The Development of Confucius Institute and its Identity Transformation—From the Perspective of Social Identity Theory
Considerable growth in its economy leads to the rise of China in the international community, on account of which it perceives the necessity to promote its international reputation and soft power to match its economic achievements. Against this background, Confucius Institute (CI) was establishe...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
National Sun Yat-sen University
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Contemporary Chinese Political Economy and Strategic Relations: An International Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://icaps.nsysu.edu.tw/static/file/131/1131/img/CCPS-9(2-3)-Jiao-Qin.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Considerable growth in its economy leads to the rise of China in the
international community, on account of which it perceives the necessity to
promote its international reputation and soft power to match its economic
achievements. Against this background, Confucius Institute (CI) was
established, attracting attention from both the political realm and the
academia. This paper analyzes CI’s identity formation and transformation
process by combing the reality of CI and identity theory, which includes:
i) CI’s identity forms in an initiative and positive way, as opposed to base on
confrontation with others; and ii) CI’s identity changes through positive
interactions with others instead of setting negative stereotypy against others.
CI’s initial identity was not born amid the hostility against outgroups, but
through internal self-design, which can be demonstrated through analyzing
its establishment background, strategies and targets as well as its operation
and organizing patterns. After its launch, CI triggered fierce reactions from
the international society, receiving considerable criticism and suspicion. In
response, CI made several adjustments and started its self-revolution while
having identity transformation. CI did not arm against external pressure but rose to the challenges in a positive way—accommodating international
concerns while maintaining the stance. In this line, identity transformation
happens within CI through positive interactions rather than hostility towards
others. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2410-9681 |