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Home › Forums › Short Online Seminars › Contemporary China, Spring 2019 › Session #1 - February 26
Margaret Siryj.
cgaoREQUIRED
Readings
Videos
For the first session, please watch the two mini-lectures below. You're welcome to show this video. Please do not repost to the web.
1a. Geography/Demography
1b. The Communist Party and the Hukou (household registration) System
Optional
Margaret SiryjIn the 2015 Clarke article, "How the one child policy changed China", the author suggests that the long term effect of severly limiting one's family to the number of children a married couple may have throughout their marriage is problematic. Clarke goes on to say that by the year, 2050, one quarter of Chinese citizens will be over 65 years old. There are tremendous ramifications that will occur with 25% of the adult population being 65. For starters, labor is taxed and China who is industrializing and growing at a feverous pace cannot count on these citizens to be part of the work force. Another heavy casulty of a quarter for the Chinese is healthcare. China is a Communist government and citizens have health care needs provided by the government. As a person matures. healthcare costs for individuals rises not declines.
As an Economics teacher, we study different governments. I plan to have my seniors research United States healthcare and Chinese healthcare policies for a comparision and contrast evaluation. My 12th graders are getting ready to graduate, and this type of research will hopefully, open their eyes to the importance of taking care of yourself as much as possible. I am hopeful that this research will educate my students to push back chronic disease and promote a healthy lifestyle. China has healthcare that is provided, but what happens to a person who is over 65 years old with a chronic condition and 25% of the population is the same age?
Philosophically, I would like to pose to my students the question, "How would you like to be told that you could only have one child"? The article does not address this issue, but Clarke did mention that famine was a real problem because of overpopulation. The author pointed out that the Great Chinese Famine ranging from 1959 to 61 killed about 15 to 30 million people. As a result of a student survey, the overwhelming majority of my students come from families that have at least two children with many having more than one sibling. My question to China government is, "What is the plan for economic growth when 25% of your population is over 65"?
clay dubeMargaret's question is a great one. We'll look at some of the ways China's seeking to cope. Some are highlighted in the Made in China 2025 plan put forward by China's government. Those include greater reliance on robotics and artificial intelligence. Here are a few places to look for more on this ambitious agenda:
https://multimedia.scmp.com/news/china/article/made-in-China-2025/index.html
https://multimedia.scmp.com/news/china/article/2164290/china-2025-robotics/index.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/22/chinas-developing-an-army-of-robots-to-reboot-its-economy.html
Later in the course, we'll look at how the government is also relying on grandchildren to take on responsibility for their grandparents.
Chris HertzogI share the usefulness of this article with Margaret. Very fascinating article on the impact of the 1979 "one child policy" following the 1949 policy of encouraging the Chinese people to have many children. The charts and graphs are really helpful and I will be 'borrowing' those for my lectures and student hand out articles on China for my AP World History classes. We cover all of the Chinese dynasties, revolutions and republics, but information like this is helpful in connecting to past decisions leading to the ones recently enacted. From the earliest dynasties to the modern era of China there is often a major concern and major strains concerning national resources in proportion to the population.
Most every dynasty had to deal with a food to population issue. Most tried land reforms, government food storage or granaries, food distribution and other measures to feed the population. Dynasties like the Han, Tang, Ming and Qing will lose the "Mandate of Heaven" to lead the people then chaos and rebellion will lead to the collapse of each, primarily due to massive famine hitting large populations. There were more people than the resources of the land or government could support. Throughout China's history there always seems to be a tension between a large and growing poplation, which is often many times larger than other civilizations at any time period, and the access to food and resources. Each dynasty issued policies to try to deal with a famine, drought, plague or other lack of resources. Now it seems the problem is a growing older population coupled with a low birth rate to be the future care of this older group.
China in the 21st century seems it is no different, but since the 1979 "One Child" policy was inacted the issue was to keep the population down and now that they got it down the growing retired population needs to be supported by a younger working generation. The graphs and info in this article are perfect to add to materials even in the earlier dynasty units, as it gives students the larger picture of China's continual struggle to find good land for agriculture, food and other resources to sustain their population and at the same time, a large enough working population to keep the overall population going.
