Catholicism on Chinese Education from the 19 Century to 20 Century: Aurora College for Women in Shanghai

Research Article
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Catholicism on Chinese Education from the 19 Century to 20 Century: Aurora College for Women in Shanghai

Wenqi Cui 1*
  • 1 Fanculty of Social Sciences and Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University, Marconi Road, Kowloon Town, China (of the institute)    
  • *corresponding author 20252544@life.hkbu.edu.hk
LNEP Vol.7
ISSN (Print): 2753-7056
ISSN (Online): 2753-7048
ISBN (Print): 978-1-915371-39-3
ISBN (Online): 978-1-915371-40-9

Abstract

Some studies worldwide have described Catholic schools in China in the 20th century in some detail, encompassing the establishment, causes, and effects of Catholic schools. However, many studies have focused on male missionaries and elite male teaching models, and women have been neglected by academics in the study of Chinese Catholicism. Against this background, this paper examines the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai, the first university in China to admit women in the 20th century by Sisters of the Sacred Heart. To present the experience of Aurora College for Women in Shanghai at different periods and to explore its influence on Chinese education, this paper cites handwritten letters from the sisters of Aurora College for Women in Shanghai from the Italian and Shanghai archives as primary sources. The documents in the Italian Archives are the correspondence and records of the sisters in the archives of the Rome headquarters. These primary sources from the Rome headquarters are rarely cited and are of great importance to the study of the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai. It is also combined with secondary sources, which include newspapers, books, related photography, and government-published intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The study found that the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai was a crucial point in women's education in three parts: (i) the popularization of Catholic schools in China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, (ii) the size and characteristics of the school, (iii) the survival strategy. In addition, the holistic education proposed by the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai concluded that the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai contributed to the education for all and produced independent and self-reliant women. With these findings, this paper explores the spread of Catholicism in China through the lens of women and help enrich the meaning of Catholic schools.

Keywords:

Aurora college for women, China, Education, Catholic sisters

Cui,W. (2023). Catholicism on Chinese Education from the 19 Century to 20 Century: Aurora College for Women in Shanghai. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,7,267-275.
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References

[1]. Chi, M. (2001). Shanghai sacred heart: Risk in faith : 1926-1952 (pp. 26–27). Washington: U.S. Province.

[2]. Records of the National Congress of the Chinese Catholic Church: Part V. Proposals, Shanghai Municipal Archives, File No. U101-0-21-411.

[3]. Luirard, M. (2016). The Society of the Sacred Heart in the world of its times 1865 -2000. iUniverse.

[4]. Chen, J. S. (2003). The rise and fall of Fu Ren University, Beijing: Catholic higher education in China. Routledge.

[5]. Stuart, J. E. R. S. C. J. (1915). The Society of the Sacred Heart.

[6]. England. (1844). The Treaty of Nanking, signed august 29th, 1842, and the Supplementary Treaty, signed october 8th, 1843, etc. Chin. & Eng.

[7]. General Treaty of Peace and Amity. (1923). American Journal of International Law, 17(S2), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.2307/2212795

[8]. O’Leary, M. F. M. (1936). Education with a tradition: An account of the educational work of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Historical Research, 14(40), 48–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2281.1936.tb00101.x

[9]. Library, T. L. (2019). Beijing Treaty on audiovisual performances (United States Treaty). Independently Published.

[10]. Elia, P. M. d’. (1934). The Catholic Missions in China: A Short Sketch of the History of the Catholic Church in China from the Earliest Records to our own days.

[11]. Ladany, L. (1987). The Catholic Church in China. University Press of Amer.

[12]. Records of Student Admission Information Form, Yantai Archives.

[13]. Heyndrickx, J. (1994). Historiography of the Chinese Catholic church: Nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

[14]. Yik-yi Chu, C. (2021). Chapter 8. Aurora College for Women in Shanghai, 1937–1951. In Asia and China in the Global Era (pp. 155–172). De Gruyter. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9781501505591-008

[15]. Mother Margaret Thornton, “History of the College,” 2 pages, The 1948 Aurora College for Women Graduates, Bulletin, 2 pages, Bilingual (English and Chinese), Shanghai, 1948. Accessed in the Shanghai Library.

[16]. Chinese newspaper Shenpao (Shanghai News) . (1937). Aurora University adds female recruitment notice. Retrieved from https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_jpg/SrPKvwz7HavgKDsWcIXH8KqAg8ou8B1ibJMUvclRCXNud7EvKMf9gkn8kr4kiakFJawbCfGVMff53ETHgia2wnrYQ/640?wx_fmt=jpeg

[17]. Some Notes About the Foundation in China, Archives of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,United States-Canada Province in St. Louis.

[18]. Lin, J. (1999). Social transformation and private education in China. Greenwood.

[19]. Le rapport à Iégard des recettes et dépenses des écoles du couvent du Sacré -Coeur pour 1938, Shanghai Municipal Archives, File No. U101-0-21-411.

[20]. The letter Sun Huifang wrote to Reverend Mother in Rome, Archives of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome.

[21]. School Profile: Aurora College for Women. (1939, February 1). Chinese Newspaper Shenpao (Shanghai News).

