Cultural analyses in a Taiwanese kindergarten: A postcolonial reflection and study

The concept of homogenization is highlighted in the current discourse of postcolonialism in the educational arena. However, this concept strengthens the dimension of cultural convergence, but not the dimension of cultural divergence. Furthermore, an overly dualistic view is also aligned with the concept of homogenization and then leads to the neglect of the phenomenon of cultural hybridity and the studies of cultural differences. Through a qualitative study in a Taiwanese kindergarten, this study investigates whether any cultural hybridity appears in classroom practices, and what happens in the process. The results indicate that the concept of cultural hybridity is more suitable to explain the complex phenomena in schools, and both the ontologically and epistemologically cultural aspects are interwoven in the process of hybridity. According to the results, I propose a three-stage framework to interpret the development of hybridity: the extent of the matched context, the extent of cultural conflict, and the awareness of cultural difference.

► This paper aims to discuss the limitations of the concept of homogenization highlighted in the current discourse of postcolonialism.
► This study investigates whether any cultural hybridity appears in classroom practices, and what happens in the process.
► A three-stage framework is proposed to interpret the development of hybridity.