Chris HertzogVery useful lecture and overview on modern Chinese regional distinctions, peoples and geographic features. The river maps and pictures on flooding are an excellent way to use in relating the ancient attempts at controlling the larger river systems to what has happened throughout Chinese history in regards to massive flooding issues, the building of the canal systems and the impacts on irrigation on agriculture and urban growth.
The satellite images from the Yellow and the Yangzi rivers showing the sediment flow and pollution along with the intentional changing of the flow patterns into the seas is really mind blowing. How a country of such a massive population has to alter the landscape in order to tame nature or provide more land or more water to certain areas points to the endurance and longevity of Chinese civilization.
It has always fascinated me how the Chinese have stayed relatively stationary as an empire, country or nation. It seems that through much of their history they stayed in the lands of “China” and did not set out to build an empire on distant lands like other groups (Mongols, Ottomans, Spanish, British) but remained in their heartland from the Qin until now. But in staying in these lands they have looked to harness the lands, the water, the resources to make it work for China.
Perhaps some of these projects or policies may not have worked as planned or created some other issues, like the “Three Gorges Dam” or the continual failure of the river levee systems. But despite these setbacks, they continued to build, grow and push forward. It certainly seems their resolve to deal with all kinds of civilization ending issues continues to this day. Many civilizations did not make through the centuries they have. The fact that they can do all of this management of geography and continue to have over 1.5 billion population is a testament to that resolve. I enjoy bringing that aspect into my teaching and getting students to explore how these systems work in conjunction with human growth and civilization developments.
Chris HertzogI was unaware that there were over 500 Confucian schools funded by Xi Jinping inside the U.S.! As I read this article I was thinking that he was sounding like a “Neo” Neo Confucian leader. Almost as if he has set in motion many of the ancient ideals of order, behavior, efficiency, loyalty and a new form of filial piety to the party or system… or to himself. A militant, expansionist confucian school.
He is definitely aggressive in the areas of economic growth, technological expansion, infrastructure building and military expansion. It is interesting to wonder how far this can keep going as the Council of Foreign Relations does in this piece by Elizabeth Starr. The push back on Xi may just be by his own people, especially those with limited internet access or those affected by family disappearances or revoked passports.
Certainly many are benefiting from Xi’s policies, including U.S. firms and those in Korea, Japan and India that are working with Chinese firms, but how long will all these nations and corporations tolerate or accept his China first attitudes? Will it go too far?
Building islands and expanding the military is one thing in the South China Sea, but setting up bases in other regional hotspots or entering into territories that have been overseen by other powers may be too much for the other powers of the world… and not just the U.S. Russia, the E.U. or others may grow tired of losing influence, money or intellectual property and call out China and Xi’s “China First” policies. It is a curious dilemma since everyone’s economic future are tied together.
Starr does raise some good points to question if the traditional U.S. policy to ‘lead by example’ will be enough to convince China to be a bit more democratic or to at least respect copyrights or others property, intellectual or otherwise. Our current administration is trying to pressure with tariffs, but will that be something that will even make Xi blink?
Brett KierChina's New Revolution: The Reign of Xi Jinping, a polemic about the rise of China, was written by a CFR Senior Fellow, and as such is replete with the policy recommendations aligned with that organization (globalization on the road to world government with US interests serving as the tip of the spear of global leadership). While the article effectively provides a broad overview of Xi’s rise to power – viewing him as situated tightly between frenemy and rival to US interests – and the political agenda being pursued inside and outside China, the author’s policy recommendations, from the perspective of the US, are just like bell bottoms (permutations of a classic theme, but nothing new).
Some examples include: revival of soft power derivatives on the doorstep to hard power coercion like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue; the touting of the US’s own version of the a technocratic control grid: smart cities (centralized planning in the guise of sustainable development – see Zbigniew Brzezinski’s Between Two Ages); deployment of the National Endowment for Democracy, an NGO Trojan horse regime change apparatus created under Reagan’s CIA; and political, economic, social , and cultural “reciprocity” to name a few. While it is clear that Xi-Jingping is pursuing police state policies that Stalin could have only dreamed of (imagine what he would have done with Photoshop), The US policy prescriptions outlined in the article are variations on a tired theme, one that Rex Tillerson tried to abandon in favor of a transactional approach of the realpolitik vein, which caused much consternation among China hawks and contributed to his Twiiter breakup with the president.
