| The central research question of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was: What are Chinese children's humiliation experiences at school? The purpose of this study was to uncover the experiences of Chinese children in school, with the hope that some Chinese administrators and teachers will reflect upon these experiences and consider implementing school policies and procedures that are less humiliating and more tactful.; I asked ten Chinese children to describe what it was like for them to be scolded, punished, and humiliated at school. I interviewed one child at a time. Each initial session lasted about forty minutes, and I set up one follow-up session for a later time. Reflective conversation very much describes my method of conducting phenomenological interviews. Along with the notes I took during interviews, I audio recorded the interview dialog, and took notes in Chinese from the tapes.; The importance of orderliness in Chinese society and the use of humiliation to maintain it over centuries is echoed in the experiences of Chinese children at school today. I describe my own vivid recollection of my school days during the Cultural Revolution and remember feelings of humiliation. Face, highly valued in Chinese traditions, is both an individual and a group experience, and humiliation is related to losing or keeping of face. Students are supposed to treat teachers with propriety (li); however, teachers humiliate students frequently and do not treat them with propriety ( li). Students must endure (ren) this treatment. |
