From Policy to Classroom: The Implementation of Aesthetic Assistance Projects in Underdeveloped Areas of China
Abstract
Since 2019, China has promoted aesthetic education assistance projects to reduce the gap in aesthetic education between developed and underdeveloped areas. This study uses Actor-Network Theory as a framework to explore how aesthetic education assistance policies were translated from design to practice in underdeveloped areas of Guangdong Province. Based on interviews with 27 policy actors and text analysis, the study found that policy implementation is not a top-down process. Instead, it involves negotiation and re-creation by multiple actors under conditions of limited information. Local teachers and volunteer college students showed creativity despite limited resources. They adapted classroom activities and integrated local culture into their teaching. In this way, they connected policy goals with local experiences. At the same time, emotion played a bridging role in policy practice. It promoted understanding and connection, and gave the policy new social meaning. The study points out that the sustainable development of aesthetic education assistance depends on collaboration between different systems and a deeper understanding of culture. This study enriches theoretical discussions on education policy localization and practice translation. It also provides empirical references for education governance in underdeveloped areas.
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