Session #3 - March 12

[Margaret Siryj]

Dr. Dube raised an interesting question when he highlighted the presentation slide of the breakup of communes.  The communes were disbanded from 1978-1984, and it is the idea that we as educators should discuss with our students what is more important: qualitative work vs quantitative work.  Yes, we need both, but it seems that some students can have an enabled attitude meaning that just because they produce a piece of work that is marginal, at best, they should be highly rewarded with a great grade.  As teachers, it is important to show what you are expecting with samples, using examples that are of highest quality so students rise to the expectation.  

In the online lecture, Dr. Dube mentioned the Chinese internet stars and how they are rewarded by financial means, as well as gifting.  It is interesting that some of my students seem to think that being an internet star or influencer, a person who promotes a particular product is making easy money.  This way of making an income is attractive to some of them, but when I tell them how many days a week and the number of hours a day influencers spend promoting, it is no longer that attractive.  Unfortunately, students who are living under their parents' roofs have little idea of how their parents have to hustle and work hard to make it happen.  My seniors do a research project on just how expensive it is to rent and maintain an apartment.  It is truly an eye-opener, and they go back to their parents with a whole new appreciation to what it takes to get food on the table.  

[Chris Hertzog]

Very helpful and thought provoking discussion tonight in the seminar on bringing up all the different angles and aspects on teaching on China... or anywhere for that matter.  But ya with China, how do we in such limited class time, teach on such a massive country with so much cultural history, languages, regions and diverse economic and financial situations.

When teaching on any part of the world outside of someone's home culture, I always start my classes with the saying, "It might be different, but that does not make it wrong."  I have found that lowers some of the walls and especially for those in my classes that may be from that culture we are talking about and they have something to add or something to correct and explain.  Breaking down stereotypes seems to be the first task and then trying to get at the info.

I try not to shock and awe too much, but often those short attention grabbers can reel in students and get their interest going.  I have really appreciated both USC-China courses I have had for that reason.  I have grabbed so many articles, vid clips and anectdotes to use in class, which has made the task of prepping and covering such an amazing country and society much, much more fun to do.

[clay dube]

Hi Folks,
Great discussion - please keep it going here.

I mentioned two places that teachers liked, in part because they looked the way they expected China to look.

Lijiang - UNESCO/NHK video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=QBlwdphynLY

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/811/

Pingyao -- https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/812

NHK video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjAb8vmiocI

I would remind everyone that it isn't just foreigners who find these places and a life/culture they find different and interesting. Many Chinese are similarly drawn to such destinations.

[clay dube]

Chris offers an important reminder. It's sometimes hard for students to understand that difference has many sources, including historical factors and choices. The past is a challenge for some students. We need to nourish imagination and acceptance. The Chinese government promotes an idea of 和而不同 which is the idea that we need not be the same to live in harmony. I think most of us would subscribe to that idea. Now, we see this idea not being implemented within China (e.g., re-education camps), but it was promoted at the time of the 2008 Olympics as a way of suggesting that different governance systems could be valid and that not everyone had to get on board the same bus/train. That said, China has signed on to a number of UN conventions on human rights, etc. that include the term universal.

[Judy Schechter]

If you're curious.  This sign is used in China as well.  Again, it seems that the signer is drawing the seam of a cheongsam across her chest.

https://www.handspeak.com/word/search/index.php?id=385

[clay dube]

Judy asks about what counts as pornography or obscenity. In the US, standards vary from community to community. This is true in China in terms of what people think and do, but with easier transmission of ideas has come a lot of things the government seeks to keep out. There was a time when an onscreen kiss would never have been permitted, but it is acceptable now. Because China doesn't have an age-linked rating system, films are supposed to be made for general audiences. There are discussions about how Chinese versions of games are a bit different from those outside China (this gamer's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aycxWsFMD_o)  .

Porn exists in China, of course - often on internet bar servers, and some Japanese porn stars have attracted a big following, but my sense is that it isn't as prevalent as in the US.

 

[clay dube]

Official Chinese government statement on religion and freedom of belief: https://china.usc.edu/chinas-policies-and-practices-protecting-freedom-religious-belief

Xi Jinping sees potentially subversive foreign influences in many places, including Protestant churches:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001240/official-head-chinas-protestant-churches-says-religions-must-be

An 3 years ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/world/asia/china-christians-zhejiang.html

An even earlier story (some of the churches are astonishingly big: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1536757/more-zhejiang-churches-be-torn-down-demolition-campaign

 

[Brett Kier]

If had to venture a guess, it would appear that there are competing interests at play. China clearly finds financial support from NGOs beneficial, so long as it does not interfere with China's political aims. However, it is well known that Western NGOs are swimming with agent provocateurs (read irony: "Russia meddling in US elections"). Spy games, frenemies, and convenient friendships seem to rule many of the relationships between countries. The Israelis were caught spying inside the US in the biggest spy operation in US history since the Cold War, but the US-Israel relationship is still “stronger than ever”. One way the contradiction you point out makes sense if of the unit of analysis is not the nation-state, but global capital interests, who only have ad hoc loyalty to the countries from which they originated.

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