Fine Arts Education and Ethnic Cultural Inheritance in Higher Education: A Four-Stage Conceptual Framework for Guizhou, China.

Abstract

Globalization, modernization, changing lifestyles, and declining participation in traditional practices have increased concern about the continuity of ethnic cultural heritage. This issue is especially important in Guizhou Province, China, where Miao, Dong, Buyi, and other ethnic communities maintain distinctive traditions in silverwork, embroidery, batik, architecture, clothing, crafts, and performance. Although universities increasingly recognize their responsibility for cultural inheritance, ethnic culture is often introduced in fine arts courses through decorative motifs, visual forms, or technical imitation without sufficient attention to historical context, symbolic meaning, identity, community participation, and contemporary relevance. This conceptual paper explains how fine arts education can support cultural inheritance through an integrated four-stage framework: documentation, aesthetic continuation, identity construction, and innovative transformation. The framework draws on art anthropology, social constructivism, and creative pedagogy and links the cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions of cultural learning. It proposes that students move from acquiring culturally grounded knowledge to developing aesthetic appreciation, cultural confidence, active participation, and responsible innovation. The paper argues that effective inheritance requires coherent curriculum design, student-centred and experiential learning, sustained engagement with practitioners and communities, and opportunities to apply traditional knowledge in contemporary artistic and professional contexts. The framework provides a theoretical guide for curriculum development, programme evaluation, university-community collaboration, and future empirical research in Guizhou higher education..