Session 1 readings, 9/9 morning

[Sonia Arrayales]

I found the "Placards Posted in Guangzhou" to show the determination and frustration of the people in that region. They seemed to accept the fact that their leaders allowed the British to come into their ports to avoid conflict. Yet, the people of the region will not stand by and allow this to happen. By placing the placards, they stated what was decided upon, how the truly felt, and what would happen if the "barbarians" attempted to come in. These placards were very straightforward,and if they were directed at one, would instill fear.  How I believe I would incorporate this into my classroom would be to do a compare and contrast between the Placards of Guangzhou and the Jim Crow signs that were placed in the United States for "people of color". How are these signs same in thier intent? How are they different? How would they make you feel when seeing them?

 

 

[Matthew Wong]

I really enjoyed the articles about the demographics of East Asia: “BOK chief calls for increased birth rate amid population aging” and “I don’t.” The challenge of declining birth rate is not an issue only for South Korea and Japan; countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China face a similar demographic crisis. This problem inevitably affects the political, economic, and social aspects of the countries. For example, the Japanese prime minister has pushed initiatives to encourage a higher birth rate. The Japanese prime minister understands that smaller population will make it difficult for an aging Japanese society.

Developed countries tend to have lower birth rates than undeveloped or developing countries. However, I’m curious about the impact the millennial generation has affected demographics not only in the United States but around the world. Just as in the U.S., the younger population in East Asian societies face similar challenges of lack of social mobility because of limited housing and difficult working conditions. 

[Jane Shen]

Jazmine, I totally agree with you that there should have freedom to decide when to marry and whether one should have a baby or not. I American, we should cheer the democracy or the culture that marrige and birth were considered as personal issue and no one will put any pressure on you.

However, born and grew up in China, the culture in China is different. Since the college graduation, almost 9 out 10 adults I met will question me " When are you going to marry?" and over the age of 25, Chinese consider it's late to marry, so the similar question will turn to " Why didn't you marry yet?" And some girls over 25 will be caped as "old miss".

Once you married, you will face the question " when will have baby?" frequently, and the pressure from both sides of the parents could be very stressful especially after the "birth control" policy started since 1976. Most newly wed are single childs in their family, so having a baby is not a person option. The upside down pyramid 4 grandparents-2 parents-1 child is another social problem in China.

[Aja Koester]

Christmas Cake Theory in Japan:

http://www.gurashii.com/the-theory-of-japanese-women-and-christmas-cakes/

Jane, I appreciate your post about your experience on marital pressures in China. I met a Japanese-Australian man while visiting Japan and he told me about the Christmas Cake Theory in Japan. It seems to create the same pressures on women to get married that you are speaking about in China. The analogy is that a woman is like a Christmas Cake where the optimal eating period is on December 25^th or at 25 years old. After the 25^th, prices are reduced and the cakes go bad. They explain, this is similar to a woman whose prime age for marrying is 25 and after that they start to “go bad.” The article “High Prices, Cakes, and Marriage” cited above states, “[Christmas cakes are] Highly demanded, sold at full price, and enjoyed with great company – this is the peak season to eat Christmas Cakes; therefore the peak age for women to get married (a woman’s peak marriage value)…As the Christmas Cake Season is over, women cannot expect many marriage offers from men – further slashed prices referring to their significantly reduced marriage values. In other words, they have passed their sell-by-date.” It is interesting to think that both China and Japan have similar cultural expectations for women that are made very explicit. It seems American women face similar pressures, but they are not as explicit and spelled out.  

Furthermore, the reading “Bank of Korea chief calls for increased birth rate amid population aging” was interesting because it brings an added economic layer into this pressure and also shows that Korea has similar expectations to China and Japan. The implication of a bank calling for more babies is that cultural pressures for marriage are partly dictated for monetary reasons. I wonder if this same economic pressure is in China and Japan as well.

[Aja Koester]

In “Ridding China of Bad Customs,” there is a section titled “An Address To Two Hundred Million Fellow Countrywomen” by Qiu Jin. As I read this, I kept thinking this would make a good article for teaching rhetoric in high school.

