Session 1 - March 17

[Cynthia Jackson]

In Massachusetts, access to clean water is not an issue but in San Diego, California, where I grew up, water conservation is a familiar phrase from my childhood. I still remember commercials urging individuals, homeowners, and private businesses to conserve water. People were encouraged to refrain from watering their lawns at certain times of the day. Washing your car frequently was identified as wasteful and restaurants stopped automatically serving iced water in addition to the drink you ordered with your meal. There was even a hotline number you could call to report water waste. I’m sure there were more restrictions for farmers, business owners, and government programs than I was ever aware of. I’m lucky to have the chance to partner with the United Nations Association of Greater Boston to teach about the global water crisis in my classroom, but if I didn’t, I would introduce this topic during the East Asia unit as this region has been heavily impacted by access to water. Students begin to think critically about their individual use of water and recommend solutions to regional issues when you help them understand that water is not an unlimited resource and it is highly necessary to all functions of life.

[Cynthia Jackson]

After considering access to clean water across the region, it may be interesting to develop a lesson leading students through a study of East Asia’s ethnic diversity. In the fall, I learned that East Asian shifting resources, wars, and empire building has contributed to various people groups becoming part of the nations that exist in this region today. As many students and adults do not consider Asia’s human diversity, teaching about this topic would be a culturally competent way to expand students’ understanding of ethnicity and the role it plays in society. This lesson could begin with a brief history of the largest ethnic groups in the region before students are provided with maps that show demographics around China, Japan, and North and South Korea. Population trends usually suggest that large proportions of ethnic groups live in areas near each other. Once students identify this trend for several of the largest ethnic groups, they would then be led through examining the physical features of these areas so that they observe where people groups settled, form questions about the reasons people would settle in less “desirable” areas, and draw conclusions about how physical geography shapes settlement. The final part of this lesson would walk students through human decisions that have shaped the experiences of ethnic minorities in East Asia, including the allocation of essential resources such as water and sanitation, housing and food, and education.

[Cynthia Jackson]

Jennifer, I like how clearly you and your students have defined a major cause for conflict. Competition for resources drives both domestic and international policy for many countries. As you mentioned, many North American native groups advocate for the protection of environmental resources even when U.S., Canadian, or other federal governments want to use limited resources as means for supporting human “progress”. Lately, I’ve been interested in presenting varied cultural values, highlighting cultures that do not compete for resources but share them as natural and crucial to their way of living. I would love to juxtapose the competing for and sharing of resources cultural values, giving students scenarios and asking them to identify the pros and cons of each. I also wonder what conclusions students can draw. Additionally, the article you attached was a very good read. That’s such a good idea- bringing a local article into the classroom!

[Daniel Garcia]

Resource scarcity and utilization can fit well in almost any social studies course. I try to emphasize in all my social studies courses the lives of ordinary people, particularly the lower and working classes. All decisions of nation-states have an impact on domestic and foreign populations. One question that I kept asking myself throughout the lecture was, What are the implications of these various nation-states' decisions on marginalized populations? What is the impact of the Yellow River levee and the flooding it causes on surrounding communities? What is the impact of Japan's coal plants on surrounding communities?

The article, “Japan Races to Build New Coal-Burning Power Plants, Despite the Climate Risks” describes how the Fukushima power plant has transitioned from nuclear power after the disaster to coal power but how simultaneously the upcoming Olympic Games, in Tokyo, are priding themselves on their green energy. The local people surrounding the coal plant are upset because of the pollution it will bring to their community. Fishermen in Japan are also worried that the use of coal impacts global warming and the fish market. 

In my ethnic studies course, students and I studied how a nearby battery recycling plant contaminated the surrounding area including the neighborhood in which my students live with arsenic and lead for 30 years. So what I would like to ask my students is how they can learn or find solidarity with those folks in China or in Japan in their movements to stop their exploitation.

