On Pearl S. Buck's Educational Concepts In Her Works

Education is not only crucial in the formulating of diversified human values and national cultures, but also the key to realize social equality and harmony considered by Pearl S. Buck, who is the advocate of human equality and unity. As a mother of several children, she also paid much attention to the education of adolescent, ethics and psychological education in particular. Besides, in the process of cultural exchanges she engaged in, she concerned more about the educational issue of the marginal world and the plural methods of multi-cultural education as well.The educational concepts in Pear Buck's works can be analyzed systematically in the three angles of educational purpose, subject and methods. For Pearl Buck, education has two purposes: one is to educate human beings knowledge, wisdom and moral integrity, and the other is for practical use. The subject of education is considered to be the essence in the process of education with the three major qualities of equality, initiative and being social. Based on the theories of purpose and subject, Pearl Buck demonstrated a series of educational methods. With regard to school education, it can be concluded to be theories of initiative, diversification and practice. Social education embodies "the blood-relationship education" and "environmental education". The former one is composed of accumulated civilization and education of history as well while environmental education concludes education of family and personal experiences.Meanwhile, Pearl S. Buck paid much attention to the educational issue of the marginal world. Generally speaking, the item "marginal" means anything trivial that can be ignored or displaced. The marginal world in Pearl Buck's works refers to groups of people who're underprivileged, have physical or mental defects and the lost generations in cultural conflicts. Pearl S. Buck considered that being educated is the basic human right, and the only effective way to save them from poverty, to eliminate discrimination and violence and realize cultural exchanges and human equality by promotion of social moral. Besides, the plural methods of multi-cultural education also consist of her concern on the basis of her own experiences. The cultural conflicts result in the lost of identities. The education of patriotism is necessary, and some native consciousness should be woken up. The immigrants are required to become real citizens of another nation by living and merging into the society and developing abilities to absorb "similar nutrients". Pearl S. Buck also mentioned that the common language is the prerequisite of multi-cultural education and tool for cultural exchanges. It is necessary for us to make a research on the issue of her conception on education, typically of the marginal people and the plural patterns of education in the process of multi-cultural exchanges in her works, therefore, we can use for reference in the career of education in the contemporary era of this changing age.