More broadly (and this would be a good Socratic Seminar question for students to consider): To what end does the US wish to put a wrench in China’s Marshall Plan on steroids? Democratic values, geopolitical dominance, economic hegemony? Yes. The anarchic milieu of international relations is viewed in zero-sum terms, and like any other nation, China seeks to remake the world in its own image, creating its own Garden of Eden (minus the free will part). So in this sense, the blurred lines between China's domestic and foreign policy are unsurprising, and this observation by students would go a long way towards moving beyond emotionally potent oversimplifications like: “They hate us because of our freedom.”
Phillip MoshoyannisMargaret looks at the rise in the elderly population from an economics point of view and Brett from a historical point of view in relation to population control as governmental policies coupled with food shortages. I think I will use this article and have my community college students look at it from a sociological point of view of which there are three major ones (Symbolic Interactionism (SI), Neo-Conflict Theory, and Structural-Functionalism). From the SI perspective, how do the young and old make meaning of their shared and intertwined lives today? Are new roles being played out? Will the relationship between these two groups change as the population gets grey? From a Neo-Conflict Perspective, will the elderly still be placed in high esteem and revered or will the additional changes in healthcare and housing make them seen as pariahs/competition? In traditional Chinese society, the elderly used to live with one of their children. Today, however, more young adults are moving out, creating a neolocal residency, and leaving their elderly parents alone. This means that the new generation of elderly people may not have family members to tend to their needs, as young people in the country traditionally have. On the other hand, many young couples are living with their parents because of economic factors and not because of tradition. These young adults simply cannot afford to buy a house of their own or rent an apartment. Experts say family-based care is now impractical because most middle-aged children have little time to take care of their parents as they are working. A new issue the elderly have to face in 21st century China is how to live when their families can not take care of them. From a Stuctural-Functional perpsective their is considerable societal strain due to what is known as the elderly support ratio (working age people divided by number 65 or older). Also from a Structural-Functionalist point of view, how has the "One Child" policy affected the status of women in society? Did women's status change even if briefly when it was acknowleged that a societal replacement rate of 2.1 had not been reached?
Phillip MoshoyannisHi Chris,
After reading the article, I did a some digging about Confucious schools and found out SUNY (State University of New York) of which Nassau Comunity College, where I work as an adjunct professor of sociology, not only has this school, but one specialized for business, headquarted in the heart of Manhattan.
http://www.confuciusbusiness.suny.edu/
Cesar GarciaThe article
Margaret SiryjOne of Chan's arguments in this article suggests that "Spring Movement" that recently occurred is traditional Chinese family values vis a vis the dislocation of many of its rural citizens. The fifty year old system, Hukou, the institution that had its origins in human migration and a sort of census. This census, a measurement or counting has grown to be quite problematic in recent years. Migration is such that many families, the head of household, or as the article mentioned, "working breadwinner" becomes split up from the family to seek out better employment opportunities. Fifty years of the codified Chinese law that makes it mandetory for "household registration" to take place. Chan points out that this movement may be the very essence of success which Chinese may negotiate up the economic ladder and therefore, secure a better future for their family.
My students face a similarity with their Chinese counterparts. The idea of migrant labor and rural-urban dichotomy hits home with my students as many of them were born outside the United States. Some of them were sent to America with a family member other than their parents because they stay home and raise the smaller children or grandparents who continue to live together with the remaining family members. I plan to share parts of this article and ask my students, "How does the Chinese system of Hukou relate or does it not relate to the migration to the United States that many of my sophomores and seniors went through"? Chan mentioned the idea of the Trinity.
The Trinity is divided into three segments and includes: institutions, rural collectives, and hukou controlled population. Similar to Mexico and Central America, some of my high school students were born in rural areas, but prior to coming to America, their family migrated to the city because there was more economic opportunities available. As an educator, I value an article such as Kam Wing Chan discusses because it is more important to point out to students the commonalities we share as individuals rather than differences. Through this positive relationship building exercise with my students, they hopefully, come to realize how similar they are to Chinese teenagers and their struggles. The concept of leaving one's rural village to seek a better life in the urban city can be understood by my high school studdents. Economics in particular studies the idea of "choosing limited resources" and how to best allocate them.