[Johnny Walker]

The Scientific Amerian article concerning the effects of deforestation in North Korea was particularly alarming. In harvesting forests, the temporary need for cheap fuel or building material undermines so many vital needs including agriculture production and shade, and exacerbates topsoil depletion and (un)natural disasters such as landslides and flooding that result. Whether we turn our lens to California and western states' wildfires, monoculture palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Africa that destroys habitats and ecological diversity, or the continued destruction of the Amazon for Brazilian cattle grazing and timber interests, forest management seems to be a crucial international issue for both climate change, human rights and prevention of disaster and economic distress. While an incompetent totalitarian state like North Korea naturally fails to maintain a healthy environment, other democratic or enlightened nations are likewise culpable for grave resource mismanagement.  And, this management falls directly to governmental and political responsibility. In seeing the divided approach of North and South Korea to forest management and its resulting stark effects, it reminds me of a similarly mismanaged border in our backyard. One of the most distressing examples of the failure of government to manage the health of its environment and increase suffering of its own people is in Haiti. Images of the border of Haiti and the Domincan Republic reflect the similar stark difference and asymmetric environmental management as seen in North and South Korea.  However, as the following article from the UN Environment Programme observes, Haiti and the DR are now working to "jointly counter environmental degradation and boost food security in the border zone." Perhaps a similar joint effort could be made between the Koreas. Likewise, I hope the US Federal Government increases its leadership role in supporting Western states to communicate and jointly manage forests, especially given the severity of the last two fire seasons. The collective need for more effective forest service couldn't be more dire.

 

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/haiti-and-dominican-republic-jointly-counter-environmental-degradation-and

[Martha Pao]

Regarding low birth rates in Japan, it is also of note that a woman who has a baby and stays at home will often be expected to take in their elderly in-laws and care for them.  The gender roles and societal expectations weigh heavy on young women, who might prefer to enjoy more freedoms in the Western style (travel, entertainment).  These options often are not available to young mothers once they start a family and become more traditional.

[Jade Kidd]

At the beginning of the year, we talk a lot about the movement of people, trade, and the sharing of ideas & technology. The image shared in the first video of the Yellow River's course changes due to flooding would be a great way to show students why we see civilizations just 'pack up' and move so frequently in history. Students don't always understand they have to follow the resources (or in the case of flooding, get out of the way). The image would be a good way to show them how often landscapes can change. Later in the year, we talk about environmental issues. We could look back at that image and talk about how historically, people followed resources, but today our world is much more 'set' and we can't just go where the river is. This could lead to discussion of the disputes and deaths at the source of China and India's water. Then, I would incorporate the information I read in Tom Levitt's article. I was shocked to read that "one-fifth of farmland is too polluted to grow crops, nearly 60% of groundwater is unfit for human use and air pollution is 20 times the recommended safe levels" (Levitt). This would serve as a springboard into discussing the impact that American companies have on the rest of the world. I like to use the fashion industry as my example for this as most students at my school are very fashion and image conscious, which leads them to spending their meager teenage wages at stores and on websites that are notorious for being "fast fashion". We look at the demographics of the people who are working in the factories making their fake Supreme shirts (is Supreme still cool?). I think this lesson will be even more impactful now with the information about how the pollution from the factories is creating "cancer villages" and having negative impacts on population growth (Levitt). 

[Karina Alonso]

I thought it was so interesting that China, Japan and South Korea all had food as a large expense, in comparison to The United States. This might be because of their water supply shortage. This would be a very interesting topic to discuss with young students in relation to being conscientious about water usage. We are definitley very lucky to have a good system in place however, we should not over use or misuse our water. I would definitley ask my students whether they have acess to clean water in their home and what they would do if the didn't. 

[Julie Laguna-Caturegli]

How China and the US gets their water is very important to our future minds. I am going to start introducing the data, laws, and engineering it takes to get such a natural resource into homes everywhere. I will also go as so far to introduce the water crisis that took place in Bolivia and in Mexico. Student’s awareness of such a resource will prepare them to be active in their future education.

[Martha Pao]

It is surprising how high the food expense is in Asia (expressed as a percentage of total household expenditure) especially compared to the USA.  From my limited experience in Asia I found that food there was for the most part cheaper than in the USA, both in the supermarket and in restaurants.  So is the higer expenditure in food expense a reflection of lower GDP or are we seeing a cultural difference in the importance given to good food?

