Cultural Imbalance:
How The Cultural Significance Of Software Affects Canadian Offshore Schools In China
Submitted by
Nathaniel Swires
EDLM 610
Royal Roads University
1. June 2014
Instructor
Prof. J. Walinga
CULTURAL BALANCE 1
Table of Contents
Introduction & Statement Of Opportunity......................................................................................3
Rationale For Studying The Cultural Significance Of Software....................................................4
Personal Reasons........................................................................................................................4
Management Reasons................................................................................................................5
Leadership Reasons....................................................................................................................6
Significance Of Opportunity...........................................................................................................6
Organizational Context...................................................................................................................7
Foreign Operating Systems...................................................................................................7
Organizational Culture..........................................................................................................8
Literature Review...........................................................................................................................9
Canadian Overseas Schools.......................................................................................................9
British Columbian Offshore Schools..................................................................................10
Neocolonialism....................................................................................................................14
Macaulayism.......................................................................................................................15
Orientalism..........................................................................................................................16
Free & Open Source Software (FOSS)....................................................................................18
Economics, Developing Countries & The Freedom To Create...........................................19
Intellectual Property & Software Piracy.............................................................................21
Psychological Issues Pertaining To FOSS...........................................................................22
Use In North American Schools..........................................................................................27
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................27
Recommendations.........................................................................................................................29
CULTURAL BALANCE 2
FOSS........................................................................................................................................29
Communications..................................................................................................................30
Inter-campus ICT Team.......................................................................................................30
Multiculturalism.......................................................................................................................31
Change Management Plan............................................................................................................33
Further Research...........................................................................................................................34
References.....................................................................................................................................35
Appendix A: Job Posting..............................................................................................................42
Appendix B: Tables.......................................................................................................................44
CULTURAL BALANCE 3
Introduction & Statement Of Opportunity
In the fall of 2010, I took my first job as an information communication technology (ICT)
teacher in China. My immersion into Chinese ICT culture proved shocking: schools had no
security software or passwords in place, the majority of the software and all the operating
systems (OS) were pirated, and viruses and malware infected nearly every machine. As a
Canadian, I believed the solution was for the school to buy legitimate software and OS as soon
as possible. This, however, proved nearly impossible to convince the Chinese school
administration of as it required large expenditures of money. I, therefore, began researching free
and open source software (FOSS) and alternative operating systems.
I joined Shanghai United International School (SUIS) in 2012 and found similar problems
to those I had encountered at my two previous Sino schools. I therefore set about implementing
a plan I had developed and introduced FOSS to SUIS's Jiaoke campus (Swires, 2013c). Despite
careful planning and change management by the ICT department, FOSS encountered significant
resistance from the Canadian teachers on campus.
The resistance to FOSS was not universal in the school, but was far more prevalent
amongst Canadian teachers than Sino teachers. This puzzled, confused, and frustrated me. How
could Canadian teachers who openly admitted to knowingly using pirated computer systems not
be appalled by it? Why would they not want a secure and stable system which the Chinese could
maintain for them in Chinese, but which they could use in English? I spent months analyzing the
situation and reached a thought provoking conclusion: the teachers' resistance to FOSS was
traceable to a power struggle between cultures and peoples on a scale far greater than that of my
school alone.
Utilizing my background in cultural anthropology, I explore the Canadian teachers'
CULTURAL BALANCE 4
resistance to FOSS, its place in the globalization of education, and its neocolonial implications
throughout this paper by asking: How can school leaders in developing countries navigate the
risks to their cultures in procuring and using computer software in global educational contexts?
Rationale For Studying The Cultural Significance Of Software
Personal Reasons
Power, society, and cultural studies formed the minor of my undergraduate degree at the
University of British Columbia. Utilizing this knowledge and pondering the resistance to FOSS
I observe within my school, I have asked myself many questions regarding my assumptions
about BC offshore schools. Furthermore, I know the head of ICT has posted for someone to help
lead the entire SUIS district towards a greater adoption and utilization of FOSS (Appendix A).
From my experience in implementing the ICT change management plan of introducing FOSS at
Jiaoke, I know if FOSS is imposed upon the district without understanding the cultural
ramifications thereof, teachers and administrators will undermine its effectiveness. This
knowledge has overwhelmed, and at times impregnated me with questions: What is the cultural
significance of software? How are software creation and ideas about intellectual property
embedded within Western business and educational systems? What is the purpose of a B.C.
offshore school? What is the purpose of an international school? How do the two differ/the
same? Are the Chinese at risk of or have they already adopted a colonial mentality? Is
Macaulayism and/or Orientalism, being taught at SUIS? Can a change in software pave the way
for SUIS to adopt a culture of learning in its schools? Is FOSS a viable alternative for the
district?
Software and OS are artifacts. That they were made by a particular culture and might
influence another had never entered my mind. They were a given, an inescapable fact.
CULTURAL BALANCE 5
Nevertheless, upon reflection I acknowledged the possibility. I grew apprehensive, however, at
the affects these artifacts may be having upon Sino culture and society – in large part due to the
history of Canadian residential schools. Canada has a history of marginalizing and seeking to
destroy non-Western cultures through education. The history of residential schools in Canada
has brought decades of misunderstanding, hardship, and shame to the people of that country
(Milloy, 1999). The thought of this history repeating itself on a global stage so disturbs me that I
initially hoped to disprove my conjectures and settle my misgivings that Canadians were in fact
knowingly/unknowingly undermining Sino culture and society by insisting upon computer
systems from North America.
Management Reasons
Change management has two separate meanings in the contexts of ICT and organizational
change (Swires, 2013c), and the introduction of FOSS to Jiaoke in 2013 highlighted the
necessity of addressing both facets. It proved insufficient for the ICT department to develop and
implement a change management strategy focused primarily on the technical side of things
without the active engagement of the administrators and teachers in organizational change.
Change management in SUIS is complicated by language division. The primary language
of the ICT departments for the district is Mandarin Chinese; the primary language of school
administrators, however, is English. Because neither group can speak the others language well,
if at all, they do not communicate much. The use of an interpreter is cumbersome and further
complicated by ICT jargon, and so is used only when urgent action is required. Therefore,
making a case for adopting FOSS which the school administrators can understand so that proper
change management in an organizational context may take place along side that of ICT, is of key
importance to this study.
CULTURAL BALANCE 6
Leadership Reasons
While I shall not be able to personally act upon the findings of this study due to my
forthcoming departure from China in July, I feel a sense of duty to provide as much leadership
in the area of FOSS as possible. My duty is not to SUIS, but to the people who make up SUIS –
the teachers, staff, students, and administrators. I hope to leave behind a document which can be
used by not only the ICT department, but by the people of SUIS to better understand the systems
at work within the district and which will facilitate better decision making and cultural
understanding between the Chinese and their foreign guests.
Questioning the status quo and introducing FOSS within my school has led to personal
growth for me. The Canadian staff dislike what I have done and are suspicious of any new
changes I suggest. The Sino staff on the other hand, and in particular the ICT departmental staff,
greatly appreciate my efforts. As a leader within this school, and in moving on to other schools,
I believe addressing these issues – working with cultural groups, addressing change
management issues, and seeking to build buy-in to ideas before implementing change – are all
significant in providing wise school leadership.
Significance Of Opportunity
Canadian overseas schools are poorly understood due to a lack of research. Research such
as mine into understanding the impact cultural artifacts have upon host nations of overseas seas
schools proves important not only for Canadian governments, administrators, and teachers, but
also for governments, administrators, and teachers of the host countries themselves. The
importance lies in ensuring local students are not harmed by Canadians seeking to educate them.
Undermining another society's values, systems, and/or cultures is inherently wrong and must not
be done – even unintentionally. Therefore, papers like this are crucial to enhancing the
CULTURAL BALANCE 7
understanding of Canadian overseas schools by both indigenous and foreign peoples wherein the
schools are located.
Without the knowledge gained and presented herein, teachers and administrators at my
school may well continue practices, such as insisting upon computer systems identical to those
in place within BC high schools, which are neocolonialistic and continuations of Orientalism.
Both of these undesirable ideological positions stand in need of replacing with a truly more
modern and glocal ideal – multiculturalism (Meer & Modood, 2011).
