2022-07, Li, Shi

The researcher reports on a grounded theory study of 13 Chinese ages 12-14 high school students, based on the qualitative interviews with them in Xi'an China. The study investigated 1) parent expectations from their child, 2) parenting focus, and 3) the moral quality of gratitude in children in the dimensions of gratification and guilt towards parental sacrifice. The results from this investigation reveal a big loophole in child development in China, which could take a heavy toll on the character-building of a child as a person and the provision of family elder care.

2013, Li, Shi

With China being one of the largest sources of inbound tourists to Australia, the need to better understand Chinese culture has never been more highly emphasised by various organisations represented in Australian media, yet some cultural misreading with thinly-veiled value judgements are regularly discerned. Accordingly, a better cultural awareness is imperative for Australians to approach and understand Chinese people. This paper gives a brief review of the definitions of culture, its emergence and role in international relations. It then proceeds to the definition of Chinese culture and in particular, the turbulent history of modern Chinese culture. After a few preconceptions and misconceptions of Chinese culture in Australia are presented for discussion, finally some suggestions are made to help develop a historical and holistic view of Chinese culture.

2014, Li, S

Only-child generations in China are widely perceived as self-centered and lacking a grateful heart. Edward Gibbon says that gratitude may sometimes be costly. This article argues that family responsibility education with a focus on a sense of justice is a key solution for this social problem. The article examines the correlation between justice, responsibility, and gratitude by looking into the existing conceptual works on these aspects.

2017, Li, Shi

2009, Li, Shi

Exporting education has played a major part in the services sector of English-speaking countries, such as America, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. In Australia, despite of the government policies oriented to attracting international students to invest for their education in Australia, some ideological construction of racism is imbricated within the structure of an official DIMA (Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) document. A key part of this official policy lies in its assessment levels on financial capacities in the processing of international student visa applications for access to an Australian education. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is employed on the language used in looking at different financial requirements for students from different countries. Evidence of racial ideology is manifested in an asymmetrical power discourse in Australia between the (white) lawmakers and international students from developing countries, especially from Asian countries, from which the majority of international students originate. The conclusion reveals that racial prejudice continues to be imbricated within friendly educational discourse of Australia.

2007, Li, Shi, Le, Thao

Since the '50s, the once highly unified Chinese culture is now fragmented, leading to a variety of cultural derivatives, such as mainland Chinese culture, Hong Kong Chinese culture, Singaporean Chinese culture and Malaysian Chinese culture. Although still called Chinese culture, each has its own distinctive form. Communities like the mainland Chinese, the Hong Kong people, the Chinese Singaporeans and the Chinese Malaysians differ considerably from one another in such cultural aspects as behavioural approach, thinking mode, mental attitude and vocabulary. This paper examines some features of major Chinese-background discourses in Asia with a particular focus on educational aspects and issues.

2017, Li, Shi

2018, Li, Shi, Sims, Margaret

Whilst decades of research in the global north has identified authoritative parenting as producing the better child outcomes, and there is a growing amount of literature from countries such as China, suggesting the contrary: that authoritarian parenting produces desirable outcomes. However, the links between authoritarian parenting and the development of filial piety in China appear to have been disrupted by the incursion of values from the global north, and the actions of Chinese parents themselves responding to the Chinese one-child policy. This has created a situation in China where there are now major concerns about children's lack of filial piety: an issue which has major implications in a nation that depends on familial care rather than state provided welfare. In this paper, we examine issues around parenting and the development of gratitude and filial piety. We suggest that it is important for children to learn how to behave in ways that demonstrate gratitude and filial piety and that competence in performing appropriate behaviours is the pre-requisite to internalizing the associated values. We suggest that engaging in family chores from an early age is one strategy parents can use that will help their children develop the appropriate behavioural repertoire.

2015, Li, Shi

Although China has risen to be the second largest world economy, and played a vital role in the biggest economic boom Australia had experience since the 1850s gold rush, White Australia's feeling of superiority over Chinese lingers. This article explores how and why this prejudice manifest itself in contemporary Australia by examining the social, cultural, and historical background of Australian racism. I will also examine the elements of contemporary Chinese culture that may have contributed to this sentiment. Finally, factors for reducing White Australia's racial discrimination over the Chinese are discussed.

2005, Li, Shi

Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of overseas students have come to Australia. In 2000, there were 153,372 international students enrolled in Australia (DEST, 2001). And these overseas students generated $3.7 billion for the Australian economy (AEI, 2000). Exporting education has played a major part of Australian services trade, especially in Asia, from which the majority of overseas students originate. In 2002, China first surpassed Malaysia in student numbers studying in the Australian tertiary education system (AVCC, 2005) and became the biggest export country of the Australian education sector. By accepting increasing numbers of overseas students, Australia has become more widely recognised in the arena of international education, and is regarded as a safe, friendly study destination with high quality courses, said by Mr. Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs (2005). However, there are still some latent superior sentiments and attitudes resonating beneath the surface of this "friendly study destination" in the predominant "white" society. This paper aims to probe for ideological construction of racism imbricated within the structure of an official DIMIA (Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs) document. This research focuses on an official policy relating to assessment levels in terms of financial proof for the process of overseas student applications for Australian education. The analysis adheres to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), employed by Van Dijk, Dairclough and Foucault et al. The paper is undertaken in two stages. The first, a general characterization of Australian education export discourse, reveals different policy evidence financial proof for students from different countries. The second in followed by a critical analysis of this policy based on its language used and a comparative analysis between this policy and those of other western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, France and Spain, which surfaces evidence of a racist ideology manifest in an asymmetrical power discourse in Australia between the (white) law-makers and overseas students from developing countries. The study concludes with a discussion regarding generalization issue in this policy and its implication in a society as a way to unravel the way in which racial prejudice is still imbricated within friendly educational discourse of Australia.