Along with registration or hukou comes benefits for Chinese citizens. It was surprising to read that about 85% of the population was rural at one point. Many of these benefits are economic and families reap such "bennies" as eligibility for certain services based on their registration meaning city, town and village location. The article mentions that Mao has tightened up the ability for mobility, but families are still positioning for best economic outcomes. From 1949 to 2007, the shift of GDP, gross domestic product increased to almost 90% in 2007. Finally, my students can relate to the idea of "guest worker". Some of their families may have been part of the north migration to work in Central California and the fields. As in Mexico and Central America, many citizens are doing their best to secure a better life just like the Chinese. The article mentions that it was not long ago that 250 million peasants lived in poverty. How can you blame these Chinese people for wanting to have a new direction in life. My question remains. "If people are starving, how does innovation help them if the government is preventing urban growth or placing tough barriers for entry"?
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Sarah KatchinskiyI'm interested in the topic of land use and issues of territorial dispute in modern China. From the creation of land through the redirection of the river sediment to the larger projects of land reclamation happening in the South China Sea, China continues to grapple with it's natural boundaries. While from a distance China may appear to have eschewed empire building because iterations of "China" have existed in similar geographic footprints, it is clear from the demograpic diversity and geograpic size of the modern nation that empire building was plausible goal. How does this look today? Are geograpic/territorial disputes and regional power balance natural responses to the territorial limitations China faces? How does this fit in to the China dream?
The intensive cultivation of land, particularly in the eastern and south eastern river basins, and the growth in population is a familiar pattern that can also be found in the medieval period. Improvements in various technologies that dramatically increase yield lead to bursts in economic activity and urbanization. These jumps in growth of both population and economy seem to occur several times historically. I'd like to know more about the establishment of the Peoples Republic and the related population spike and the famine and reactive policies that followed.
Judy SchechterCheck out this timely front page article from today's New York Times:
Comments to follow!
Judy SchechterHow do the one child policy, ethnicity, and the hukou system intersect?
I have the benefit of arriving late to the party here and I must say that the level of discourse and thoughtfulness displayed by all of you is truly impressive!
In our introductory session last week, Phillip mentioned that he’s interested in how members of ethnic minorities (e.g, non ”Han” Chinese people) are treated in China. I share this interest.
I teach all social studies subjects at a large school for the deaf in NYC. Most of the profoundly deaf students at my school are children of color who live in poverty. Many of these students are immigrants or the children of immigrants. While our students learn written English in school, their primary language is ASL.
One huge challenge my students face is that they share no common language with their parents. The effects of this lack of communication in the home are devastating. My school does everything within its institutional power to remedy these effects. Yet sadly, my students continue to lag behind their hearing peers with respect to English language literacy, critical thinking skills, and world learning. Most of our students leave high school reading at or below the 3rd grade level as measured by standardized tests. In other words, they graduate while they are still learning to read, not reading to learn.
From experience, I know that subject matter that somehow relates to my students’ experiences as deaf people is more likely to motivate and interest them. Viewing and reading this week’s materials made me think about how my students are members of an ethnic and linguistic minority. Many adult deaf workers also struggle economically. So, Chan’s footnote at the end of the hukou system article caught my attention: Chan mentions that some scholars have drawn an analogy between the hukou system and apartheid in South Africa. This got me thinking.
The U.S. and other countries have a sad history of applying eugenics theory to the deaf. I’m curious about the interplay between China’s “one child” policy, the hukou system, and ethnicity. Is this interplay racialized? How do these policies affect China’s ethnic and linguistic minorities? I’ve heard anecdotally that China has sometimes allowed members of selected minorities to have more than one child. Today, given uprisings among the Uighurs in Xinjiang Province, for example, how has the CCP applied its fertility, mobility, and economic policies as a measure of oppression against these groups? I see this inquiry--comparing the political, social, economic, and geographic status of some of these minorities--as a way for my students to better understand their role in our society.
Judy SchechterMargaret, your comments are of great use to me. Many of my (mostly immigrant) students can also relate to the economic migration described in Chan's article. Most of them are from rural agrarian communities in their home countries. You express some great ideas about bridging your content and instructional approach to your students' personal experiences. This kind of bridging is of critical importance in my special ed classroom, where many of my students lack subject matter background knowledge. Relatable human experiences are a powerful way to spark and retain their interest.