Organizational Context
SUIS is a conglomerate comprised of six main campuses using three distinct international
curriculums – American, British, and British Columbian – in connection or conjunction to the
mainstream Shanghai curriculum. Touted as one school by SUIS's parent company, Xiehe, it in
reality operates on par with a North American school district. In this paper, therefore, I refer to
SUIS as a district rather than a school or organization.
Foreign Operating Systems
SUIS is currently seeking to fill an inter-campus ICT coordinator position (Appendix A).
The job posting refers to and/or requires familiarity with FOSS 10 times. The urgency for
someone to take a leadership role with regards to the training and transitioning of SUIS from
mostly pirated Windows XP systems and accompanying software can be felt from the
advertisement. Members of SUIS's ICT department are acutely aware Microsoft's April 8, 2014,
deadline for Windows XP support has passed, and that the many vulnerabilities the platform
faces leaves the district open to cyberattack and its information vulnerable, (Cuthberston, 2013;
Murphy, 2014). The head of the department has a plan to address these issues; however, the ICT
department vision is not shared by the school administrators. This is in large part due to
CULTURAL BALANCE 8
language and communication difficulties outlined previously.
Organizational Culture
The organizational culture at SUIS is complicated. With four educational systems working
within the district, each campus has its own unique characteristics. In this paper I focus on one
campus – Jiaoke – with two educational streams, a BC offshore educational program and a Sino
educational program: “Each stream has its own culture and communication style, and both view
one another from a cultural perspective” (Swires, 2013a). This is to be expected, but is also a
source of continuous tension and conflict. Again the language barrier is a contributing factor as
“organizational culture and communication are connected in two important ways. First, past
learning is stored in culture and culture provides the primary instrument for communicating
accumulated knowledge to organization members. Consequently, organizational culture is a
source of acquired knowledge and a framework for interaction that refines existing knowledge
or produces new knowledge” (Kowalski, Fusarelli, & Petersen, 2007).
Although expected, the organizational cultures of each educational system has led to
organizational uncertainty at Jiaoke. The Canadian and Sino staff hold differing opinions as to
the purpose of the foreign (BC) stream. Kowalski points out: “This condition is created by
ambiguity in philosophy, mission, and structure. Its presence causes confusion regarding
institutional mission (i,.e., knowing what the organization is supposed to accomplish)” (2007).
Many of the Canadian staff believe the purpose of the foreign stream is to recreate a BC school
in Shanghai. This perspective, however, is not shared by their Sino counterparts. They believe
the BC program's purpose is to enhance the established Chinese stream fill the campus and raise
its prestige within the city (Swires, 2013a).
Confusion stemming from the organizational culture of SUIS coupled with communication
CULTURAL BALANCE 9
issues has hobbled the ICT department and prevented it from effectively implementing FOSS
throughout the district.
Literature Review
Canadian overseas schools are poorly understood both within Canada and within the
countries they are located. While they are very popular, questions remain as to their purpose for
existence and their exporting of Canadian cultural norms to other countries. If Canada is not to
repeat its sad history with residential schools (Milloy, 1999), then it must be aware of attitudes
towards the foreign cultures wherein it locates its schools and how exported artifacts such as
software and computer operating systems affect those cultures, either positively or negatively.
Canadian Overseas Schools
Canada entered the overseas education market in 1997 with the opening of a New
Brunswick school in China by Atlantic Education Incorporated (Atlantic Education
International, n.d.). Since then a number of other provinces have entered the overseas education
market. Currently there are 103 Canadian overseas schools in 25 countries under the jurisdiction
of seven provinces (“CICIC,” n.d.). The design and operation of these schools differs by
provincial jurisdiction, but their mandate to export a provincial education to a foreign country in
return for future economic benefits either from immigration of a wealthy, educated class to the
province and/or closer ties with overseas markets is universal:
In 2010, Canada's five national education associations signed a
Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Canadian Consortium for
International Education Marketing – the first national initiative with a
similar objective to better align efforts to market Canadian education
overseas. The increased commercialization of Canada's Trade
CULTURAL BALANCE 10
Commissioner Services has also meant that Canadian Trade
Commissioners (particularly in East Asia) work hard to find new inroads
for the Canadian brand of education overseas. The Canadian Ambassador
to China most recently commented on his hopes of making the Canadian
Mission in Beijing the 'Education Embassy,' a clear signal of the
recognition of education as a mechanism for Canadian diplomacy, and a
way to build partnerships across the Pacific (Cosco, 2011).
Several questions arise from Canada's exportation of education abroad, especially to non-
western countries: is it a form of neo-colonialism or is it simply the globalization of education?
How do Western beliefs, ideals, and systems of education fit within the context of Asian
countries and cultures? Are they net beneficial to countries such as China, or does Canadian
educational systems supplant and subvert indigenous cultures, customs, and practise?
Combined, these questions have driven me to an examination of software and operating systems
being used within Canadian offshore schools, specifically SUIS's British Columbian (BC)
offshore schools
British Columbian Offshore Schools
Of the 103 Canadian overseas schools, BC offshore schools comprise 37. A total of 78% of
all BC overseas schools are located in China, and dominate the market there with 54%
(“CICIC,” n.d.). This makes BC the Canadian curriculum of choice for the world's second
largest economic player.
BC's purpose in targeting China is not ambiguous but clearly delineated in its Offshore
Operating Manual: "attracting more international students to study, and eventually work and live
in BC" (B.C. Ministry of Education, 2013). Thus the purpose of BC offshore schools is in line
CULTURAL BALANCE 11
with the stated purposes of Canadian overseas schools, and the same questions remain regarding
appropriateness of teaching materials in non-Western cultures.
BC Overseas Schools Overview & Contextualization
Although BC holds a dominate position in the key Asian market, its overseas schools are
not well known or understood either by its domestic populace or ex-patriot teachers (Cosco,
2011). Much confusion surrounds the school's operations – especially with regards to
governance, purpose, and operational systems (Cosco, 2011; Schuetze, 2008). Of fundamental
confusion in the minds of Canadian expatriate teachers are the differences between international
and offshore schools. Many expatriates fail to recognize Canadian overseas schools fall
primarily within two categories – international schools and overseas schools (Table 1). The
Table 1
Definitions Of Canadian Overseas Schools
International School
Overseas schools originally servicing expatriate communities, offering
curricula of the ‘home’ country to facilitate the potential re-integration of
expatriate children. Student bodies tend to be highly multicultural.
International schools have experienced increased interest from local
parents wanting to place their children into an international school
setting, and many keep extensive waiting lists to accommodate this
demand.
Offshore School
Overseas schools which are run for profit and service citizens of the local
society in which it operates. Student bodies are almost always made up of
local citizens (100% Korean or Chinese students for example). The end
goal is to graduate local students with a Canadian high-school diploma.
Canadian Overseas SchoolsIn this context, a term used to encompass both provincially accredited
international and offshore schools at the K-12 level.
Note. Adapted from “Canadian Overseas Schools: A Unique Approach to the Export of Canadian Education” by L. Cosco, 2011. Vancouver:
Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.asiapacific.ca/sites/default/files/filefield/overseas_canadian_schools_final.pdf
CULTURAL BALANCE 12
majority of BC's schools in China fall into the later category and this has led to numerous
conflicts between Canadian & Sino teachers and administrators who fail to agree to or
understand the purpose of the BC schools: “Besides the in-built cultural tension within the
schools already mentioned, there is an ideological rift which runs potentially deeper. This
concerns different philosophies of society and individualism – and the role education plays in
preparing young people for life” (Schuetze, 2008). What Schuetze points out is a failure on the
part of both the Chinese and Canadians to fully understand the systems within which Canadian
offshore schools operate in China. Figure 1 illustrates Schuetze's argument and my own
experience with Canadian overseas schools.
Systems thinking is not new, but it is not readily taught, applied, nor understood by many
Canadian or Sino teachers. This proves unfortunate as people who do not fully understand the
Figure 1. Canadian Overseas Schools Embedded in Cultural Systems
Figure 1. Canadian overseas schools exist and operate simultaneously within Western and Asian systems. These operations do not run smoothly due to conflicts between educational systems, business systems, cultural systems, and preconceived expectations by parties operating within the Canadian overseas school system itself, but without full understanding of its dualistic nature.
