moral education and music education in order to understand the ways in which music is a sociocultural product with political and moral meanings and implications. Moral teaching through music education, from Imperial to modern China, has aimed to reproduce a coherent political ideology with which to bind together obedient and self-disciplined citizens. This article therefore focuses on music education for the sake of ethical and nationalist moral education. Role models are of importance for the development of moral education through music teaching. Recent music education in China has been asked to redefine moral education in terms of a new and complex blend of nationalism, tradition, cultural diversity and social harmony, and to incorporate diverse cultures, including popular culture, as a means towards positive social change in response to the evolving society. In conclusion, the article considers ongoing and new challenges for teachers in school music education as they face calls for moral education in recent demands for the reform of Chinese education. L’éducation morale dans l’éducation musicale en Chine: développement et défis Cette recherche examine la conjonction de l’éducation morale et de l’éducation musicale dans la visée de comprendre comment la musique devient un produit socioculturel qui implique des définitions politiques et morales. Depuis le temps impérial jusqu’à la Chine moderne, l’enseignement moral divulgué par l’entremise de l’éducation musicale mise sur une idéologique politique qui arrime le citoyen obéissant et autodiscipliné. Suivant ce constat, cet article met l’accent sur l’éducation musicale en se souciant plus précisément de l’éducation morale sur les plans étique et nationaliste. Les modèles établis propres à l’éducation musicale sont importants dans le développement de l’éducation moral. Afin de répondre positivement au changement social d’une société en constante évolution et d’intégrer les diverses cultures qui s’y assujetties — incluant la culture populaire — l’éducation musicale en Chine a été amenée à redéfinir son crédo moral en ayant recours à une approche systémique propre au nationalisme, à la tradition, à la diversité culturelle et à l’harmonie sociale. Cet article soutient que la priorité relative au savoir moral de l’éducation musicale revêt de quatre défis: l’introduction à l’expérience musicale qui comporte des valeurs populaires et culturelles, le renforcement de l’éducation pour préserver l’éthique et les valeurs de la tradition chinoise, la culture nationaliste de l’éducation musicale dirigée par l’État, le développement de l’appréciation globale des cultures, et l’harmonie sociale dans le curriculum de musique. En conclusion, cet article considère les changements en cours et les nouveaux défis des enseignants en musique considérant le constat qu’ils ont à satisfaire la réquisition récente caractérisant la réforme de l’éducation chinoise. Moralische Erziehung in Chinas Musikerziehung: Entwicklungen und Ansprüche Dieser Beitrag betrachtet die Verbindung von moralischer und musikalischer Bildung, um zu verstehen, in welcher Weise Musik ein soziokulturelles Phänomen von politischer und sittlicher Tragweite ist. Moralerziehung durch Musik hat vom kaiserlichen China bis heute zum Ziel, eine einheitliche politische Ideologie zu erzeugen, die gehorsame und disziplinierte Staatsbürger verbindet. Daher konzentriert sich dieser Artikel auf eine Musikerziehung zur ethischen und nationalistisch moralischen Erziehung. Rollenbilder sind wichtig bei der moralischen Erziehung durch Musik. Die gegenwärtige chinesische Musikerziehung soll moralische Erziehung im Sinne einer komplexen neuen Vereinigung von Nationalismus, Tradition, kultureller Vielfalt und sozialer Eintracht neu bestimmen und dabei verschiedene Kulturen einschließlich der Pop-Kultur für einen positiven sozialen Wandel als Antwort auf die Gesellschaftsentwicklung einbeziehen. Hier wird dafür plädiert, dass der Vorrang moralischer Kenntnisse in der Musikerziehung vier Ansprüchen entsprechen muss: der Ermöglichung musikalischer Erfahrungen mit zeitgenössischen populären Formen und kulturellen Werten, der Durchsetzung einer Erziehung zur Bewahrung der traditionellen chinesischen Werte, der Pflege eines staatlichen Nationalismus in der Musikerziehung und der Würdigung globaler Kultur und sozialer Harmonie durch das Musik-Curriculum. Insgesamt stellt der Artikel bestehende und neue Aufgaben für die Lehrer in der schulischen Musikerziehung vor, die sich dem Anspruch moralischer Erziehung bei der Reform der chinesischen Erziehung stellen. Educación Moral en la Educación Musical China: Desarrollo y Desaf íos Este artículo trata sobre la conjunción de la educación musical y moral a fin de comprender los modos en que la música es un producto sociocultural con significados e implicaciones políticas y morales. La enseñanza de la moral a través de la música, desde la China imperial hasta la moderna, ha buscado reproducir una ideología política coherente con la que aunar obediencia y ciudadanos autodisciplinados. En este artículo, por tanto, nos vamos a centrar en la educación musical encaminada a la formación moral ética y nacionalista. Los modelos son importantes para el desarrollo de la formación moral a través de la enseñanza de la música. A la educación musical china en la actualidad se le ha pedido redefinir la educación moral en términos de una nueva y compleja mezcla entre nacionalismo, tradición, diversidad cultural y armonía social, y además incorporar diversas culturas, incluida la cultura popular, como medios encaminados hacia cambios sociales positivos en respuesta a una sociedad en evolución. Este artículo argumenta que la prioridad del conocimiento moral en la educación musical escolar ha de dar respuesta a cuatro desafíos: la introducción de las experiencias musicales con los valores populares y culturales contemporáneos; el refuerzo del papel de la educación para preservar la ética y los valores tradicionales chinos; el fomento del nacionalismo de estado en la formación musical; y el desarrollo de la valoración de las culturas globales y la armonía social en el currículo musical. En conclusión, este artículo considera los nuevos desafíos que están surgiendo para el profesorado de educación musical escolar cuando las recientes reformas educativas chinas les pide dar educación moral.

Music and cultural politics in Taiwan

This article aims to examine the current debate concerning the complicated interplay of nationalism and globalization that, along with associated social changes, determines the cultural diversity of contemporary Taiwanese music today. Despite the deep cultural entanglements of Taiwans political history, the ethnic identities of Taiwanese indigenous and popular music are crystallized by the ways in which identity is constructed and represented in culture and social relations. Over the past two decades, Taiwanese musical culture has been developed largely in relation to policies to integrate traditional Chinese, local Taiwanese and Western music. The historical and political processes in Taiwans music are factors are pertinent to what is cultural about politics and what is political about culture. Ethnic indigenization and market globalization are part of the conception and practice of the state/party regimes efforts to co-opt the interest of diverse musical elements in a new collective Taiwanese music identity. •