The group is the primary unit of meaning and belonging. Identity is shaped around shared moral expectations
Identity is expressed through connection and participation in the group. The focus is not on the individual, but on the relationships that create community.
Cultural identity is experienced together through shared participation and tradition
Learning is rooted in collaboration, shared meaning, and group responsibility.
Belonging is not assumed—it is built through participation, connection, and care for others.
Students’ identities are positioned as relational, embedded within family, class, and community rather than isolated individuals.
The graduating class and professor spend the day together at the Traditional Language Museum on Bagua Mountain
Identity is formed through connection, not individual distinction.
Through the art of puppetry students learn to recognize social roles and relationships, reflecting a cultural understanding of identity as relational and embedded within community.
A lesson on making hand puppets
Shared cultural stories help students understand identity as something formed through community and tradition.
In this children's book illustration by Zhang Xiuyu the children engage in making pottery together, showing how learning and cultural practices are experienced collectively. Identity is formed through participation, not individual expression alone.
Collective identity emerges through shared experience, participation, and emotional connection within the group.
Communities are strengthened through the moments people experience together.
The belief that the needs, harmony, and success of the group (family, community, or society) outweigh individual desires. Identity is rooted in belonging, mutual support, and collective responsibility.
Through shared experiences, learning, and cultural exchange, relationships gradually become a sense of belonging. Collective identity is not simply inherited—it is built through participation, trust, and connection with others.