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For group, (f)or self: Communitarianism, Confucianism and values education in Singapore
Citation
Tan, C. (2013). For group, (f)or self: Communitarianism, confucianism and values education in Singapore. Curriculum Journal, 24(4), 478-493. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2012.744329
Author
Tan, Charlene
Abstract
Values education in Asian societies is commonly underpinned by an ideology of communitarianism that seeks to promote the needs and interests of 'others' over the ‘self’. An example of an Asian country that promotes communitarian values through its values education curriculum is Singapore. By reviewing the moral and citizenship education curricula in Singapore, this paper points out that the accent is on 'others' rather than the 'self'. Noting that communitarianism has often been linked to Confucian values in Asian societies, this paper offers a Confucian viewpoint of the self and moral self cultivation. It further argues for a form of values education that balances the 'self' with 'others' through active learning, self-reflection and self-evaluation. The Singapore experience provides a useful case study on the influence of communitarianism and the potential of Confucianism on values education in an Asian context.
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Wiley
Journal
Curriculum Journal
DOI
10.1080/09585176.2012.744329
Description
This is the final draft, after peer-review, of a manuscript published in Curriculum Journal. The published version is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2012.744329