A Comparative Study On Urban Community Education Between China And Japan

Along with China's open to the outside world and reformation and society transformation, there appears modern community education in Shanghai with a rapid development, which attracts the attention of specialists in sociology, education, social psychology, etc. From their own respective research field, scholars of different disciplines deliberate on the effect of community education on community development, individual development and social modernization. Present domestic researches on community education are mainly the practical survey rather than theoretical analysis. Limited by the objective conditions, researches on the community education in developed countries are basically material translations and introductions, with less comparative studies and on-the-spot investigations.The writer of this thesis makes her studies through the examples of Chinese and Japanese urban community schools which are under non-western modernization society background—Jing'an Temple Street Community School, Jing'an District, Shanghai, and Oobiraki Citizen Lifelong Learning Centre, Fukusima District, Osaka, from a comparative vision, with modernization theories and socialization theories. Through visiting conversations with the supervisors, teachers and learners of Chinese and Japanese community school (learning center), and through on-the-spot investigations and comparative analysis of social background, management process, teaching activities and social effect of the community school (learning centre), the writer elaborates the relations between community education and individual socialization and society modernization, discusses the function of community education under different cultural backgrounds and social systems, sums up ideas and sound experience of social education in Osaka City, and puts into practice a new method of comparative studies.Through on-the-spot investigations in Shanghai and Osaka, the writer of this thesis procures abundant firsthand materials about urban community education. On the basis of these materials, the writer analyzes the similarities and differences of community education in non-western developed and developing countries and the causes of them, and discusses the function of community education in the course of modernization in non-western countries. The writer believes community education promotes social modernization through community development and individual socialization. The effect of community education on community development is mainly displayed by its function of spreading modern civilization, creating a new culture to promote community culture construction, develop a harmonious atmosphere in the community, provoke a care for common interests, produce common behavior norms and community consciousness, increase the citizens' belongingness and cohesiveness, and thereof promote community development. The influence of community education on individual socialization mainly lies in its education activities, the link between school, family and society, volunteer activities, etc., which enables the individual to obtain knowledge, capability, life experience and feeling of modernization. As means of individual socialization, community education helps to develop individual capability, and makes the individual adjust to modern society and strive for a life, especially for adult individuals who can find a position in society after having the education. Therefore, community education increases social wealth and social diversity and promotes social modernization.In the course of investigation and comparative research, the writer of this thesis has not only inspected the successful factors of community education in Osaka City, but also noticed the problems behind. On the basis of analyzing the merits and demerits of community education in Osaka, drawing on its successful theories and experience, from the present situation of community education in Shanghai, the writer puts forwards the constructive suggestions for the community education in Shanghai.