CULTURAL BALANCE 13
systems within which they operate jeopardize long-term goals for short-term gain (Forrester,
2012). If systems thinking were obligatory in teaching, then many of the following problems, in
fact the very need for this paper, would be resolved or never have arisen in the first place.
Hans Schuetze in Canadian offshore schools in China details how BC offshore schools are
governed and why their governance is a near constant source of irritation for both Sino &
Canadian educators (2008). As Figure 2 illustrates, the dualistic nature of Canadian overseas
schools arising from competing systems do not work in harmony, but rather seek to dominate
each other in a perpetual struggle.
These tensions have until very recently been exasperated by a perceived lack of careful
oversight by the BC Ministry of Education. This the Ministry has sought to change with its new
Operating Manual for Offshore Schools (2013). I question, however, whether or not the Ministry
itself fully understands the systems within which the schools operate as its new operating
manual is skewed in such a way as to exasperate the problems overseas by placing greater
emphasis upon BC overseas schools being more Canadian.
The lack of agreement as to purpose for the school and its dominate nature within China,
make BC offshore schools of primary interest to me and my research. Furthermore, I have been
employed within a BC offshore school for three out of my four years in China, and my present
school is also BC certified. My primary concern is the lack of understanding by all parties of
how BC offshore schools exist simultaneously within a Canadian/BC education system and a
Chinese education system and what effects the embedded nature of these systems has upon the
host country's culture and people.
CULTURAL BALANCE 14
Neocolonialism
Much of the world has not forgotten its subjugation to European colonial powers. While
overt colonialism came to an end in the 1960s & 70s, many former European colonies claim
they are now subjugated to neocolonialism. I have pondered whether or not neocolonialism is
taking place within the BC offshore schools, and hereafter explore the possibility.
Definition
Neocolonialism is “the policy of a strong nation in seeking political and economic
hegemony over an independent nation or extended geographical area without necessarily
reducing the subordinate nation or area to the legal status of a colony” (“neocolonialism,” n.d.).
Neocolonialism & Education
Education is seen to be a key player in the spread neocolonialist ideas, ideals, and covert
Figure 2. Organic Conflict Between Canadian Overseas Schools' Cultural Systems in China
Figure 2. Cultural systems act as living things: they seek to perpetuate themselves, make since of their environments, and dominate other cultural systems within their territory. Thus the conflict between Sino & Canadian cultural systems within a Canadian overseas school may be thought of as natural and organic in nature.
CULTURAL BALANCE 15
replacement/subjugation of non-Western cultures (Forstorp, 2008; Nozaki, 2009; Rai & Prakash,
2013; Wachholz & Mullaly, 2001). According to the functionalist theory of education, education
is the primary perpetuator of culture and society: "Society can survive only if there exists
amongst its members a sufficient degree of homogeneity; education perpetuates and reinforces
this homogeneity by fixing in the child from the beginning the essential similarities which
collective life demands"(Emile Durkheim as quoted by Agnihotri, 2008; English, 2006).
In this light, Canada and its provinces can be seen to be a neocolonialising powers. I must
conclude that by seeking to impose its hegemony of ideas and practices regarding business,
education, and the software used by both of these mutually reinforcing systems upon Chinese
students (Figure 1), Canada and its overseas schools are undermining Sino societal norms and
replacing them with Canadian ones. Thus the Canadian teachers are (un)knowing agents of a
colonizing power.
Macaulayism
If Canada is a neocolonizing power, then there must be some ideological reason from
which it stems. From my research into neocolonialism, I branched out to find this ideology –
Macaulayism.
The idea of undermining or supplanting an indigenous culture through education is not
unique to Canada, nor its history limited to Canadian residential schools. Many British colonies
practised some form of the idea commonly known as Macaulayism. Lord T. B. Macaulay's
educational philosophy was characterized by its Eurocentric/Westerncentric views, teaching
indigenous peoples in English, and its repressing of non-Western logic/thinking in science:
“How, then, stands the case? We have to educate a people who cannot at present be educated by
means of their mother-tongue. We must teach them some foreign language. The claims of our
CULTURAL BALANCE 16
own language it is hardly necessary to recapitulate. It stands pre-eminent even among the
languages of the west” (Macaulay, 1835). Macaulay's ethnocentrism is often associated with
Rudyard Kipling's The white man's burden: “Take up the White Man's burden . . . By open
speech and simple, / An hundred times made plain, / To seek another's profit, / And to work
another's gain” (1899). Together the two paint a picture long held by colonial powers of
superiority of mind, culture and learning – one which still lives on in the minds of many peoples
today: “The West purportedly provides the ideal template to which all other civilizations and
cultures must contort, be pruned, trimmed or reconfigured to fit, or else be eliminated or
sidelined by some means” (Malhotra, 2012). I attest to seeing this first hand within my own
school. For in seeking to recreate BC schools in China with the same texts, software and
operating systems, procedures, insistence on, and frustration with a lack of students speaking
English in and out of the classroom, and a lack of adaption of testing modern Canadian
educators not so far removed from Macaulayism as they would like to believe. Rather they have
taken up the white man's burden and carrying it forward in a new guise – globalization.
Orientalism
Orientalism is a Western belief founded in Europe and grounded in its interactions with
Asian people's over hundreds of years. This concept is not new to me as I once wrote of its
presence in Vancouver, BC for an undergraduate history class, but I include it here because of its
natural flow and connection with both neocolonialism and Macaulayism.
Edward Said, one of key founders of post-colonial studies, wrote: “Orientalism is 'a way of
coming to terms with the Orient that is based on the Orient's special place in European Western
experience'” (As quoted by Nozaki, 2009). In traditional interpretations of Orientalism, the
Orient, or Asia, has been seen as being in a dichotomy with Europe: whereas Europeans were
CULTURAL BALANCE 17
considered masculine, Asians were considered feminine; whereas Europeans were considered
logical, Asians were considered mystical, and so forth. “In short, Orientalism is 'a Western style
for domination, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient'” (Said as quoted by Nozaki,
2009).
Orientalism at its core is based on the principle of us versus them, or The Other. Stuart Hall
identifies The Other as the Rest, in his book The West and the Rest, and “finds that stereotyping,
dualism and splitting are the ubiquitous features, and therefore the underpinning strategy of the
West and the Rest discourse. Furthermore, he points out not only that the discourse of the West
and the Rest worked its way into ‘‘classic works of sociology such as those by Marx and
Weber’’, but also that ‘‘its effects can still been seen [...] in the language, theoretical models, and
hidden assumptions’’ of modern sociology and the other social sciences” (Nozaki, 2009).
Ideas of Orientalism are so engrained into Western cultures that modern discourses
regarding education, and even the news, are affected by them (Luyendijk, 2010; Nozaki, 2009;
Takayama, 2008). Thus it is seen that learned people, who should know better, in fact perpetuate
Orientalism. Canadian educators in BC offshore schools are no different. They consistently
identify themselves in opposition/contrast with the indigenous people. There has been a very
real us versus them mentality at Jiaoke campus – especially under the previous administration
(Swires, 2013a). This has led to a conscious seeking of domination and authority over the
Chinese by the Canadians, and vice versa. Tension still remains between the two cultural
systems although a change in principals has lessened open hostility. Nevertheless, for real
cooperation and the collaboration of equals to truly exist, all vestiges of Orientalism need be
removed, including Western propitiatory software and OS.
CULTURAL BALANCE 18
Free & Open Source Software (FOSS)
Canadians in offshore schools can answer the charges of neocolonialism, Macaulayism,
and Orientalism by giving up those things which allow them to dominate and exercise control
over the indigenous population. This means taking the difficult step of replacing familiar
proprietary software & OS with unfamiliar, yet equally capable, FOSS computer systems.
FOSS for many embodies the original ideals on which personal computers (PCs) and the
Internet are based. By definition FOSS is free to both users and developers. This does not mean
it is just free to use, but the source code itself must be free in order to be said to be FOSS.
