World history in China mainland and Taiwan secondary school textbooks: A historical and comparative study

The study examines world history textbooks for junior and senior secondary school students in China and Taiwan for an earlier period (1950-1960) and a more recent one (1980-1990). The content of these world history texts is analyzed paying special attention to the following dimensions: (a) the chronological segments demarcated, (b) the types of persons mentioned within these chronologies, and (c) the kinds of topics discussed in the texts. My immediate research goals are to compare the Chinese and Taiwanese texts for both time periods, to examine patterns of change for both cases, and to determine whether these changes result in greater similarities or differences in the visions of world history underlying these school texts.;To conduct this study a total number of nineteen world history textbooks were read and analyzed. These texts were published and used in Chinese and Taiwanese schools. A two-part--cross-time and cross-section--comparative analysis of textbooks was undertaken for each of the three dimensions. For the part on chronology, I examined the chronological segmentation as denoted by chapters and units. For the part on historical persons mentioned in the texts, I recorded all the historical persons and coded them throughout all texts. I classified their roles, designated their geographical origins, and traced their historical period of influence. For the part on topics, I coded the unit headings, chapter headings, section headings, and subsection headings and examined through the ensuing contents.;While there are continuities over time, the changes are definitely overwhelming in both cases. A Marxian historical synthesis is diminishing in the mainland Chinese world history texts. The old standard history is declining in Taiwan world history texts. The world history in both China mainland and Taiwan textbooks is becoming more global in scope. The world history is becoming modernized not only in terms of more coverage of the present and less of the past but also reflecting a progress-oriented perspective that is embedded in the present. And, the world history depicts more and more non-political and non-military aspects of human affairs. These developments are found in the later secondary world history textbooks of both China mainland and Taiwan. They are consistent with many of the currents of thought favored by the global history movement that is sweeping the world.;I interpret these findings using elements of the global institutionalization of education and the nation-state model. To the extent that China mainland and Taiwan increasingly adhere to this model their visions of world history will become more similar. This in turn will result in the increased similarities in their world history textbooks that this study has shown.