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AnonymousWhat we have now is tolerance and sensitivity from the Western World, or posturing of the same without engagement. In other words, you do your thing and I will do my thing without engaging the specific culture in dialogue and partnership. Without sincere engagement at an experiential level then societies will regress in isolation and conflict.
AnonymousActually the rural areas of the US and the the inner cities share something in common--the lack of accessible health care. We see this in our classroom everyday---the lack of health care. But not only healthcare but housing,living wages, and safety. Education is not the problem but embedded in a system of needs. However we continue to teach in the classroom the comprehension skill, cause and effect. What happen to Bertanluffy's systems view of the world. No wonder our politicians are not comprehending the education crisis. Many are not familiar in viewing the world as a living system where one input effects another. The model of Inputs---Transformation--Outputs---and Feedback framed in a circular diagram are lost on them. China is the same. They see economic growth as their new Utopia while quality of life issues are misplaced or lost. Some of their beutiful geograhy no longer evokes a past but a futuristic bladerunner.
AnonymousOn the topic of migrant workers in the U.S. You said that they are paid very little and do not have labor rights. Why would these employers seek these people out if they had to treat them like Americans? This is the major problem with the illegal immigration debate. Many of these people have come here illegally and are working at various businesses throughout the country. The only way to really deal with this is to strictly enforce the current laws regarding employment. When there is no possibility of income in this country then people that are here illegally will have to go back and the buisinesses will not be able to exploit them. Then if businesses were not able to dip into the illegal work force then they would have to start paying more to attract enough legal workers. Then maybe people won't be able to use the argument that nobody else will do those jobs.
AnonymousI recently saw a film from South Korea called The Way Home made in 2002. I truly enjoyed this film. It has many qualities that can be used in a classroom.
The premise of the film is a story of a young 10 year old boy who is sent to live in a rural area with his grandmother. The boy is from Seoul and his mother has decided to send him to live with grandma for the summer. The grandmother lives a very simple life with hardly any amenities and does all kinds of house hold chores to keep everything in order. She is 75, mute and cannot read or write. The story is basically about this kid not liking his grandmother and his grandmother doing everything for him without ever asking for anything iun return. Eventually the kid comes around and learns to appreciate his grandmother and see what an amazing women she is. She basically does everything. The film also teaches one how to respect your grandparents.
The film is great and can be used in the classroom in many ways.
It can be used to show rural life in modern South Korea. Amongst Chicano (Mexican American) culture many mothers send their kids to Mexico sometimes in rural areas to live for a period of time to set a kid straight. This could be brought up to make connections in this film.
ON the topic of rural life in South Korea one can use the film to show the simplicity of rural lide without many amenities and discuss the beauty and spirtualness in living a life that is not bombarded by electronic gadgets, t.v. and a fast paced and fastfood life.
The film shows the difference between rural life and urban life as well as the influence of western culture in South Korea. Some examples are when the boy plays with a handheld video game system and ingnores his grandmother. When he brings cans of spam and for the first couple of weeks ignores his grandmothers cooking. Also how when his grandmother finally asks him what he wants he say "kentucky chicken" hamburgers, pizza. This can foster the a cnversation on modern urban life and rural simpler life and what is better. One can ask the question are we really better off as humans becuase of all this modern technology?
Or one can have a discussion on western influnce in East Asia. How did it get their? Was it chossen by those countries or forced on them? How much do East Asians countries influence the U.S. or other parts of the world?
Finally this film had some great scenes to show how trading and the economic system works in rural areas. The film showed the grandmother walking then taking a local minibus to a market to sell a couple of melons and something else. She then used it to buy the young boy Sang-Woo some shoes and some food. It showed the whole process from beginning toi end.
Finally the film shoed this very romantic simple life where people respect and treat each other with kindness and live life one day at a time and do what they have to do to keep life moving.
This film has plenty that can be used in a classroom.
Anonymous1587 A YEAR OF NO SIGNIFICANCE THE MING DYNASTY INDECLINE
BY RAY HUANG
When I was in college taking a class on China I read 1587 a year of no significance. I recomend this book because it allowed me to see the inner workings of the Ming dynasty. This book laided out everyday actions that were taken by people in power and the corruption and dysfunctianality of the dynasty, Wanli being the emperor. It was a glimpse of a system that would soon collapse. The book shows symptoms of how sick the dynasty was becoming and how no one in power was willing to address it....functunaries, civil servants. I also recall learning in this book about the immense power eunuchs had within the dynasty. Eventually in 1644 the dynasty collapsed.
AnonymousSpeaking of slaves in the U.S., I know a lady who owns a business. Some of the workers there are either illegal immigrants or are in the U.S. under false pretenses. What the lady does is she would have an indenture servitude thing going and these workers would have to work long, long hours to pay her off. She would provide room and board, but she would deduct the costs out of these servants' wages. Ugly business, but she's making a profit. People who come are disillusioned because they thought America is so great. When I asked a few workers whether or not they would still come here if they knew what kind of conditions they would be living under; their responses were resonant 'No!s'
AnonymousIn regards to the lady that is exploiting her illegal workers. She wouldn't be able to do this if current laws were enforced. I bet if she was heavily fined and if caught again would lose her business licence, then this would put a serious damper on her actions. And if this was done nation wide, the illegal immigration problem would go away.