The piece begins with a “hook” to get the reader’s attention stating, “Alas! The greatest injustice in this world must be the injustice suffered by our female population of two hundred million.” The “Alas!” grabs you and then the following statement immediately pulls you to wonder about the injustice. Because it concerns the, “female population of two hundred million” it applies to such a huge demographic that any female reader despite their backround can empathize. The author then moves into a series of if-then statements to make the reader visualize various situations of women born under Chinese customs that Jin finds tyrannous. Jin also uses rhetorical questions and sarcasm to expose the absurdity of customs such as foot binding when she asks, “What is all this misery for? Is it just so that on the girl's wedding day friends and neighbors will compliment him, saying, "Your daughter's feet are really small"? Is that what the pain is for?” Midway through the article after building anger within the reader, Jin turns her focus to directly address women. She states, “Dear sisters, you must know that you'll get nothing if you rely upon others. You must go out and get things for yourselves” essentially turning towards a call for action.

I feel this piece is written at a level where high school students could grasp its use of pathos and logos along with its structure.

[Eric Hoh]

I completely agree with your opinion that this would be an excellent text for high school students to analyze. I particularly think this because of the use of sarcasm. I still remember my high school AP US History class in which my teacher would play clips of The Colbert Report as a means to connect current events with historic events. The structure of this text is easy to chunk since it is conveniently organized into small paragraphs. This text could also be used as a plug into a discussion about womens' rights throughout history, and a cross-cultural analysis of what that looked like or could look like in different contexts. Overall, I believe that with the proper guidance and modeling, this text could be both challenging and engaging for a wide range of learners!

[Beverly Nettles]

I found it interesting that the Virginia text book recognize South Korea ‘East Sea’ claim, indicating that there is no Sea of Japan.  According to Professor - America’s solution to the territorial fight between the two Titans claim is to call it "the William Sea…”   As I researched America’s text books of today, I found the name of the Sea between the two Countries: Sea of Japan, while the East Sea is be printed below in parentheses.  My solution would be to name the Sea  ‘JAPKOR  Sea’ or ‘KORJAP’ or ‘KOJA’… or the likes. 

As a classroom activity, we can engage in a discussion about the conflict between the two countries claim of Sea territory; I would then have them to complete a blank map of Asia with their solution/naming of the Sea.  Afterward we would tally the various names, and similarities to determine the best solution.  

[Eric Hoh]

I would love to utilize this article as a hook to engage students in a topic of discussion regarding the different factors affecting birth rates in different cultures and societies. I can see this article really grabbing students' attentions and piquing their interests. I would leverage their curiosities to teach them to consider a variety of factors (social, economic, political, etc.) as well as to utilize data in charts and graphs to make generalizations or to support their claims. These are really important skills in analyzing history and critically thinking, and I think that this would be an excellent platform to practice and model these skills. 

[Jacqueline Mercado]

This is an interesting point, Gerlinde.  Because there is a lack of detailed information about East Asia in history books, I find that there are  gaps in my education of history and this makes me both embarrased and sad to admit.  Quite frankly, I do not recall many specific details about the culture or history of Asia being emphasized in my own education.   I think that this says a lot about what story gets told and how little we value the inclusion of other cultures and histories in our schools and points to a lack of curiousity about historical accuracy.  Like you, I learned much about Chinese culture and history by reading the traditionally read novels by Chinese-American writers like Amy Tan, for example.  As an educator, I am glad I am taking a course like this and look forward to learning about new perspectives, viewpoints and history so that I can become a better teacher.  As a teacher I look forward to teaching about the untold stories and unheard voices so that my students can get a more complete education of world history.

[Jacqueline Mercado]

I was interested in reading this piece also because I wanted to learn about the reaction of the Chinese to the treaty of Nanking.  Reading this text has contextualized the issue of this treaty as a reaction to the Opium War and its implications into trade and diplomacy betwween China and Great Britain and the tension between these two countries regarding trade access to China.  Through this text, we see that the people of Huangzhou are advocating for the firm defense of their country and government from what they perceive is a British intrusion upon their country.  The portrayal of the British as "barbarians" show a stark contrast to the benevolence and greatness of the Chinese people, who allowed the treaty to be issued.  I found this reading interesting because it offers a Chinese perspective that I had not encountered about the Opium War and the treaty of Nanking. How fiercely the people of Guangzhou resisted the British invasion of their benevolent country, their statement of fierce resistance and their portrayal of the British as uncivilized barbarians.

