Politics, guanxi and the search for objectivity: the intricacies of conducting educational research in Chinese contexts
Publication Date
2011
Journal or Book Title
Comparative Education
Abstract
This article discusses how history, the cultural setting, and the political–ideological contexts may influence educational research in China. It seeks to demonstrate a dichotomy between official and popular discourses, and argues that there is a need for the researcher to understand and interpret the language style used in various interview settings and research publications in China. Further, it is contended that ideology and cultural influences push towards a ‘virtuous’ or socially acceptable understanding of reality. These ideological and cultural norms may also affect official research data and statistics. Further, the article seeks to demonstrate that for a researcher in China (whether Chinese or not) it is important to cultivate and make use of guanxi (connections), at the same time as understanding the methodological dangers and intricacies of using it.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2011.586768
Recommended Citation
Nordtveit, Bjorn, "Politics, guanxi and the search for objectivity: the intricacies of conducting educational research in Chinese contexts" (2011). Comparative Education. 54.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2011.586768