The Gentry’s Mentality And The Modernization Of Education In The Late Qing Dynasty

The era of reform in the late Qing Dynasty has always been the focus of academic research.It is not uncommon to explore the modernization of education with gentry as the object.However,it is rare to explore the modernization of gentry and education from the perspective of mentality.Wenzhou education has sprung up in the great changes in the late Qing Dynasty,and it has become a model for the gentry to establish and lead new education.Based on the micro level,this paper cuts into the educational reform in the late Qing Dynasty from the perspective of mentality,explores the interaction between the individual and the historical environment by sketching the mentality of Wenzhou,and analyzes the relationship between mentality and modernization of education.This can not only deepen the study of gentry groups,but also restore historical scenes and explore the subtleties of education modernization.Incorporating historical understanding into the real situation and drawing lessons from the mentality of the education group corresponding to the gentry’s mentality is a useful way for contemporary people to grow their wisdom and guide change.The drastic changes in society in the late Qing Dynasty have brought great impact on the life of the gentry in Wenzhou.As a place where the atmosphere first opened,Wenzhou was attacked earlier by the western tide,prompting the revival of the thoughts of the world,and the gentry began to strengthen the care of reality.The shame of defeat has deepened the sense of social crisis,and education and salvation have become the best choice in the realm of gentry.After the New Deal reform,the authorities decentralized to the gentry,enabling them to become the promoters of local education.However,with the deepening of the reform and the emergence of the trend of national advancement and retreat,the gentry can only give way to assisting in the education affairs under the official leadership.From the process of education autonomy to standardization,the life and education reform of Wenzhou gentry is more and more inseparable.In the face of social changes,Wenzhou gentry showed a variety of topical mentality,which continued to twist,run,and adapt with the development of social unrest.From a horizontal perspective,the gentry’s outstanding mentality is mainly manifested in four aspects: From active salvation to advancing and retreating,from seeking truth to solidarity to indifferent to fame,from tough to arrogant,from drifting to old-fashioned retreat.All kinds of mentality are the emotional reaction,thinking choice and realistic response of the gentry in the transformation of the times.At different stages,the mentality of the gentry has generally evolved from complex to positive,and finally to complicated due to setbacks.Exploring the reasons behind the mentality of Wenzhou gentry,we can find clues from six aspects: the baptism of new thoughts and the critique of the old system of imperialism provide the logic of thinking for the change of minds;the current knowledge of Western learning in the flow of information provides intellectual support for the new trend of the gentry;the inter-group conflicts behind the strong competition for educational discourse have caused the gentry mentality to be out of balance;the academic problems in management,teaching,and economics have caused frustrations for the gentry;the moral discomfort and the contradiction between teachers and students bring a strong emotional experience which make the gentry fall into deep uneasiness;the difference in individual personality becomes the direct psychological factor of the ever-changing gentry mentality.The state of mind reflects a person’s world outlook,values and a comprehensive spiritual world,directly or indirectly affecting people’s behavior in terms of explicit and implicit.The mentality of Wenzhou gentry facing social changes has undoubtedly played a role in promoting or impeding the development of Wenzhou education.Specifically,it is expressed as: in the early days of social change,the gentry has not yet completed the preparations for thinking and psychology,and has been undecided in the education policy measures,the corresponding impact on the modernization of education is that it cannot form synergy,enterprising and conservative coexistence.After the New Deal in the late Qing Dynasty,the gentry conforms to the tide of reform and gives full play to its main role,which has caused tremendous changes in the education system,type,content,and ethos.Finally,the constant accumulation of frustration in the development of the gentry has slowed the pace of modernization of Wenzhou education.However,because they can make self-adjustment,the modernization of education will eventually return to the right track.Gentry as a group closely related to education,their mentality has a positive or negative impact on school,management and teaching.On the one hand,the mentality enables the gentry to maintain the initial heart of education,to unite a harmonious educational collective,and to spur the teaching philosophy of advancing with the times.On the other hand,the mentality makes education lose direction,triggers group conflicts,and reduces teaching effects.This makes us more intuitive to see the impact of mentality on the development of education,and the need to actively adapt the mentality to the development of the times.