Paradoxically, it is the very fact it is free which often has traditional users of PCs wary of
it. Users in North America are conditioned to believe anything which is free must be inferior to
that which is not. This belief instead of being questioned by educational systems within North
America, has instead been perpetuated. Western teachers, students, and parents collectively shy
away from FOSS in large part due to mindshare (explored later) – which feeds the perpetual
cycle of usage. Chinese/overseas teachers, students, and parents fail to embrace FOSS in turn
because they see their Western peers not using it, and thus they fall into the traps of essentialism
and having a colonial mentality. The use of propitiatory systems by Chinese/non-Western
peoples, however, further leads to conflict between Western and developing countries due to
differences in understandings of intellectual property, the use of pirated software, and a
fundamental misunderstanding of the economies of developing nations by the West.
The Canadian staff at Jiaoke prove reluctant to move towards FOSS in large part because
of its unfamiliarity and the belief in the superiority of proprietary North American computer
systems. They fail to realize, however, that some North American schools & districts have
themselves embraced FOSS with tremendous success, and that these can/should serve as a
CULTURAL BALANCE 19
template for Canadian offshore schools.
Economics, Developing Countries & the Freedom to Create
Moral Obligation To Use FOSS For Canadians
China's status as a developing country is oft forgotten by Canadian expatriates. Working in
private schools or exclusive departments of Sino schools with students from the upper-middle
and high class reaches of society blinds expatriates to the poor and working class of China:
“'Educators must be diligent in ensuring that no attitudes, beliefs, or
practices bar students from access to the necessary knowledge.' When
school practices result in the maldistribution of knowledge with poor and
minority students receiving less access, it is morally wrong 'whatever the
arguments regarding teachable classes, teachers' comfort, parents'
preferences, and even achievement'” (John Goodlad as quoted by
Cambron-McCabe, 2012).
It is not for the students immediately within the BC stream of Jiaoke alone that Canadian
teachers need embrace FOSS, but for all Sino students. Students within the Sino stream of
Jiaoke for example should also have access to the same computer systems as their
internationally streamed peers: “People ... have a right to expect their schools to be guided by
moral principles such as justice, fairness of treatment, liberty, honesty, equity in the distribution
of resources, and respect for differences” (Cambron-McCabe, 2012). Thus is it a moral
imperative for the Canadian staff to embrace FOSS and advocate its usage throughout SUIS.
Arguments For FOSS Adoption By The Chinese
Many agencies throughout the world argue for the use of FOSS in the developing world
(Ghosh, 2004; Noronha, 2003, 2003; Open Source Initiative, n.d.; Subramanyam & Xia, 2008;
CULTURAL BALANCE 20
UNESCO, 2007; Weerawarana & Weeratunga, 2004; Yeaton, 2012). They argue the digital
divide between peoples and countries in developed and developing countries can be in large part
overcome through the use of FOSS. Furthermore, proponents of FOSS for developing countries
argue that free can mean more than just lack of monetary exchange to those people using FOSS,
it can also mean freedom to learn, develop and create ICT solutions for indigenous peoples by
indigenous peoples to meet local challenges:
Ghosh's arguments (Figure 3) are echoed in a report in part funded by the International
Development Research Centre of Canada entitled Breaking barriers: The potential of free and
open source software for sustainable human development – A compilation of case studies from
across the world. This UNESCO report states: “The benefits offered by FOSS have been
extremely useful for developing countries around the world. In particular, the ability to obtain
FOSS without licensing fees has proven to be beneficial to users in these regions as this makes
the use of ICT more affordable to them” (2007).
Figure 3. Why Free/Libre/Open (FLOSS)?
Cost – Total Cost of Ownership!The broad, socio-economic change long promised by ICTs would be limited to a tiny elite without FLOSS
Performance, flexibility, localisationMany FLOSS applications provide superior performance & security; adaptation is permitted, e.g. for local languages
Skills developmentFLOSS is a training environment that increases the earning capacity of community participants without any explicit investment in training: a novel form of technology transfer?
Figure 3. Adapted from “Why developing countries need to use and create free software: and how it promotes Gross National Happiness,”by R. A. Ghosh, April 9, 2004. Slideshow presented at MERIT/Infonomics, University of Maastrict, Thimphu, Bhutan.
CULTURAL BALANCE 21
In a breakdown of real cost for a copy of Windows XP & MS Office, Ghosh estimated that
in 2004, the cost to an American would be $560 USD, but to a person in Bhutan the cost would
be the equivalent of $30,668 USD (2004; Appendix B.1). This highlights the unrealistic
expectation Westerners have of developing countries to be able to afford legitimate copies of
software.
Nir Kshetri disagrees. He believes there are both positive and negative effects on micro and
macroeconomics with developing countries choosing to adopt Linux (Kshetri, 2004; Appendix
B.2). Kshetri is right in pointing out that adoption of FOSS by developing countries is not as
simple as loading an OS, but he fails to Ghosh's other two major points – localization and skills
development. Without FOSS, developing countries remain dependent upon businesses in
advanced economies for logistic support. In the case of Windows XP, despite China's begging
Microsoft for continued help, security patches for the OS have been discontinued (Cuthberston,
2013).
Economics and education cannot be separated: “The relationship between education and
development cannot be debated without linking the structure of educational systems to the
economic and social character of societies. That link between education and development is a
two-way process. Educational systems, for the most part, reflect the socio-economic structures
of the societies in which they function” (Joseph, 2007). Thus the use of proprietary computer
systems in China is out of place. They do not fit with the socialist ideals of China, but FOSS
does. Those systems belong to and reflect a Canadian or Western socio-economic structure not a
Chinese one, and, therefore, should be abandoned and replaced by a system which is fair and
equatable for all.
Intellectual Property & Software Piracy
CULTURAL BALANCE 22
I have previously argued for the adoption of FOSS and its fit within best practices, moral
education, and Chinese society in large part to overcome intellectual property (IP) rights
violations (Swires, 2013b). Nevertheless, Canadian staff at Jiaoke often bring up the
commonality of pirating software in China as though it were a part of Sino culture to ignore IP –
which is not the case: “This article explores the impacts of Chinese culture on users’ attitudes
and intentions about software copyright and piracy. The findings reject the pervasive position
that Chinese culture resists software copyright and encourages piracy behaviours. Instead, the
study reports that Chinese culture has no significant impact on users’ intentions to use pirated
software programs” (Lu, 2009). Of greater importance, however, to IP and the high rate of
software piracy in China are economic development and income distribution (Husted, 2000; Lu,
2009). Despite China's leading role in IP theft (BSA, 2012), the issue is not tied to culture, but
economics. Therefore, providing a viable, cost-effective alternative to IP theft should be a
serious consideration in the adoption of FOSS by BC offshore schools.
Psychological Issues Pertaining to FOSS
There are moral, ethical, and legal reasons for FOSS adoption by Canadians in offshore
schools, but there also psychological barriers to doing so. FOSS is a system interacting,
influencing, and being influenced by other systems e.g. schools, business, economics, culture, IP
rights, politics, et cetera. Created by humans, it is endowed with psychological meaning.
Understanding the completeness of such meaning is beyond the scope of this paper;
nevertheless, two psychological phenomenon bear scrutiny, essentialism and mindshare, as their
presence, I believe, greatly hinders FOSS adoption at Jiaoke.
Essentialism
“In general terms, essentialism is the doctrine that (some) objects have essential, rather
CULTURAL BALANCE 23
than merely accidental or contingent properties” (Bevir, 2010). With regards to FOSS,
essentialism factors into its lack of acceptance by Canadian teachers in at least two ways: where
software comes from has meaning due to its essential quality; and the association of FOSS with
the Other (Huang, 2013; O’Mahoney, 2012; Tsukamoto, Enright, & Karasawa, 2013).
Place of Origin
Consumers are often acutely aware of where something is made (“The Science of
Morality,” 2013):
“No review of a modern, high-end bike would be complete without
someone posting a comment to the effect of, 'it's just some overpriced,
cheaply made frame out of Asia.' Truth be told, most bicycle frames these
days do come out of China or Taiwan. But should that really matter?”
(Huang, 2013).
