The Birth of a Citizen

Name: The Birth of a Citizen
ISBN: 9787570214617

苏霍姆林斯基 / 任立侠Yangtze River Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaOct 2023

4.7

Word count: 234K words
Chapters: 66
ISBN: 9787570214617

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Summary

Taking the spirit of civic education as its main thread, the book comprehensively discusses the intellectual education, cultural knowledge education, physical education, moral education, emotional education, aesthetic education, and labor education involved in cultivating true citizens. On the basis of meticulous analysis of the physiological and psychological developmental changes during childhood, adolescence, and the transition from childhood to adolescence, the author adopts a unique perspective, capturing the subtle changes occurring in students, perceiving and revealing students' inner worlds by listening to their words and observing their eyes and expressions; and through progressively deeper analysis, reveals the connotation, value, and significance of true citizenship.

Editor's review

The Birth of a Citizen is a classic educational treatise completed in the 1970s by the renowned Soviet educator Sukhomlinsky, and a summative reflection on his life's educational practice. The book holds a Douban rating of 9.0, evidence of its enduring intellectual value across eras. Unlike highly theoretical works of educational philosophy, this book is grounded in rich, vivid educational cases and dialogues, focusing on the formation of morality, emotion, and civic consciousness in adolescents (especially during the critical period of ages 14–16). Sukhomlinsky's core argument is that civic education is not empty preaching and rule indoctrination but is rooted in concrete life practice, labor experience, aesthetic activities, and collective relationships. He elaborates in detail how, by guiding students to feel the beauty of nature, participate in social labor, build sincere friendships, and reflect on the meaning of life, one can awaken their inner sense of responsibility, dignity, and love for their country and people. The book not only reflects the educational ideals of a specific historical period in the Soviet Union but also reveals universal patterns in the growth of adolescents' spiritual worlds. For today's educators, parents, and anyone concerned with the growth of the next generation, the book's profound insight into how to cultivate a whole person remains strongly relevant. It reminds us that the ultimate purpose of education is to shape citizens with sound character, independent thinking, and noble moral sentiment, not merely tools equipped with knowledge.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Primary and secondary school teachers, educational researchers, and students of teacher education, who may use it as an important reference for understanding students' inner worlds and conducting moral education
Parents concerned with their children's all-round growth, especially those who value the cultivation of values and character
Readers in the humanities and social sciences interested in educational philosophy, Soviet educational history, or theories of civic education
Youth workers, social workers, and community education practitioners

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking quick, highly practical teaching techniques or classroom management toolkits
Readers expecting purely literary narrative or personal growth stories

Reading tips

It is recommended to read this alongside Sukhomlinsky's other representative works, such as Advice to Teachers and Pavlysh Secondary School, to gain a more comprehensive grasp of his educational thought system
While reading, consider comparing it with current educational realities in China to draw on its educational wisdom that transcends era and national boundaries
The book is rich in cases; slow the reading pace and appreciate the author's educational artistry and deep intentions within specific situations

About the publisher

Yangtze River Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1955

Founded in Wuhan in 1955, Yangtze River Literature and Art Publishing House is a literary publisher under Hubei Changjiang Publishing and Media Group. Public information is limited, so the following focuses on the publishing directions reflected in the books in our database. The press publishes modern and contemporary Chinese literature, classical literary studies, translated foreign literature and educational works. Its catalog includes Chen Yinke's Studies on the Origins of Sui and Tang Institutions and On Tang Political History and The Unofficial Biography of Liu Rushi, Lao She's Camel Xiangzi and Four Generations Under One Roof, and Selected Essays of Lu Xun, as well as translations such as Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country and educational writings by Sukhomlinsky. Its publishing character lies in balancing literary classics with scholarly works, with attention to textual editing and the accumulation of major authors' works; its author resources span leading modern writers, historians and foreign authors.