AnonymousA good website on korea is found in a PBS web offering that accompanies a series. The series is called HIDDEN KOREA.
The website brakes down information on various categories. They all have basic but good introductary information about Korea. Some categories it gives information about are
geography, history, culture, religion, ch'usok, and food.
Studnets can access the information on the website or teachers can create a packet from the information the website offers.
the website is:
AnonymousA CNN news report shows that China has begun a public relations campaign around the recent bad publicity it has recieved concerning the quality of their products. The news report states that the Chinese government has begun to open up factories and processing plants to the press, has hired Pattons Boggs a washington lobbying firms to make the case in congress. At the same time some Chinese officals also blame the media for hyoing up the story. One official stated that 99% of Chinese products are good. Also the execution of the head of Chinese food and drug administration for taking bribes sent a message to others according to Chinese officials.
AnonymousCHINA FDA ISSUE
Understanding the competitive nature of global capitalism and the U.S. and other countries fears of the growing economic power of China I do think that some of the way the story has been covered could be a little bias. I am not saying that China's products are all great I am sure they are not....but I do wonder how this story has played out in the media.
Concerning corruption at the very top of Chinas FDA...it reminded me of the corruption in our own FDA with evidence of corporations pushing through drug approval by the FDA of drugs that are not proven in order to make a profit. Also concerning food such as the mad cow and tainted beef issue. I havbe read that the beef industry has lobbyied hard to keep the potential dangers of this under raps and the testing of cows to a minimum. Finally many people that have been involved with corporate food and drug giants imbeded in the FDA now raises eyebrows.
AnonymousI found this very intersting article written in Z magazine were Stephen Philion interviews a Chinese economist by the name of Han Deqiang. According to Philion Han Deqiang can be compared to Noam Chomsky. The article is an interview were Han laysout his critique of Chinas Neoliberalism something he has been doing for over 20 years. I think it is great becuase it is also something very different from what has been discussed in these forums and what is discussed in general amongst some scholars of China. It is assumed that with all its problems it is still great that China has embraced Capitalism full fledged this article and Han Deqiang bring a new perspective to the table.
The website is:
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=103&ItemID=13362
the article is called
The Social Costs of Neoliberlaism
it is found in Z Magazine
Anonymousa good teaching resource that I have used before that I wanted to recommend to teachers in Colonialism in Asia: A Critical Look by Susan Gage
a group of progressive teachers and educators in Canada. They alsp have Colonialism in the Americas.
The resource is done in cartoon style and cover the history behinds europes colonizaton of Asia and does a great job of connecting the consequences today for Asian countries.
This is done in a section called The Seven Pillars of Colonialism.
On the back it also has great teaching ideas.
Anyway highly recommended can be ordered through Teachingforchange.org or rethinkingschools.org
AnonymousI recently read an article that talked about the new Chinese labor law that was suppossed to give more rights to Chinese workers.
In a section of the article the author pointed out the the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham), the United States-China Business Council, and U.S.-based global corporations lobbied to gut the proposed law. They ven threatened to leave China for countries like Pakistan and Thailand if the law is passed.
The article pointed out how it seemed to have worked and that China did a redraft with significant changes in contract, collective bargaining, severance, and other rights guaranteed for Chinese workers that would favor corporate interests. These corporate interest claimed victory and began to try to gut it more trying to scae back protections for employees and sharply curtailed the role of unions.'
The good news is that the article pointed out how their was some pushback by labor unions in China and around the world as well as some politicians such as Barbara Lee.
The article is worth reading.... I don't know what the outcome has been.
The article is
Undue Influence: Corporations Gain Ground in Battle over China's New Labor Law
-But Human Rights and Labor Advocates Are Pushing Back
by Brendan Smith
and Tim Costello and Jeremy Brecher
AnonymousI just finished watching the John Stewart show and couldn't but say hey that topic would be great to share.
He had a man on his show that has written a book called China Road. It was very interesting. He took a trip down a road called Route 312, a very long road that goes from Shanghai to Kazakhstan through the Gobi Desert. He wrote down all he encountered and even some of the conversations he had with people.
He particularly mentioned a conversation with two communist women that seemed to express a need to be both communist and capitalist, which would make them different than America. In addition to trying to reconcile being both communist and capitalist, everywhere he went, everyone wanted to drive home the point that they want to be peaceful. Everyone said all they want is peace. Specifically, they reference not being like the Japanese (during WWII). Another interesting thing he mentioned was that most of the country is Christian. Communism ended most confucionism and taoism in the nation. This left a religious/spiritual void which Christianity has filled to a great extent.
It makes me want to go out and get it. China Road by Rob Gifford
AnonymousI recently was in a museum that focused on East Asian art in Eugene Oregon. One thing that I found out that was interesting was the importance of Cats in Japan. According to what I learned cats are really cared about. Cermaic cats that many of us have seen with a paw up maybe have been around for 4 or 500 years inn Japan. Some people think that they useed to placed in front of brothels to wlecome people or in front of restaurants no one really knows according to what I saw and read. They also mentioned how in Japan they have a national cat day on February 22 becuase of some importance to the 2 2 2. Also in Tokyo they have a cat house where people can pay 8 dollars an hour and go pet some cats. Some people go dring their brakes during work. Anyway I thought it was interesting.....