As this blog from a popular bike website shows, people tend to associate price and quality of a
product with a certain place. This is in keeping with the theory of psychological essentialism –
objects from a particular place are endowed with ideas, feelings, and properties pertaining to
that place. FOSS suffers from this form of essentialism: “Speaking strictly in terms of the
product itself . . . an item's country of origin ultimately shouldn't matter as much as whether the
consumer still ends up with a high-quality item at a fair price” (Huang, 2013). Because FOSS
does not originate in Silicon Valley, it fails to have the same essential properties as propitiatory
software which does in the minds of Canadian staff at Jiaoke.
FOSS as The Other
Many types of FOSS exist. Some programs such as VLC Player and Firefox are well
known and used by people without thinking too much about their essential qualities. Some
CULTURAL BALANCE 24
programs such as LibreOffice and Linux OS, however, are not well known in mainstream
Canadian culture. They are stigmatized as 'the other' software which is available. Due to
proximity, feelings regarding the otherness of FOSS can be interwoven with the otherness
Canadians feel towards the Chinese. Thus the essentialism associated with FOSS can become
interwoven with Orientalism:
Disliking an out-group (i.e., a group from which the self is excluded) as
opposed to liking one’s own in-group is undoubtedly a contributor to the
conflict found between various regional, ethnic, and/or national groups in
today’s world. Such biased attitudes are often determined by national
identity, which refers to the feeling that in-group nationality and/or
ethnicity is superior (i.e., nationalism) or more favorable (i.e., patriotism)
than other groups (Tsukamoto et al., 2013).
Canadians may not believe or recognize Chinese as the other in Canada the same way they do
when living abroad in China. According to Tsukamoto et al. “Research shows that psychological
essentialism influences prejudiced attitudes as a situationally induced variable” (2013). The
situational variable for Canadian staff at Jiaoke is what country they find themselves in. Thus
differences in language, customs, and culture heighten feelings of otherness for them at the
school and set the Canadians apart: “[T]raditional accounts of identity construction where
'othering' describes a process whereby the self is reflexively constructed through what it is not:
'the forceful exclusion and exorcism of what is Other is an act of identity formation'”
(O’Mahoney, 2012). Once an identity of us and ours is formed in relation to them and theirs,
resistance to otherness seems natural: “Essentialism provides a theoretical basis, not only to
discuss how the powers of discourse construct social identity, but equally how powers of a
CULTURAL BALANCE 25
reflexive agent can resist these” (O’Mahoney, 2012). This feeling of us and ours is part of
psychological essentialism, and this feeling of essentialism can, and I believe is, projected
outward to include curriculum, physical space, and software by the foreign staff at Jiaoke. Thus,
FOSS comes to be identified as the other due to its essential qualities of not being the norm in
Canada, and is therefore is met with resistance by the Canadian staff.
Mindshare
More than essentialism is at work when Canadians choose propitiatory software over FOSS
in offshore schools. Even if programs from both categories can preform the same function, or
even if a FOSS program is better suited to perform a function, staff will continue to choose
propitiatory software. There is a psychological reason for this – mindshare:
Mindshare is a psychological phenomenon that exists in the minds of
computer users. MS and other software companies have power because
users believe they do. Maintaining mindshare is less about software
performance or price, but rather the maintenance of user belief. With the
high degree of mindshare these companies have achieved, they gain power
in setting prices and conditions of use (Hepburn, 2005).
In Canada, mindshare with relation to propitiatory software is strong. So much so that the use
of certain software products is now “perceived as an obligatory point of passage, a point
through which we all need pass if we are to use ICT” (2005). And software corporations want to
keep it that way so as to continue their revenue stream.
Hepburn states “the main obstacle to making the transition to [F]OSS has little to do with
the software itself,” but rather “a particular conception of what software is necessary for ICT
and this is reinforced by the marketing efforts of powerful corporations”(2005). To even suggest
CULTURAL BALANCE 26
an alternative to the general wisdom of using propitiatory software enshrined in mindshare is
crazy talk (Lawrence Lessig as quoted by Hepburn, 2005): “Most people do not know a great
deal about [F]OSS and are likely to question it as a valid replacement for software that has come
to be taken for granted” (Hepburn, 2005). This last has been my experience with FOSS at
Jiaoke. Staff repeatedly question the decision to move to Linux Mint and FOSS. The move is
often thought of as crazy as it questions a given within the system:
Every occupation needs some form of reflective “questioning,” but it's
particularly important for teaching because teaching is a moral
undertaking. Teaching is not simply a set of technical skills for imparting
knowledge to waiting students. It involves caring for children and being
responsible for their development in ... society (Cambron-McCabe, 2012).
Questioning the mindshare of computer systems is for me therefore a moral obligation. I must
do it: “[As] some educational practices are moral and others are immoral. Our actions in the
classroom, whether in a public or private school, can enable or disenfranchise the students in our
care” (Cambron-McCabe, 2012). I would add to Cambron-McCabe's remarks by saying it is not
only the students within the teacher's care which are enabled or disenfranchised in an offshore
school context, bur all indigenous support staff, ICT staff, parents, relatives, and the greater Sino
society as a whole.
Adopting FOSS is a moral obligation, however, staff are resistant to its implementation. My
own ignorance and an underestimation with regards to organizational change management have
contributed to these feelings. I have learned that in order for FOSS to be successful throughout
SUIS, overcoming proprietary software's mindshare will need to be a priority. This will “require
leadership, planning, and a willingness to support and educate staff, students, and parents” with
CULTURAL BALANCE 27
regards to the benefits of FOSS (Hepburn, 2005). Specific recommendations to achieve this are
provided in that section.
Use in North American Schools
FOSS for the developing world is a great idea, but why should it be limited to those
countries? Why if it is so good has it not been adopted by North American schools? The answer
is, it has. While many BC onshore schools still use propitiatory software, other districts
throughout the province have already made the move to FOSS. Elementary schools in particular
have embraced FOSS; while high schools been slower to move away from Adobe, Microsoft,
and Apple products (Jiaoke principal K. Angelsiki, personal communication, April 2014). Some
BC and North American school districts, however, have gone much further. Schools and districts
in California, Indiana, Oregon, and New York in the U.S.A. have adopted FOSS (Emigh, 2009;
Houston, 2007; Minkel, 2003; “N.Y. School Districts Select Linux Desktops,” 2006). Ivy
League Yale uses Linux (Schwartz, 2003). And at least two BC school districts, District 73 –
Kamloops and District 33 – Chilliwack, have moved to FOSS based systems for all schools
(Chouinard, 2009; Montgomery, n.d.). SUIS staff and students can therefore be assured they are
not receiving a lower quality, unused, or unwelcome product when they shift to FOSS. They are
instead joining a revolution in schools who's time has come (Pfaffman, 2008).
Conclusion
The many questions which prompted this paper have been answered through a through
review of available literature. Of singular significance, this study proves software is an artifact
endowed with essential meaning by the culture which produced it. In the context of Canadian
overseas schools, this affects the host country and its indigenous peoples as well as the Canadian
expatriates working in overseas schools. How each group is effected by culturally endowed
CULTURAL BALANCE 28
software in large part depends upon the attitudes which accompany it. The literature review has
shown Canadians attitudes to be largely negative. Insistence upon familiar, Western software
leads to the inevitable conclusion (whether intentionally/consciously or not) that Canadians
portray attitudes of Macaulayism and Orientialism in Sino schools, and that taken together with
the stated purposes of Canadian overseas schools, there is no doubt Canada is acts in a
neocolonial manner towards China. This last is most certainly true of BC offshore schools at the
present time as the BC Ministry of Education seeks to align its offshore schools ever more
closely with models of education within the province itself.
That the above findings are not overt, except in the Ministy's insistence on closer alignment
of on and offshore schools, does not excuse Canadians from being responsibility. However, it
should be taken as a sign of good faith that individuals, such as myself, are recognizing these
negative attitudes and taking steps to bring about a proper balance between Sino and Canadian
interests at Jiaoke campus. The empowerment of local ICT departments within SUIS is one step
in this direction; the other is the removal of culturally harmful Western software and its
replacement with FOSS.
The literature review has proven FOSS to be the best choice for SUIS both now and in the
future. It is ideal in helping China as a developing country break free from economic and IP
controls imposed upon it by foreign powers. It is ideal in allowing Chinese the freedom to create
software more closely suited to their needs. And it is ideal in addressing the psychological issues
of essentialism and mindshare which accompany propitiatory software. That FOSS is being
adopted not only in developing countries but by school districts throughout North America
should reassure those detractors whom deem it of lower quality and ability to common Western
products. It is in fact on par with propitiatory software now and will only continue to progress in
CULTURAL BALANCE 29
the future.
