Session #1 - March 2 (morning), Clay Dube

[cgao]

Below are five short magazine/newspaper articles concerning demographic and environmental trends in East Asia. Please note how cultures are changing to accommodate the realities of demographic change.

Optional: Under the Dome (1hr 44min) is an astonishing documentary made by a Chinese journalist about the threat China's environmental crisis poses. Some call the video China's "Inconvenient Truth." Here's an article about the debate in China this video triggered. 

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[Christine Moguel]

By all intents and purposes, it is quiet unbelievable to fathom the concept of China’s the decline in fertility or by demographers standards as “Ultra Low” when their population amounts to ¼ of the worlds population.  Low fertility is an ongoing issue in all of East Asia , not only in China.  The stable fertility rate is said to be 2.1 – however the rates have fallen to their “ultra low” status throughout East Asia.  As stated in the article, “Demographic trends like this are often thought to be irreversible, implying that East Asia will be stuck in an endless cycle of decline”- yet history proves that a stabilization in population growth is possible.  During the industrialization era in Europe, the birth rate increased to a stabilization within about a century.   This can happen in East Asia- however, culture is changing in the way that people are marrying later in in life and there is a general family culture shift.

[Scott Craig]

I thought this article was really interesting. It shows some of the issues surrounding immigration. With immigration being a big issue in America today this would be a good article for students to read and then do a compare and contrast of some of the problems with immigration in America and Korea. It would be interesting to see students' views on the school for brides and if we had something like that for immigrants in America would that help immigrants be more accepted her.

 

[Christine Moguel]

One of the most effective strategies in teaching English Learners and individuals with special needs is activating background information about the content you are teaching.  In creating lessons about East Asia for my students my mind tries to grapple with any sort of ‘background knowledge’ my students might share with East Asia, and the answer is very clear to see and undeniable to claim- we are connected to east Asia because we all share the fact that we have technology created and products manufactured in East Asians countries.  Technology and manufacturing- easy in connect to something tangible and that directly affects my students.  We view CNN/student news on a daily basis, and that too is a great way to deliver current visuals about East Asia- although the content reported on might be difficult to digest for my students.  Once the ‘door has been cracked’ to ideas about East Asian culture, economy and politics I am faced with the task of teaching the importance East Asia has on their lives in so many ways. 

[Gerlinde Goschi]

  I found this article very interesting.  I learned that the female college graduates number surpasses the male one in South Korea and Japan.  This explains, in my opinion, why the fertility rate is "ultra low" or 1.4 or less.  Generally, educated women have fewer children than non-educated ones and they tend to marry later in life or sometimes not at all.  They tend to rebel against traditional female household roles and outsource chores which is much more accepted in the U.S. and Europe than in Asia I believe.  I would be like to follow this issue in China and learn if it will come to the recovery in fertility.

[Amy Chen]

A common trend in all five articles is that changes are occuring and necessary in East Asia. The lower fertlity rate, environmental crisis, and aging population are creating a cultural shift in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Governments are encouraging more childbirth. In order to facilitate this, services for childcare are more available to allow women to work and raise children. Women no longer have to choose career or children. In addition, fathers are more willing and expected to participate with housework and child rearing  (Banyan). In the article about environmental crisis in China, the conditions became so dire that civilians took the roles of monitoring industries by reporting their activities through an app. The wave of participants regulating businesses is a new occurence in a country like China where citizens historically refrained from activism. The article about bride schools in Vietnam was particularly interesting because it covers how two countries and cultures meld through mail order marriage. Two complete strangers have to learn each other's language and customs. Two countries that had little social interaction before are now joining in accelerated relationships toward marriage. All of these topics are ones I would discuss with my students, especially the one on the environmental crisis. I would use it to encourage my students to find solutions to local environmental issues through active community impact.

 

[Linda Gonzales Diaz]

This article was a surprising read because I was not aware of this phenomenom within Korea. I was under the naive impression that mail order brides were limited to the western world. This is understandable as there seems to be a disparity between the number of Men to that of available women, so much that they must import brides from neighboring countries,including Vietnam.  Due to the prevalence of this practice, the Korean government has had to step in to regulate it.  Too many marriages were falling apart for a variety of reasons related to wedding a complete stranger, one, not surprisingly was the language barrier between partners.  Many vietnamese women take a crash course in Korean traditions and customs to better cater to their new husbands. This 'Bride School' also has the added benefit of looking good toward obtaining a visa. This course is called 'education' in Korea, but according to Vietnamese women taking it, it is more of an orientation. Most of the women come from very poor families and are aspiring to a better way of life in a more affluent country such as Korea.  They believe they will marry into a life of luxury and comfort because of what they have seen in Korean dramas.  

Here is another link to a similar story on the bridal schools in Vietnam

https://www.inquisitr.com/1371174/south-koreas-government-is-funding-mail-order-bride-schools-in-vietnam/

[Brenda-Jean Shephard]

This article makes the interesting statement that Asia, as a whole, is second to the continent of Africa in the number of "absolutely poor" people.  It doesn't qualify which countries are highest in poverty levels (I would guess India, Cambodia, and North Korea would be worse than China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, but it doesn't say).  And apparently the aging population in Asia due to reproduction rates less than 2.1 is linked to the poverty.  It is described as "getting old before getting rich."  If increasing the birth rate improves the Asian economy, that is an interesting new goal.  Hopefully the Asian countries will find a balance, because their national health affects the rest of the world in today's global economy!

[Brenda-Jean Shephard]

Hi Christine, I appreciate your input on meeting the needs of special students.  Good to meet you today; I'll follow up on the referral to your colleague at Willenberg and let you know how that goes.  Have a good rest of your weekend!

