Cultural Foundations of Learning
East and West

Describes fundamental differences in learning beliefs between the Western mind model and the East Asian virtue model of learning.

Jin Li (Author)

9780521160629, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 26 March 2012

400 pages, 18 b/w illus. 4 tables
22.6 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.54 kg

"...Masterful.... Li's volume is an extraordinary accomplishment. It is an erudite, well documented, clearly argued and original articulation of Western and Eastern approaches to learning. Li treats her topic seriously, providing the depth of analysis necessary to dispel the simple stereotypes that have long plagued East-West cultural comparisons..."
--Michael F. Mascolo, Department of Psychology, Merrimack College, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

Western and East Asian people hold fundamentally different beliefs about learning that influence how they approach child rearing and education. Reviewing decades of research, Dr Jin Li presents an important conceptual distinction between the Western mind model and the East Asian virtue model of learning. The former aims to cultivate the mind to understand the world, whereas the latter prioritizes the self to be perfected morally and socially. Tracing the cultural origins of the two large intellectual traditions, Li details how each model manifests itself in the psychology of the learning process, learning affect, regard of one's learning peers, expression of what one knows and parents' guiding efforts. Despite today's accelerated cultural exchange, these learning models do not diminish but endure.

1. Faust and birth of a research agenda
2. Learning to master the universe and learning to transform self
3. Time past and time present…
4. Mind-oriented and virtue-oriented learning process
5. Curiosity begets inquiry and heart begets dedication
6. Nerds' hell and nerds' haven
7. Socratic and Confucian tutors at home
8. Devil's advocate and the reluctant speaker
9. Implications for the changing landscape of learning.

Subject Areas: Educational psychology [JNC], Child & developmental psychology [JMC], Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC], Cultural studies [JFC]