Of last, but not least, it is concluded Canadians have a moral obligation to adopt, advocate
for, and advance the use of FOSS in overseas schools:
The idea of moral responsibility typically is not raised in most educational
preparation programs. Nor is it discussed when one enters the teaching
field. Rather, when educators talk about responsibilities, they tend to focus
on professional accountability – developing students' knowledge and
understanding of subject matter, equipping students with high-level skills
to succeed in the academy and workplace, designing rigorous curricula,
and challenging students to meet high standards. Focusing attention solely
on these technical aspects of teaching . . . ignores the overarching moral
principles that must guide the work of teachers and administrators
(Cambron-McCabe, 2012).
To ignore moral aspects of education is without question foolish. To ignore the moral and ethical
ramifications of using pirated, proprietary software in BC offshore schools is criminal.
Therefore, Canadian staff must address the issue of morality in teaching if they are to provide a
socially just education which does no harm to the indigenous culture(s) they find themselves
within.
Recommendations
FOSS
SUIS should not adopt FOSS overnight. That it should move in move in the direction of
FOSS is clear; nevertheless, moving too quickly or making changes too suddenly would alienate
teachers, parents, students, and administrators throughout the district. Therefore a change
CULTURAL BALANCE 30
management plan needs to be made, after consultations and hearings into the matter have been
held at each campus. As Hepburn rightly points out: “Implementing [F]OSS could proceed on a
large scale such as in the case study described above, but this would carry with it the need to
address issues such as compatibility with existing software and ensuring that sufficient software
is found to meet all the educational needs within the school. Many of these problems could be
reduced, however, if the shift was approached in a more gradual way” (2005).
Fortunately, much of the initial ground work regarding compatibility and finding software
replacements has been done by the ICT department at Jiaoke. Using Jiaoke as a testing facility
and then rolling out FOSS to the entire district would be prudent. This would also fit with the
original name of Jiaoke campus – Jiaoke Experimental School. Nevertheless, for this to work a
FOSS specialist, such as the one being advertised for, would need to be based on site. Having an
on site FOSS educator would also work to reassure the local staff by providing information,
training, and technical support as FOSS products were rolled out.
Communications
Confusion in and about the organizational culture of SUIS needs to be addressed. At
present there is ambiguity in philosophy, mission, and structure not only with regards to SUIS as
a whole, but also at the local school level. This has led to confusion as to the purpose of the
BC/international stream at Jiaoke, the role of the ICT department in determining fixes for
problems relating to ICT systems, and the place of FOSS within SUIS. More and better
structured communication is the key to fixing these issues.
Inter-campus ICT team
Presently, SUIS's ICT technicians and managers support a move to FOSS and are actively
working towards its implementation; the various administrations, however, know little or
CULTURAL BALANCE 31
nothing of this (Jiaoke principal K. Angelsiki, ICT manager M. Huang personal communication,
May 2014). There is undoubtedly a communication breakdown between these two groups.
It would seem wise to appoint an English speaking Chinese person to act as liaison
between the two groups. I must advise against this. At a rudimentary level, Chinese and
Canadian/Westerners think differently (Blake, Diaz, Jones, & Nagaswami, 2004). Ask any
English teacher or student within SUIS, and they will confirm this – Chinese and Westerners
structure their thoughts differently. Due to this fact, communication between the groups of
Chinese and Westerners can be more than confusing, it can create confusion, frustration, and
hard feelings. Appointing one person to facilitate communications between the ICT group and
Western administrations fails to address this issue. On-going communication between
Westerners and Chinese requires a great deal of patience and some training to reach win-win
solutions, and an understanding of how both cultures think/approach issues.
I, therefore, recommend a two person team be setup to do this – one Westerner and one
Chinese. Both should be familiar with ICT and speak either English, Mandarin, or a
combination thereof. Together the team could work with the ICT department to facilitate
information exchange between them and all Sino and Western staff throughout SUIS. The team
could also be responsible for staff ICT training and coaching, testing FOSS systems, and
providing leadership with regards to having one, unified computer system district wide.
Multiculturalism
SUIS's 'East meets West' motto is commendable. I, however, recommend this motto be put
into action in a clearer manner by building a truly multicultural education environment within
the district and its schools (Figure 4). In such an environment, many of the issues with regards
to negative attitudes could be acknowledged and addressed. Furthermore, a multicultural
CULTURAL BALANCE 32
environment would address several of the organizational culture issues now seen within SUIS:
At its best, multicultural education engenders all areas of learning with
polyfocality. The more frames of reference that individual students can
apply to different tasks and subject matter, the more complete their
understanding. Polyfocality enables students to appreciate and deal with
complexity (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2009, p. 321).
Neocolonialism may be a byproduct of Canada's overseas schools, but it does not have to be.
Instead, they could be models of multicultural education, if Canadian staff worked with Sino
staff, parents, and students to create it. This, however, requires a vision and leadership currently
Figure 4. Multicultural Ideal
Figure 4. Instead of working to dominate one another, the ideal multicultural education setting for SUIS's Jiaoke campus would see both the Canadian and Sino systems in balance and harmony. Though difficult to achieve, it nevertheless must the goal of each person on campus.
CULTURAL BALANCE 33
unseen in SUIS. Furthermore, it would require a willingness on the part of the Chinese people
within the school to break with some traditional modes of thinking and acting and to embrace a
more glocal view of the world than is currently seen.
Change Management Plan
This paper is based on an action research model. It has at its core a number of assumptions:
• “Action research is a practical way for individuals to explore the nature of their practice
and to improve it.
• Action research encourages practitioners to become knowledge-makers, rather than
merely knowledge-users.
• Action research uses action as a means of research; planned change is implemented,
monitored and analysed.
• Action research proceeds in an action-reflection cycle or spiral.
• The process can be messy; as research proceeds, wider links are likely to be identified.
• Action research is carried out by individuals, but these individuals may work
collaboratively.
• Action researchers may use a variety of research methods, both qualitative and
quantitative” (Waters-Adams, 2006).
There is, however, no one, clear definition of action research or how to engage in it
(Hollingsworth et al. as quoted by Waters-Adams, 2006). I would, nevertheless, encourage
others within SUIS to take up the challenge of making the district truly multicultural through the
adoption of FOSS and beyond. Special attention needs to be paid to the district hierarchy as it
may hinder research or facilitate implementation.
A change management plan with regards to the adoption of FOSS across the district needs
CULTURAL BALANCE 34
to be put in place. Table 4 is only a sketch of such a plan, but one which could be modified
going forward (Appendix B). I believe that taken together with my recommendation for an inter-
campus ICT team, this plan would work. Experimenting with solutions at Jiaoke is ideal due to
its dualistic nature. The two streams would allow the inter-campus team to work with both a
Chinese and a Western educational system and find solutions fitting both simultaneously.
Moving forward, the team could roll out FOSS systems throughout the district and incorporate
feedback from each campus as it became available.
Further Research
My time in China draws rapidly to a close, and I shall not be able to either oversee or
continue the work I have started in bringing FOSS to SUIS's Jiaoke campus. While I shall not
have the opportunity to work with an action research team in this regards, I nevertheless shall
encourage the principal, ICT staff, and district administration to continue the work which I have
started. I believe that such collaboration will lead to a greater understanding and better working
relationship between foreign and Sino people.
I, myself, look to continue researching FOSS and its usage in schools, as I also plan to
continue my research into Canadian overseas and BC offshore schools as a research practitioner.
