Chinization of social education: a lifelong exploration of Ma Zongrong’s educational theory and practice

As an outstanding scholar in social education research in the Republican period, Ma Zongrong devotes his life to promoting the “Chinization of social education.” Ma Zongrong believes that for social education to truly save the country and the people in China, the prerequisite is to localize social education. This study finds that the Chinization of social education advocated by Ma Zongrong refers to adapting the theory and practice of social education to China’s national conditions and manifesting Chinese characteristics. The specific connotations of Ma Zongrong’s Chinization of social education include the Chinization of social education objects, the Chinization of social education definitions, and the Chinization of social education goals. From a Chinese perspective, he introduces the advanced social education concepts of Japan and the West and combines them with China’s unique national conditions to form a form of social education with Chinese characteristics; from a global perspective, Ma Zongrong’s combination of Japanese and Western social education with China’s local education system provides a successful case worthy of study by the world.