[Kim Leng]

I had no idea that the United States produces 10% of the world’s ginseng or that the state of Wisconsin is such a major grower of the herb! My curiosity led me to explore the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin webpage.  I discovered that American ginseng is different from Chinese ginseng.  If you want to learn more about American ginseng, the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin posted a video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0nLPjEGiN8&feature=youtu.be. According to the video, Wisconsin has been growing ginseng for over 100 years and that over 95% of ginseng grown in the United States comes from this state!  They also have an official seal to certify the quality of ginseng.  I checked out the distributers and found out that Costco carries products made from ginseng grown in Wisconsin: https://popus.com.  Has anyone tried ginseng root tea?

Also, check out this interesting article: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/watch-ginseng-exports-to-china-and-this-wisconsin-county-to-read-trumps-2020-tea-leaves.

Students can create a “Did You Know?” fun fact about a state. 

[Dennis O'Connell]

I read all the articles before the sessions today, but still came away with so much I did not know before.  I am excited to process not only what I am learning, but also how I might use this learning in my own classroom.  What are some of the new things I learned today?  1) A young America sent a trading vessel to China.  Named "Empress of China", the ship was filled with 60,000 pounds of ginseng.  In our third grade social studies books we talk about the Panama Canal and trips by boat before the canal was built.  This new piece of information about a ship leaving the East coast of the US and headed to China (not to mention the trip back) will certainly find its way into that lesson!  One of our units discusses bartering as a form of exchange before money was invented.  I am guessing barter was a part of the ginseng exchange for tea, porcelain, and namkeen trousers!  2) The discussion about naming geographic features was facinating.  I am trying to brainstorm ways of incorporating this into a mini-lesson of some sort.  3) I appreciated looking at the map and seeing China and her fifteen neighbors.  This will be a very visual way for me to engage my students in a discussion about what it is like to have neighbors.  Are all neighbors good neighbors?  Do you get along with some neighbors and not so well with other neighbors?  Do you think it could be the same way with countries?  Do some countries get along better with other countries?  Are there some countries which do not get along?  What could a country do to become a better neighbor?  

[Dennis O'Connell]

Japanese consumption of rice has dropped 20% in twenty years.  This article sought to pinpoint the reasons for the decline.  In addition to an aging population who eats less in general, the younger members of society seem to prefer wheat products.  Combined with a lower demand for rice-based sake (down 33%), rice farmers are finding their prices dropping.  Many would drop out of farming rice, but mechanization has allowed many older farmers to continue.  Government tariffs on foreign rice keeps Japanese rice economically viable for the short term, but there is still a "pay not to plant rice" program for some farmers (I am reminded of the 80's dairy buy outs in the USA to help prop up small farms in the Northeastern USA - paying farmers NOT to produce milk to keep the price up for the farmers who were producing).  What is the role of government in helping farmers?  When should markets be allowed to function unimpeded and when should safe-guards be put into place for those who have invested highly in machinery specific to their farming?  Good questions for some middle schoolers and high schoolers to wrestle with (not to mention a few Senators and Representatives in Washington).  

[Kim Leng]

I agree.  This article was an interesting read.  The article mentioned that by “2070 in some Asian countries there will be 160 men seeking a wife for every 100 women seeking a husband. Men will have to compete much harder if they want to attract a mate, and that surely means doing more housework.” But I wonder if cultural attitudes in Asia will change in 50 years.   If I had to choose between being independent and having a career or being dependent on someone else and doing all the housework, I too would choose a career. Will husbands in Asia begin to do more housework? Thinking about housework and changing cultural norms reminded me of this SNL skit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZRzJJcq6Rs.

[Dan Thalkar]

The article "Bride School: Where South Korea's mail-order brides learn their trade" stuck out to me the most from the assigned readings. It's a fascinating issue, which I can see being used in a classroom in myriad ways. Even the headline, with its use of 'trade' creates much to analyze. Topics involving love or romance are generally high-engagement for students, and as such this article could be used as a launch into a look at different cultural marriage practices and traditions. It could also be used to explore topics such as economics, class, and colonization. A ready class discussion or debate would be whether or not students think this exchange is fair. There are many points to be found for both sides. 

[Stephanie Rodriguez]

There were so many things that popped into my mind as I read this. Right off the bat in the beginning of the article I compared older Chinese families to older Mexican families. The article mentioned families that have two grandparents, two parents, and one child. I’m thinking this is how its been for years because in class we talked about how the "child limit" was barely done away with two years ago. I compare it to the families in Mexico, where some people were having up to 14 or more kids. This came out of necessity, because they had land to work and they needed free labor, which would be having kids. Except its not free right because you have to feed them, but the profit had to have outweighed the cost or else they wouldn’t have done it right? Then I think about how in Chinese families their need limited them to have only one kid (or maybe not so much their need but their government).

Also, while there were no statistics about American demographics, I began thinking about how its both a good and a bad thing. Good thing because due to progresses made in medicine our life expectancy has increased, so maybe our resources can last longer if birth rates are down, Then there's the other side of the coin, if most of the population consists of elder people that can’t work as much or as well, we still have the same need but less work force. This would not be something I discuss with my students but maybe high school students can look into this. I compare it to the issues with social security here in the United States, and also our impact as humans on the environment. How do these demographics affect all of those topics? What is a solution?  Was what the Chinese government did by limited how many kid’s families could have an appropriate solution?

This article brought up so much that you can talk about, cultural differences, gender gaps, social expectancies. All things that can be good topics to look into.

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