CULTURAL BALANCE 35
References
Agnihotri, R. (2008, September 22). Functionalist Theories of Education. A.S. Sociology:
Education Unit 2. Retrieved from
http://agnihotrieducation.blogspot.com/2008/09/functionalist-theories-of-education.html
Atlantic Education International. (n.d.). AEI - History. History. Business. Retrieved from
http://www.aei-inc.ca/history/
B.C. Ministry of Education. (2013, January). British Columbia Global Education Program:
Operating Manual for Offshore Schools. BC Ministry of Education. Retrieved from
http://r.duckduckgo.com/l/?kh=-1&uddg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.gov.bc.ca%2Fassets
%2Fgov%2Ftopic
%2F54BCE40BEF89C8DE4FAC8501CC63E384%2Finternationaleducation
%2Foffshoreoperatingmanual.pdf
Bevir, M. (2010). Encyclopedia of Political Theory. London: SAGE. Retrieved from
https://ezproxy.royalroads.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=474292
Blake, F., Diaz, R., Jones, S., & Nagaswami, G. (2004). ESL Students in College Composition:
The Writing Teacher in Search of a Stance. Viewpoints, 5(3). Retrieved from
http://faculty.ccp.edu/dept/viewpoints/s04v5n3/eslstance.htm
BSA. (2012). Shandow Market: 2011 BSA Global Software Piracy Study (Business No. 9).
Washington, DC: Business Software Alliance. Retrieved from www.bsa.org
Cambron-McCabe, N. (2012). Schooling as an Ethical Endeavor. In P. Senge (Ed.), Schools that
learn: A fifth discipline fieldbook for educators, parents, and everyone who cares about
education (pp. 329–340). New York, N.Y.: Crown Business.
Chouinard, M. (2009, June 30). Schools rebooting with Linux system. Chilliwack Times, p. 4.
Chilliwack, B.C. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.royalroads.ca/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/358308599?accountid=8056
CULTURAL BALANCE 36
CICIC > Directory of Canadian Elementary and Secondary Schools outside Canada. (n.d.).
Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials. government. Retrieved April
19, 2014, from http://www.cicic.ca/734/Directory-of-Canadian-Elementary-and-
Secondary-Schools-outside-Canada.canada
Cosco, L. (2011). Canadian Overseas Schools: A Unique Approach to the Export of Canadian
Education. Vancouver: Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.asiapacific.ca/sites/default/files/filefield/overseas_canadian_schools_final.pd
f
Cuthberston, A. (2013, December 4). Chinese government pleads with Microsoft to extend
Windows XP support. ITProPortal.com. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from
http://www.itproportal.com/2013/12/04/chinese-government-pleads-microsoft-extend-
windows-xp-support/
Emigh, J. (2009, June 5). Linux Makes the Grade in California Schools | Linux.com. Linux.com.
Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.linux.com/news/enterprise/case-
studies/16798-linux-makes-the-grade-in-california-schools
English, F. W. (2006). Funtionalist Theory. In Encycolopedia of Educational Leadership and
Adminstration. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.royalroads.ca/ehost
Forrester, J. W. (2012). Sytems study for the long term. In P. Senge (Ed.), Schools that learn: A
fifth discipline fieldbook for educators, parents, and everyone who cares about
education (pp. 269–274). New York, N.Y.: Crown Business.
Forstorp, P.-A. (2008). Who’s Colonizing Who? The Knowledge Society Thesis and the Global
Challenges in Higher Education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 27(4), 227–236.
doi:10.1007/s11217-007-9072-0
Ghosh, R. A. (2004, April 9). Why developing countries need to use and create free software:
and how it promotes Gross National Happiness. Slideshow presented at the
CULTURAL BALANCE 37
MERIT/Infonomics, University of Maastrict, Thimphu, Bhutan.
Hepburn, G. (2005). Open Source Software and Schools: New Opportunities and Directions.
Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La Revue Canadienne de
L’apprentissage et de La Technologie; V31(1) Winter / Hiver 2005. Retrieved from
http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/150/143
Houston, M. (2007). Linux Makes the Grade. Tech & Learning: Ideas & Tools for Ed Tech
Leaders, 28(4), 16. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/features/0039/linux-
makes-the-grade/44697
Huang, J. (2013, July 30). AngryAsian: Does it really matter where something is made? bike
radar. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/angryasian-
does-it-really-matter-where-something-is-made-38022/#null
Husted, B. W. (2000). The Impact of National Culture on Software Piracy. Journal of Business
Ethics, 26(3), 197–211. doi:10.2307/25074340
Joseph, M. (2007). Education, Society and Development: Some Critical Issues. Presented at the
Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social & Economic Studies Conference 2007, St.
Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago: The University of the West Indies. Retrieved from
sta.uwi.edu/conferences/salises/documents/Joseph M.pdf
Kipling, R. (1899, February 4). The White Man’s Burden. Kipling Society. Historic. Retrieved
April 30, 2014, from http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/rg_burden1.htm
Kowalski, T. J., Fusarelli, L. D., & Petersen, G. J. (2007). Effective communication for school
administrators: A necessity in an information age. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield
Education.
Kshetri, N. (2004). Economics of Linux adoption in developing countries. IEEE Software,
21(1), 74–81. doi:10.1109/MS.2004.1259224
Lu, J. (2009). Chinese culture and software copyright. New Media & Society, 11(8), 1372–1393.
doi:10.1177/1461444809341262
CULTURAL BALANCE 38
Luyendijk, J. (2010). Beyond Orientalism. International Communication Gazette, 72(1), 9–20.
doi:10.1177/1748048509350335
Macaulay, T. B. (1835, February 2). Macaulay’s Minute on Indian Education. History of English
Studies. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from
http://oldsite.english.ucsb.edu/faculty/rraley/research/english/macaulay.html
Malhotra, R. (2012, March 9). Challenging Western Universalism. Rajiv Malhotra | Infinity
Foundation. Personal. Retrieved from
http://rajivmalhotra.com/library/articles/challenging-western-universalism/
Meer, N., & Modood, T. (2011). How does Interculturalism Contrast with Multiculturalism?
Journal of Intercultural Studies, 33(2), 175–196. doi:10.1080/07256868.2011.618266
Milloy, J. S. (1999). A national crime: The Canadian government and the residential school
system, 1879 to 1986 (Vol. 11). Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.
Minkel, W. (2003). Linux at the right price. School Library Journal, 49(4), 32–33. Retrieved
from https://ezproxy.royalroads.ca/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/211790547?accountid=8056
Montgomery, D. (n.d.). Open Source in Education | School District #73. School District #73:
Kamloops/Thompson. Retrieved March 17, 2014, from
http://www3.sd73.bc.ca/content/open-source-education
N.Y. School Districts Select Linux Desktops. (2006). UNIX Update, 17(10), 7–8. Retrieved
from https://ezproxy.royalroads.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=22401420
Neocolonialism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com. Retrieved from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/neocolonialism
Noronha, F. (2003, May 20). Developing Countries Gain from Free/Open-Source Software.
Linux Journal.
Nozaki, Y. (2009). Critical Teaching about Asia: Orientalism, Postcolonial Perspectives and
CULTURAL BALANCE 39
Cross-cultural Education. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 30(2), 141–155.
doi:10.1080/07256860902766941
O’Mahoney, J. (2012). Embracing essentialism: A realist critique of resistance to discursive
power. Organization, 19(6), 723–741. doi:10.1177/1350508411420901
Open Source Initiative. (n.d.). Open Source Education. Open Source Initiative. Retrieved March
16, 2014, from http://opensource.org/osi-open-source-education
Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2009). Curriculum: Foundations, Principles, and Issues (5th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.
Pfaffman, J. (2008). Transforming High School Classrooms with Free/Open Source Software:
It’s Time for an Open Source Software Revolution. The High School Journal, 91(3), 25–
31. doi:10.2307/40660746
Rai, R., & Prakash, A. (2013). Being Different: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism.
Rajiv Malhotra. Psychological Studies, 58(2), 201–205. doi:10.1007/s12646-013-0189-7
Schuetze, H. G. (2008). Canadian Offshore Schools in China (p. 28). Vancouver: Asia Pacific
Foundation of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.asiapacific.ca/research-
report/canadian-offshore-schools-china
Schwartz, K. (2003, September 11). Linux makes the grade at Yale. Linux.com. Retrieved March
9, 2014, from http://archive09.linux.com/articles/31331
Subramanyam, R., & Xia, M. (2008). Free/Libre Open Source Software development in
developing and developed countries: A conceptual framework with an exploratory study.
Decision Support Systems, 46(1), 173–186. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2008.06.006
Swires, N. W. (2013a, March 30). A House Divided: A Cultural And Communication Analysis
Of A B.C. Offshore School. Unpublished, School of Education & Technology, Royal
Roads University, Victoria, Canada.