版权信息
代前言苏霍姆林斯基教育思想在中国的传播及其现实意义
少年期的孩子发生了什么事
“似乎有人给男孩注入了新的心灵……”
一切都取决于童年期的教育
童年期与少年期教育的两个源泉
纪律和自律——集体责任感与个人责任感
让人学会用别人的眼光来看自己
当代人的精神世界与童年期、少年期的教育方法
少年期的矛盾
少年身体与心理素养一个人如同重生……
个人的形成
一个男人的诞生，一个女人的诞生
男孩与女孩——男人与女人
体育
饮食制度、劳动制度与休息制度
我们在假期中的劳动与休息
灵活、轻巧与优美的动作
请保护少年的神经系统！
心理素养
少年智力培养与教育
教师教育观点与信念的统一
世界观与信念
我们怎样在课堂上指导脑力劳动
手与理智
“知识源泉室”
智力培养的两个大纲
“思想教育室”
自我教育
精神财富交流
记忆、思维与学习能力
道德的形成公民的诞生
从物质世界到观念世界
精神素养、道德和无神论
基本道德素养
道德习惯
思想变成信念
个人与集体
恋爱
少先队员和共青团员的浪漫主义精神
道德坚定性
情感教育和美育
情感教育和道德教育的统一
感觉素养和知觉素养
话语与人的情感素养
思想认识
少年精神生活中的情感激励
世界观和道德观念、道德原则、道德真理的情感感染
情感与公民尊严
情感环境的共同特征
最重要的情感环境
美感的源泉
大自然和美
艺术
音乐
绘画
创造力——精神生活的强大刺激因素
劳动对少年精神生活的作用
劳动对个人全面发展的作用
劳动习惯
劳动和智力发展
公民的劳动本质
劳动和美
劳动和意志的培养
临近青年期的时候
备注

FAQ

Is the content of this book outdated? Is it suitable for Chinese readers today?

The book's core concern—how to cultivate a person with a rich inner life, noble morality, and a sense of social responsibility—is an eternal question that transcends era and national boundaries. Although the social context is the Soviet Union, its insights into the patterns of adolescent psychological development and its reflections on the essence of education still offer profound reference and inspiration for education in China today.

Is this book a theoretical work or a narrative work? How difficult is it to read?

It is an educational treatise based on a wealth of practical educational cases, written in a plain, approachable style and filled with vivid stories and dialogues, with theoretical exposition woven into the narrative, making it quite readable rather than an abstruse purely academic work. Educators and ordinary parents alike can find resonance and inspiration in it.

What kind of educator was Sukhomlinsky?

Vasily Aleksandrovich Sukhomlinsky was an outstanding Soviet educational practitioner and theorist who served for many years as principal of Pavlysh Secondary School. Grounded in frontline practice and the author of numerous works, his educational thought centers on the all-round development of the person, emphasizing emotional education, labor education, and moral education. He enjoys worldwide renown and has had a profound influence on the Chinese educational community.

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About the author

苏霍姆林斯基 Author

Sukhomlinsky is an author of books on education, with six titles held in the collection, including To Give My Whole Heart to Children, The Birth of a Citizen, Advice to School Principals, My Understanding of Teacher Ethics, Advice to Teachers, and 101 Pieces of Advice to Teachers. His writing centers on school education practice, covering topics such as teachers' professional conduct, the cultivation of students' moral character, school management, and home-school cooperation; the titles are commonly classified under education, social sciences, management, and examinations. Public information is limited, and details of his life and nationality remain unclear. Judging from the titles and themes, his works are mostly presented as advice, notes, and discussions aimed at frontline teachers and principals, in a plain tone that emphasizes putting educational ideas into everyday teaching and nurturing details, offering reference value for educators.

任立侠 Author

Public information about Ren Lixia is currently limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and detailed biography cannot yet be confirmed. According to the library's holdings, the work under her name is The Birth of Citizens, catalogued under social sciences, which is also the only representative work available at present. In terms of subject matter, the book revolves around the concept of the citizen and belongs to writing in the social sciences; it addresses topics related to civic identity and the cultivation of citizens for general readers, and has the character of popularizing knowledge and introducing issues. Because background information about the author is scarce, it is difficult to judge the full range of her writing style, but the classification of the work suggests that her writing tends toward rational exposition and conceptual clarification, with attention to turning public issues into content that can be understood and discussed. For readers interested in civic education and social issues, this work can serve as introductory reading material to help build a basic understanding of the relevant concepts.