[April Privitera]

The above article by Michael Robinson was interesting and raised some difficult issues/questions.  Ninety percent of South Koreans currently live in urban areas, leaving fishing and agricultural villages virtually empty, with the exception of a low number of elderly residents.  The schools in these areas are closing, because there are no longer children in the area.  The example school in the article has four teachers and nine students, in contrast to its' first graduating class of 117 students.  Independent rice farms are decreasing as the country relies on importing rice from outside countries.  The urban point of view looks quite grim with high school students engaging in 20 hour work days, hoping for the opportunity to attend a good university.  The high shools allow naps during class because the students are exhausted.  Urban living is very expensive, and once the young people start their careers, marriage and family is often not a priority, contributing to the low birth rate.  This article left me thinking, "What is the point?"  There does not seem to be any enjoyment in the lifestyle, and it is not helping any of the national issues.  

 

[Richard Cate]

On a planet coverd in water it is hard to imagine that there is a shortage. But, many civilizations have fallen because of lack of water. It has been the driving force of many of the most dynamic engineering projects in Man's history and disruption of that water has taken down many a city under siege. In 455 the Vandal king Genseric taking retribution for a broken treaty attacked Rome. To defeat the city walls he tore down the aqeducts and the city opened its gates under an agreement that the Vandals would not destroy the city or kill the people. He was good to his word the took loot and some captives but left Rome standing. But without fresh water the city was reduced in a few years to just a few thousand inhabitants , unless you count the feral cats.

We keep seeing in the news the threat ow war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, the same most reciently between India and China. All this for a region that has no apparent resourse, menerals or manufactured goods. Think control of the water from the melting snow pack that feeda so many major rivers may be the reason?

[Cynthia Jackson]

Culture heroes play a similar role in societies across the world. Inventing them and their stories helps cultures make sense of the world they live in and the history they have already recorded. If settlements in the Yellow River Valley and across East Asia were seeing evidence of a great flood and Earth’s natural systems (i.e. species mating habits, seasons, and the timing of planting and harvesting), then inventing stories about gods of creation and agriculture to explain these things makes sense. Culture heroes also help establish desirable values for the community and gender roles (if a community places value on gender being defined and consistently “performed” within the set definition). While I do not know East Asia’s creation stories in great detail, it seems that there was agreement that a male and female god together created the world, which would also explain the existence of men and women. Fu Xi is credited with hunting and domestication, roles given to men in many early civilizations, while Nuwa is credited with weaving and other activities most likely assigned to women in East Asia’s earliest settlements. Culture heroes can even help legitimize rulers who seemingly rise to power outside of hereditary means and “divine right”. For a ruler who claims power by being the most skilled warrior or the wisest community member, a story of your descendance from a creation god or culture hero legitimizes the intelligence and/or talent you have and use to help your people first survive, and then thrive. Connecting oneself to stories about culture heroes can be described as the earliest version of “divine right”.

[Joanna Bourque]

It was unexpectedly enlightening to see a brief glimpse of rural Nagoro and it's life sized dolls. I feel for the community of remaining elders, especially Tsukimi Ayano, who created the dolls to combat her loneliness. We have abandoned communities here in rural Appalachia, as well, which suffer from lack of infrastructure and access to jobs. 

Though the intent was to inform the public about Japan's population crisis, I could not help but to view the article and video from the perspective as an art teacher. The dolls that Tsukimi Ayano created are tied to the community, made in the image of those who had once lived there, and are a testament to the history of the village. The doll's presence is a statement of the impact of the person's absence. As a form of public inatallation art, this is phenomenal tribute to the former beating heart of the village.

[Camie Fleet]

I found the analysis of the populaiton number and the connection of those number to culture very interesting. 

I think it would be very interesting to have students look at the population of the world and consider, why is 20-25% of the world population located in South East Asia and how that then impacts different cultures around the world. Then considering with them futher the question that was posed in the video as to the consequences that come with having such a large population in a small geographical region. 

When looking at the household expenditure charts I was interested in the differences between China and S Korea. I would love to have a better understanding as to what factors allow for the differences in spending around housing in these charts.

As far as using these in my classroom, I think it would be very interesting to have students compare thier own families household expenditure to that of the general US one as well as to then compare them further to those of China and S. Korea. (I think this could be especailly interesting as my students live in an area that is currently in a bit of a houing bubble- with some of the most expensive house prices in the region/USA). 

 

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