Amplifying 'Critical Syncretism' in 'Asia as Method': Understanding Policy Enactments in a Hong Kong School through 'Mohap'
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| Title: | Amplifying 'Critical Syncretism' in 'Asia as Method': Understanding Policy Enactments in a Hong Kong School through 'Mohap' |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Guo Zhang (ORCID |
| Source: | Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. 2026 47(2):243-253. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Secondary Schools, Secondary Education, Educational Policy, Educational Practices, Language Planning, Policy Formation, Decolonization |
| Geographic Terms: | Hong Kong |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01596306.2025.2543707 |
| ISSN: | 0159-6306 1469-3739 |
| Abstract: | "Asia as method," in decolonial thinking, endorses the value of local knowledge while concurrently recognising colonial and global knowledges' ongoing influence and potential value in knowledge production. Yet, how to apply "Asia as method" and articulate the diverse traditions of knowledge(s) is underexplored. To address this gap, we consider "Asia as method's critical syncretism" is the means to show the interplay between different knowledges. "Critical syncretism" demands challenging and rebuilding perspectives and representations and multiplying frames of reference, and building connections across diverse knowledges. To illustrate the strategy, we consider policy enactments in a Hong Kong secondary school, using the Cantonese term -- "mohap" (wearing in) as a lens. We identified two elements in actors' "mohap: Harmony and agency," and articulated the two elements of "mohap" through "critical syncretism." This paper pushes the boundaries of "Asia as method" by empirically applying its framework to a policy case in Hong Kong schooling and applies "critical syncretism" as an analytical tool in grasping the nuances of policy enactments. It thus contributes to the nascent field of educational policy enactments in the Global South with a localised perspective and offers a 'how' for Asia as method. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1502963 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | "Asia as method," in decolonial thinking, endorses the value of local knowledge while concurrently recognising colonial and global knowledges' ongoing influence and potential value in knowledge production. Yet, how to apply "Asia as method" and articulate the diverse traditions of knowledge(s) is underexplored. To address this gap, we consider "Asia as method's critical syncretism" is the means to show the interplay between different knowledges. "Critical syncretism" demands challenging and rebuilding perspectives and representations and multiplying frames of reference, and building connections across diverse knowledges. To illustrate the strategy, we consider policy enactments in a Hong Kong secondary school, using the Cantonese term -- "mohap" (wearing in) as a lens. We identified two elements in actors' "mohap: Harmony and agency," and articulated the two elements of "mohap" through "critical syncretism." This paper pushes the boundaries of "Asia as method" by empirically applying its framework to a policy case in Hong Kong schooling and applies "critical syncretism" as an analytical tool in grasping the nuances of policy enactments. It thus contributes to the nascent field of educational policy enactments in the Global South with a localised perspective and offers a 'how' for Asia as method. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0159-6306 1469-3739 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01596306.2025.2543707 |
