Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange
Abstract
In the People\u27s Republic of China, the term minority nationality denotes a member of one of China\u27s 55 officially recognized ethnic minority groups. Minority nationalities have traditionally been regarded as those who have cultures (particularly languages and religions) that atv distinct from the Han Chine.ie majority. This article focuses on ethnic minorities in China-their significance to the PRC as a whole, the official classification system by which the government identifies them and the history of their interaction with the majority Han population. Higher education in the PRC is discussed with an emphasis on national minority institutes. Two macro issues relating to higher education for ethnic minorities in China are raised—affirmative action and educational attainment. Higher education for ethnic minorities is assessed using three perspectives-structural-functionalism, modernization theory and dialectical analysis