[Beverly Nettles]

I am curious to know how a Country, that controls birth rate, takes care of its aging population.  Would they become dependent upon foreigner to help with productivity, or do they just decrease productivity, and hope for an increase in birth rate from 1.2 to perhaps 2 children per family (?).   In the next few decades Asia is on track to become one of the most aged populations in the world, the region's elderly population is estimated to reach nearly 923 million by the middle of this century.  Now What?

As I study the history of Asia, I have learned that a communist nation, one that set out to control economics, social, and political behavior become the subject of doom over time.  This is what I think is happening with birth-control - initially over population, than controlled population, and now not enough younger population to take care of the aging population.  The solution, work the older population until they are ready for the grave, and hope for population growth once again.

[Beverly Nettles]

As I read the article “Marriage in Japan - I don’t”  it reminded me of the current trend in America: people are marring later, partners expect more than just an ‘I love you,’ higher education, more income, and education…  In Japan similar expectation for marriage is on the rise, but with greater detrimental effect, due to lower birth rates.  People are marrying later, or not at all. Statistic in Japan indicates that, “since 1970 the average age of first marriage has risen by 4.2 and 5.2 years for men and women respectively, to 31.1 and 29.4. The proportion of Japanese who had never married by the age of 50 rose from 5% in 1970 to 16% in 2010,” a definite decline to the economic growth of this country.   Young eligible single Japanese prerequisites to marriage are the “three averages”: average income, average looks, average education; a striking similarity to an American single prerequisite, yet without an average, but a rather ‘must have…’

[Jacqueline Mercado]

As I read the piece in which the head of the central bank in South Korea calls for marriages and babies, my first thought was how is it that such a private issue like marriages and babies has become such a public affair in Asian countries?   To your point, it is easy to see the relationship between a declining birthrate, an aging population and a future decline in work productivity and hence a future economic demise.  As I read this, I too thought about how culture and economics intersect at this particular point.  Clearly cultural attitudes have caused shifts in when young people in countries like Japan and Korea decide to marry and procreate and this in turn affects the economy.  Similarly, it is shifts in the economy that affect when people marry and if they can afford to have children and be able to properly provide for these children.   It is at this point where culture and economics intersect that the governments of these countries feel the impetus to do something to avoid a pending economic doom. I thought your idea of opening borders to allow an influx of people to immigrate is an interesting one.  We have seen that in other countries such as Germany for example, which also has a low birthrate and so has let immigrants come in, this influx has created shifts in the culture of that country.  If Asian countries open their borders to immigrants, this action will allow for more cultural shifts and in attitudes in the people of these countries.  I find this relationship between culture and economics an interesting one.

[Jacqueline Mercado]

The 1920 article on freeing slave girls caught my interest.  I am curious about who the author of this article is as it doesn't state the name of the writer in the article.  I find the ideas presented in this text very interesting.  Clearly the author believes that the act of holding girls as slaves  is morally reprehensible and must come to an end.  How she proposes that this be carried out is interesting.  She states that these girls are uneducated and that they take advantage of their masters by their carelessness and immoral behavior and that this is due not to their own fault but it is their masters' fault.  These girls only act like this because they were not taught to behave respectfully because they have not been treated respectfully.  Because these girls are weak, uneducated and behave badly, it is in their master's best interest to release them and educate them.  She frames her argument to say that it is in the larger society's best interest to stop this tradition of enslaving girls for the larger good of all.  She then states that it is the women who should lead the liberation cause.  She appeals to women's reasonableness and sensibility to carry out this mission.  If all women join the cause, then if some do not, they will be pressured to by the example of the other women who do.  I find her arguments to be intriguing and inspiring.  I would like to include this reading in my lessons as the text is easy to read and students can easily relate to the ideas presented here.  If I were to design a lesson in the treatment of women and gender equality, I would include this reading as part of our study. 

[Valerie Doby]

I think I would like to find different maps and let the students find what is different then have them discuss in groups why the maps would be different.  Then have the students try to decide which map goes to which country.  

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