[22]. Kilroy, P. (1999). Les archives des congrégations religieuses féminines et la rédaction d’ une biographie : L’ exemple de Madeleine Sophie Barat, 1779-1865. Revue d’ histoire de l’ Église de France, 85(215), 37–38. https://doi.org/10.3406/rhef.1999.1377

[23]. Relation de Shanghai sur la première Cérémonie de Graduation en notre college feminine agrégé à IUniversité IAurore.C-IV, Closed Houses: Shanghai, Box1, letters (1925-1949), General Archives, Society of the Sacred Heart.

[24]. Chen, K., & Jin, L. (2003). History of modern education in Shanghai, 1843-1949.

[25]. Zou, Y. (1980). A study of population change in Old Shanghai.

[26]. Un rapport présenté de la Direction de I’ Enseignement au Directeur des Services Administratifs, (1942), Shanghai Municipal Archives, File No. U38-1-2909-3.


Cite this article

Cui,W. (2023). Catholicism on Chinese Education from the 19 Century to 20 Century: Aurora College for Women in Shanghai. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,7,267-275.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies (ICIHCS 2022), Part 6

ISBN:978-1-915371-39-3(Print) / 978-1-915371-40-9(Online)
Editor:Muhammad Idrees, Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga
Conference website: https://www.icihcs.org/
Conference date: 18 December 2022
Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
Volume number: Vol.7
ISSN:2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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References

[1]. Chi, M. (2001). Shanghai sacred heart: Risk in faith : 1926-1952 (pp. 26–27). Washington: U.S. Province.

[2]. Records of the National Congress of the Chinese Catholic Church: Part V. Proposals, Shanghai Municipal Archives, File No. U101-0-21-411.

[3]. Luirard, M. (2016). The Society of the Sacred Heart in the world of its times 1865 -2000. iUniverse.

[4]. Chen, J. S. (2003). The rise and fall of Fu Ren University, Beijing: Catholic higher education in China. Routledge.

[5]. Stuart, J. E. R. S. C. J. (1915). The Society of the Sacred Heart.

[6]. England. (1844). The Treaty of Nanking, signed august 29th, 1842, and the Supplementary Treaty, signed october 8th, 1843, etc. Chin. & Eng.

[7]. General Treaty of Peace and Amity. (1923). American Journal of International Law, 17(S2), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.2307/2212795

[8]. O’Leary, M. F. M. (1936). Education with a tradition: An account of the educational work of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Historical Research, 14(40), 48–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2281.1936.tb00101.x

[9]. Library, T. L. (2019). Beijing Treaty on audiovisual performances (United States Treaty). Independently Published.

[10]. Elia, P. M. d’. (1934). The Catholic Missions in China: A Short Sketch of the History of the Catholic Church in China from the Earliest Records to our own days.

[11]. Ladany, L. (1987). The Catholic Church in China. University Press of Amer.

[12]. Records of Student Admission Information Form, Yantai Archives.

[13]. Heyndrickx, J. (1994). Historiography of the Chinese Catholic church: Nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

[14]. Yik-yi Chu, C. (2021). Chapter 8. Aurora College for Women in Shanghai, 1937–1951. In Asia and China in the Global Era (pp. 155–172). De Gruyter. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9781501505591-008

[15]. Mother Margaret Thornton, “History of the College,” 2 pages, The 1948 Aurora College for Women Graduates, Bulletin, 2 pages, Bilingual (English and Chinese), Shanghai, 1948. Accessed in the Shanghai Library.

[16]. Chinese newspaper Shenpao (Shanghai News) . (1937). Aurora University adds female recruitment notice. Retrieved from https://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_jpg/SrPKvwz7HavgKDsWcIXH8KqAg8ou8B1ibJMUvclRCXNud7EvKMf9gkn8kr4kiakFJawbCfGVMff53ETHgia2wnrYQ/640?wx_fmt=jpeg

[17]. Some Notes About the Foundation in China, Archives of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,United States-Canada Province in St. Louis.

[18]. Lin, J. (1999). Social transformation and private education in China. Greenwood.

[19]. Le rapport à Iégard des recettes et dépenses des écoles du couvent du Sacré -Coeur pour 1938, Shanghai Municipal Archives, File No. U101-0-21-411.

[20]. The letter Sun Huifang wrote to Reverend Mother in Rome, Archives of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome.

[21]. School Profile: Aurora College for Women. (1939, February 1). Chinese Newspaper Shenpao (Shanghai News).

[22]. Kilroy, P. (1999). Les archives des congrégations religieuses féminines et la rédaction d’ une biographie : L’ exemple de Madeleine Sophie Barat, 1779-1865. Revue d’ histoire de l’ Église de France, 85(215), 37–38. https://doi.org/10.3406/rhef.1999.1377

[23]. Relation de Shanghai sur la première Cérémonie de Graduation en notre college feminine agrégé à IUniversité IAurore.C-IV, Closed Houses: Shanghai, Box1, letters (1925-1949), General Archives, Society of the Sacred Heart.

[24]. Chen, K., & Jin, L. (2003). History of modern education in Shanghai, 1843-1949.

[25]. Zou, Y. (1980). A study of population change in Old Shanghai.

[26]. Un rapport présenté de la Direction de I’ Enseignement au Directeur des Services Administratifs, (1942), Shanghai Municipal Archives, File No. U38-1-2909-3.