Sessions 5 & 6 - Cultural Revolution, 3/25

[Anonymous]

That's really hilarious that they have that there! Next time I go see that I'll have to watch for it. Thanks for sharing!

[Anonymous]

Learning about the Cultural Revolution was very eye opening to me. I never knew so many people were oppressed and killed under Mao Tse-tung ruling. Having the speakers present on their own experiences made my learning that much more meaningful. It was great to see how Sidney showed great passion and enthusiasm when sharing his experiences. I found it interesting how remembers dates and years vividly. As Yulin spoke, I felt the love and loyalty she had for her husband and her family. She endured lots of sacrifices in order to keep her husband safe. These actions spoke volumes to me and helped me understand that these were very hard times for all families, but especially one like theirs. I also never knew people used the “Red Book” to follow Mao’s teaching.

[Anonymous]

*Session 5&6: China Cultural Revolution
This session was especially interesting to learn about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. It is a topic that I never learned in school, and I believe that teaching about it is imperative. It’s an important part of world history that doesn’t get acknowledged enough in American public education. Learning about the Chinese Cultural Revolution, our students would be able to draw connections from what has happened in history, to things going on in our world today. Students can recognize certain patterns in history that repeat themselves.

[Anonymous]

What I found compelling about the Chinese Cultural Revolution was to learn about the ‘Embodied Memory’ or bodily (painful and/or joyful) experience of people who have personally experienced the Cultural Revolution. Their memory of the past becomes part of them, and their experiences “engraved on their hearts and bones”. It’s interesting to realize how humans can be physically affected by such traumas from the past. I believe that’s a concept that young school children may not be developmentally ready to learn about, however it’s a great topic for exploration in the field of psychology.

[Anonymous]

I'm not too familiar with high school literature, however I think there can be some major connections with George Orwell's "1984" if that can be incorporated into high school curriculum. The book lends itself perfectly for students to build connections to the Chinese Cultural Revolution. For example: just like in the story, Mao gave people the right to rebel, and the youth turned against parents and teachers and any person who’s thoughts, actions, or habits differed from those of the red guards.

[Anonymous]

Although the Cultural Revolution was a time of much suffering for many people, I found it interesting to hear about the positive effects of the Cultural Revolution. One positive effect was that it got the Chinese people to be more open-minded instead of believing the leaders and following everything they were being told. Another positive effect was that it changed the economy of China from not only being agricultural, and opening more possibilities to form a new life in China.

[Anonymous]

A good question proposed to Professor Yang is about how can people live next door to those who persecuted their families and is it just “amnesia” as he stated or is it something else.? Do they want to forgive or are the younger people ignoring what happened to the older generation? Is it a coping mechanism because the Communist Party is still in power and they do not want what happened to happen again?

[Anonymous]

I never knew so many stipulations were placed on the films that were allowed to be shown in China today. I suppose it is my naivete on the subject of China. This is why I took this seminar to truly understand about China and the cultural differences and similarities that we have. I enjoyed learning about the different films and how they related to the topics that China finds interesting and/or important. All this information is fascinating to my ignorant self.

[Anonymous]

What was considered true during the cultural revolution is what Chairman Mao said. That was a very strongman statement. It really resonates during this era of fake news. What is true is not so much what is backed by evidence, but what aligns with what people already believe. Likewise, the person letting the truth is not the person who has the most reliable facts, it is the person who ideologically aligns with one. It was eerie reading this statement.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I cannot believe I had zero background knowledge on the Cultural Revolution. It is simply not covered,
which is why we signed up for this institute. The personal accounts, readings, and dialogue surrounding this
moment in history was awe-inspiring and poignant. I appreciate the openness and authentic connection that
the speakers and professors shared during their lectures.

[Anonymous]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUCEeC4f6ts

I've already commented in this thread but I thought I'd share this useful resource that outlines, very quickly, the major aspects of the cultural revolution. I like to download these clips directly using KEEPVID.COM and use VLC Media Player to slow them down to speed where students can easily digest the material. If you need any help with this please feel free to message me.

[Anonymous]

Talk about amazing to hear direct from the source. Really interesting to see the perspective of how the CR was very negative. The shear size and scope and devastation is the amazing part that is often not discussed, though should be incorporated more in comparison to Stalin and WWII. It was interesting to hear how people were taken down and leaders were all taken away, creating a void. Interesting how China was able to stay so strong even when most of the leaders were removed.

[Anonymous]

i have always flirted with use of film in class to depict culture and point of view, and this lesson did a great job showing me why having clips from multiple sources can really show so many perspectives. Incorporating old movies also allows students to see how perspectives and depictions changed over time, a critical skill.

[Anonymous]

The films presented were powerful. I think it is important to show students clips of films to be able to portray topics, events, and regions presented in class. Films provide a perspective that students would not be able to get through a reading or through a lecture. However, sometimes it is difficult finding films that are appropriate for the class. I will look further into these films to be able to use in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

I thought this was very insightful and I'd like to use it in my class. Not necessarily as an academic lesson, but as a personal/character building exercise. Thanks!

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