Swires, N. W. (2013b, July 14). Leading a BC offshore school away from pirated software: An
exercise in transformational leadership. Unpublished, School of Education &
CULTURAL BALANCE 40
Technology, Royal Roads University, Victoria, Canada.
Swires, N. W. (2013c, October 5). Adopting Linux Mint: A change management case study.
Unpublished, School of Education & Technology, Royal Roads University, Victoria,
Canada.
Takayama, K. (2008). Beyond Orientalism in comparative education: challenging the binary
opposition between Japanese and American education. Asia Pacific Journal of
Education, 28(1), 19–34. doi:10.1080/02188790701849800
The Science of Morality. (2013, January 30). Ideas. CBC. Retrieved from
http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2013/01/30/the-science-of-morality-part-1-1/
Tsukamoto, S., Enright, J., & Karasawa, M. (2013). Psychological Essentialism and Nationalism
as Determinants of Interethnic Bias. The Journal of Social Psychology, 153(5), 515–519.
doi:10.1080/00224545.2013.795926
UNESCO. (2007, January 23). Breaking Barriers. Using free and open source software for
development. UNESCO.org. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=23858&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Wachholz, S., & Mullaly, B. (2001). The Politics of the Textbook. Journal of Progressive
Human Services, 11(2), 51–76. doi:10.1300/J059v11n02_04
Waters-Adams, S. (2006). Action Research in Education. School of Education: University of
Plymouth. Retrieved June 1, 2014, from
http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/actionresearch/arhome.htm#A
%20THEORETICAL%20UNDERPINNING%20FOR%20ACTION%20RESEARCH
%20IN%20EDUCATION
Weerawarana, S., & Weeratunga, J. (2004). Open Source in Developing Countries (No.
SIDA3460en). Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Retrieved from
www.sida.se
CULTURAL BALANCE 41
Yeaton, T. (2012, February 14). FOSS and Innovation in the Chinese Technology Sector. Open
Source Delivers. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from
http://osdelivers.blackducksoftware.com/2012/02/14/foss-and-innovation-in-the-chinese-
technology-sector/
CULTURAL BALANCE 42
Appendix A: Job Posting
Career opportunity at SUIS (across campuses) http://www.suis.com.cn/careersNEW Job Opportunity at SUIS! See below for details.
Inter-campus ICT coordinator + Part time teaching ICT at Hongqiao campus
This person is the liaison between each campuses to make sure we share the same vision and the same technological standards and practices. He/She will also be offering a certain level of technical support and training to staff involved, etc.
Responsibilities include:
• Implementing & maintaining administrative resources such as the S.A.D. (Students Administration Desk) across all campuses (PHP/MySQL based)
• Trainings on using the LMS (Moodle)
• Installation and setting up of other LMS systems if needed
• Sharing good ICT teaching practices across campuses
• Support and installation of IT systems and promoting the use of Open Source software where it makes sense. Support and training of staff on these systems.
• Development of on-line resources such as report system and students database (PHP & MySQL based)
• Development and updates of the school's website (Drupal 7 platform)
• Installation and support of file servers & other similar resources across campuses
• Training of local ICT staff on new trends & technologies such as Linux and Open Sourcesoftware
• Liaison with local stream and training of their IT staff if needed.
• Teaching ICT part-time at least in Hongqiao Campus
Qualification requirements for this position:
• Passionate and knowledgeable about ICT and ICT in Education in general.
• Good knowledge and understanding of today's IT reality, and constantly keeping up-to-date with latest trends.
CULTURAL BALANCE 43
• Familiar with most Operating Systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, Android and Linux.
• Must be open minded and willing to use, learn and promote the use of Free & Open Source software as much as possible, and where it makes most sense. Familiarity with FOSS programs like LibreOffice, GIMP, and Linux is a must!
• Familiarity and experience maintaining Linux servers will be highly valued and preferred.
• Familiarity and experience maintaining Windows servers also much valued.
• Familiarity and experience with LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) is preferred
• Familiarity and experience with Moodle highly valued, if not, must be willing to learn it.
• Programming experience highly valued, PHP in particular. If not, must be willing to learn it.
• Basic understanding of the IB, Canadian British Columbia and National English Curriculums a plus
• Ability to speak and understand some English is a must.
Contact HR at mailto:[email protected] for more details or to apply for this position.
CULTURAL BALANCE 44
Appendix B: Tables
Table 2
Cost Really Does Matter
Country GDP/cap PCs ('000s) Piracy WinXP Cost:
Effective $USD GDP months
Bhutan 644 5 - $30,668.00 10.4
China 911 24222 92% $21,678.00 7.4
India 462 6031 70% $42,725.00 14.5
Japan 32601 44311 37% $606.00 .2
Korea, Rep. 8917 12142 48% $2,215.00 .8
Malaysia 3699 3000 70% $5,341.00 1.8
Philippines 912 1702 63% $21,658.00 7.4
Saudi Arabia 8711 1343 52% $2,268.00 .8
Tajikistan 169 - - $116,879.00 39.8
Thailand 1874 1698 77% $10,540.00 3.6
Asia 2128 102229 - $9,282.00 3.2
USA 35277 178326 25% $560.00 .2Note: Adapted from Why developing countries need to use and create free software: and how it promotes Gross National Happiness. by R. A.
Ghosh, April 9, 2004. Slideshow presented at the MERIT/Infonomics, University of Maastrict, Thimphu, Bhutan.
CULTURAL BALANCE 45
Table 3
Macro & Micro Influences On Choosing Linux In Developing Countries
Positive Effects Negative Effects
Microeconomics:
OwnershipSlower obsolescence of basic infrastructure features help reduce total cost of ownership.
Lack of supports to deal with security vulnerabilities.
Effective Use
Amenability to modification makes localized customization easier.
Ordinary users can’t custom-configure the system.Costs of supporting custom changes can escalate dramaticallyover time.
Learning/switching
Switching costs might be lower compared to developed countries.Linux communities provide supportive environments for transition.
Undertaking to use the full complexity of Linux utilities and source code can lead to higher learning and switching costs.
Compatibility Linux has high levels of compatibility and portability for old and used hardware.
Likely to be incompatible with business partners’ technologies.Hardware-OS incompatibility if Linux device drivers are unavailable.
Macroeconomics:
Enforcement of intellectual property laws
Linux IP rules encompass both aggressive sharing of basic resources and support forbusiness growth.
Proprietary versions of Linux depend on IP laws.
National security Linux provides an easier basis forglobal sharing of security infrastructure.
Microsoft’s opening of codes increases Windows’ relative attractiveness.
Note: Adapted from “Economics of Linux adoption in developing countries” by Kshetri, N. (2004). IEEE Software, 21(1), 74–81.
doi:10.1109/MS.2004.1259224
CULTURAL BALANCE 46
Table 4
Proposed Change Management Plan
2014
MaySurvey teachers and administrators with regards to software used and desired.
June Compile a list of FOSS replacements for software identified from survey.
AugustInstall FOSS software and test usability on a small scale basis (1-3 machines).
Build template and designate personnel to publish quarterly ICT e-newsletter.
September/OctoberInitiate discussions regarding FOSSusage within schools.
Publish first e-newsletter.Initiate quarterly ICT – administrator level meetings
October/NovemberShare findings of FOSS trail with ICT group.
Begin educating ICT group regarding FOSS usage, maintenance, and technical support.
DecemberShare findings of FOSS trails with staff SUIS wide through new ICT e-newsletter.
Survey Jiaoke staff & students regarding FOSS usage and issues.
2015
January – April/MayContinue district wide communications and consultations.
Educate ICT group regarding FOSSusage, maintenance, and technical support.
MayProvide district management & school administrators with strategic FOSS implementation report. Encourage feedback regarding report.
JuneProvide revised report to district & school administrations
Layout detailed plan for implementation of FOSS in special edition of e-newsletter.
July – AugustRole out FOSS in one or two schools.
Provide professional development for teachers before students return regarding FOSS usage.
2015-16 school year
Build upon success, learn from failure, and prepare for full district wide replacement of propitiatory/pirated software by September 2016.
Continue district wide communications, meetings and professional development opportunities.
Top Related