The Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Civic Participation: The Informal Education of Chinese Embroidery Handicrafts

Heritage education can enable social empowerment. Within the broader goal of social empowerment, a current challenge is to establish principles that promote social participation in traditional education. The practice of protecting intangible cultural heritage in China has developed its own unique working model based on the basic theoretical level of UNESCO. This research used cultural citizenship as a theoretical guide, focused on the traditional embroidery craftsmanship of China’s intangible cultural heritage, and conducted exploratory research on the learning intention and value influence indicators of citizens participating in intangible cultural heritage. The research design of this study was divided into two phases: the first phase was designed to collect evaluation indicators that affect the learning of intangible cultural heritage skills, and to support these data using semi-structured in-depth interviews. In the second phase, the convergence of the value indicators that affect the learning of intangible cultural heritage techniques was completed using questionnaire surveys and statistical analyses. Factor analysis was performed using SPSS software. SEM (structural equation modeling) confirmatory analysis was performed using Amos software. Through a two-stage hybrid study, a value recognition scale for the informal educational inheritance of intangible cultural heritage handicrafts was obtained within the local context of China. The scale contains four first-level indicators (ICH’s authenticity, cultural identity, performed value, and social recognition) and 17 second-level indicators. The research results were based on UNESCO’s education indicators for SDG 4, and put forward principles for practices aimed at protecting China’s intangible cultural heritage’s local informal education. Reflecting on the Chinese tradition of citizen participation in protecting intangible cultural heritage could provide references for the practice of intangible cultural heritage protection in other fields and regions. This is consistent with the UN’s SDG 4.7 (ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development).