Power relations and change in intercultural communication education: Zhongyong as a complementary analytical framework

ABSTRACT

Power relations and change have become two of the most important foci of intercultural communication education and research. This paper contributes to these two elements by problematising and operating an analytical framework from outside the ‘West’, the Chinese notion of Zhongyong (the ‘Golden Mean’). Based on a dialogical analysis of focus groups collected during an art course, the paper shows that Zhongyong can expand and complexify our understanding of interculturality, looking into how e.g. the students balance otherness with otherness (or not), as well as make use of reflectivity and criticality (or not) to implement potential change when cooperating.

Les relations de pouvoir et le changement représentent deux des plus importants concepts en éducation et recherche interculturelles. Cet article contribue à ces deux éléments en problématisant et en exploitant un cadre analytique extérieur à « l'Occident », la notion chinoise de Zhongyong (le « juste milieu »). Sur la base d'une analyse dialogique de groupes de discussion recueillis lors d'un cours d'art, l'article montre que Zhongyong peut élargir et complexifier notre compréhension de l'interculturalité, en examinant comment, par exemple, les étudiants équilibrent l'altérité avec l'altérité (ou non).

KEYWORDS:

• Interculturality
• Zhongyong
• visual art education
• balance
• change

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tian Xiaowen

Xiaowen Tian is a PhD Researcher at the University of Helsinki (Finland) and a lecturer at the Art Academy of Minzu University of China. Tian’s research focuses on Minzu art education and intercultural education. Inspired by Dervin’s interculturality in education, she proposes to systematise and theorise art education through a critical and reflexive intercultural lens, taking into account the specificities of the Chinese context. Tian has published several articles on Mongolian art research and Buddhist art in Mongolia and Tibet in top Chinese art journals. Her latest articles are entitled ‘Education for Chinese Minzu areas: A case study in design education’ (Chinese Minzu Art, 2021), ‘Intercultural Communication Education beyond ‘Western’ democracy-talk? Zhongyong as a Way of Decentering Democracy-based teaching’ (2022 with Dervin). Email: [email protected]

Fred Dervin

Fred Dervin is a Professor of Multicultural Education at the University of Helsinki (Finland) and Distinguished and Visiting Professor at different universities around the world. Dervin has written extensively about interculturality in (teacher) education, proposing to systematise the use of critical and reflexive perspectives. His book ‘Interculturality in Education’ (2016) has contributed to opening up new vistas on intercultural encounters. Email: [email protected]