I found the "I vs We" discussion fascinating because past generations in many east Asian countries focused on the "We" mentality. An individual's actions usually represented a collective group and so, I feel, people were careful not to offend anyone else or partake in actions that would make the "We" look bad. Over time, in China as we have read and heard, there has been a switch to focusing more on the individual and developing one's self. This discovery of the self, borrowing from western ideals, has resulted in an acceptance and tolerance of those things that were once viewed as being vices. When teaching students about progress and self-development, I think it would be acceptable to use China as an example of a changing modern society.
I found Mr. Yan's presentation very informative. It was fascinating to learn that in order to become a full person one has to go through certain stages: getting married, producing a male child, make sure to have your offspring gets married, and produces a male descendant. It was sad to hear that even though a person could have been a homosexual,they were forced to put their individual needs aside, get married to straight woman and produce a child in sake of helping their fathers to become a full person. I wonder how my students will respond learning this information.Today's generation is 180 Degree opposite to this... It would of made the American culture/life a little bit better if the younger generation wasn't so self centered and was focused on family/community unit.
I am very interested in the effects of migration on children once they are left behind. In a Latin American seminar that I attended, we learned about the social emotional effects of parental migration. Some of the main issues that children experienced were a feeling of abandonment, drug abuse, poverty, etc. And when children were reunited with their parents, they often have difficulty overcoming the feelings of abandonment, because they lacked communication and connection with their parents while they were away. I didn’t know about the rural to urban migration in China, but I would imagine that they have similar end results. In an article published by the China Labour Bulletin, it seems like there are similar issues with these Chinese children. I wonder what the Chinese government is doing to address these issues, if anything?
Link: http://www.clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-their-children
Professor Yan's lecture on the "individual in traditional Chinese" society provided answers to questions I have been contemplating for a while now . The two parts that really resonants with me was the "great self" and the "full person". Being born into a traditional Asian family, my parents have always lecture their children about the importance of family and self-sacrifice for the greater good, which usually ties back to the family again. Being an Asian female, my parents have pushed the idea of marriage my whole life. It got worse after I graduated college and now has become a routine subject in our conservations. I always thought my parents had nothing better to do than to nag me about marriage and about continuing the family's name. Professor Yan has given me insight to my parents mentality and perspective. Chinese culture has a large influence on my family's traditions and beliefs. This idea of becoming a "full person" maybe something my parents are thinking about subconsciously?
What I understood from his presentation the more the individualized the individual the more the individual has to work to keep up with his needs. Which at times leads to overworking.
Professor Yan talked about individualization in Chinese society. He explained that based on this principle, individuals who recognize this as a selfless conduct that must address the loyalty to his/her family. In terms of social responsibility, people in China must devote their lives to help others at the same time that they work hard to fulfill their family and their needs. It was also mentioned that in a traditional China individuals are driven by incentives, and if given the opportunity, the more they work, the the stronger the incentives. These is very empowering for individuals who try to provide a better life for their loved ones.
This is a great topic for discussion in class with high school students who in the US, since this generation has been enjoying of the western social and economic bonanza without really fighting for anything. I really would like to have a discussion with students about the four ropes of traditional Chinese society (political, religious, kinship, and gender power). They should be able to collaborate with partners in finding key points within the traditional Chinese society and the traditional societies in the western hemisphere. They should be able to learn about the socio-cultural privileges we currently enjoy as society vs. the traditional Chinese society.
Professor Yan's talk on Globalization and the Individual in China was so helpful and illuminating. What I appreciated most was learning more about some of the misconceptions (I held) about communism, socialism and capitalism as distinctly different ideologies. There's clearly so much "gray area" that it's easier to see how a capitalist market economy can function in a communist governed society. There is indeed room for individuality in China as long as it doesn't ruffle the feathers of the powers that be. It will be interesting to see in 50 years where we (in the U.S.) are compared to PRC; I would bet we will be even more similar culturally than dissimilar, which is both exciting and sad.
There is a lot of material to use to spark discussion and debate with my students in a very simple compare and contrast model. However there is also a lot of room to explore individual topics in further depth as mini-research units. I want to learn more about China's place in the greater Pacific Rim. I do have more questions about why China hasn't really accomplished what South Korea seems to have accomplished lately in terms of cultural spread; is it because they don't have to???
I was also fascinated by the idea of "ancestors" and what it meant to be a "person" in China. It really made me think about my own upbringing and what my Chinese grandfather did for my father's generation and also for mine. The way my generation of cousins have been set up for success in our society by my grandfather's generation, in concert with today's lecture and readings, have really given me pause to reflect on whether I'm doing enough for not my own children but my future grandchildren. Admittedly, I was NOT raised to keep future generations in mind, but rather focus on being in the moment more (and being the best person I can be). It's sad that so much of my "culture" is lost on my generation. I'm half Chinese and half Japanese, in my late 30s. I wonder how many people like me feel the same about their own generation and cultural heritage?
I find that the reversal of the hierarchy pyramid from ancestor centered to grandchild and the possible implications for the future extremely intriguing, especially when it's complicated by the age of social media. I was also surprise of the findings that "the little emperor" generation in not as self-centered as one may have expected.
Chinese millennials, have attracted global attention because of their uniqueness. I have personally been interested in the XiaoHuangdi generation because most my Chinese friends fall under the category and I have heard about them so many times. What I have been told about them was pretty much 'the self-centered, unpredictable, and selfish generation'. I do not think I need to repeat what Pf. Yan said, but the last question that I wish I asked is "how will these millennials deal with the rest of the 21st century?". What the China experts think about their future and China which will be run by these young people for next few decades?
Professor's Yan presentation on the Chinese individual was really interesting I was a little shocked that traditional Chinese culture did not considered a 1 year old a human being, even after beginning to speak, they have to be presented to their ancestors, given a name. Someone doesn't become a human being until they have fulfilled all obligations and roles. I have a hard time accepting this way of thinking about a human being.
The presentation by Yunxiang Yan on Individualism in China was new to me as I am more likely to think of Western society when considering individualism. In teaching AP European History one of the important aspects of the course themes includes “Individualism and Prosperity.” Following this lecture, I think there are some very clear contrasts between the “individual” of Western society in comparison to the individual of traditional China. Even in comparing Maoist China 1949-1976, I think I personally picture the “individual” in relation to society and their obligation to others in society. One particular phrase shared by Mr. Yan that stood out to me was looking at the “The Chinese Individual as a process of becoming (rather than as a structure of being) and the central notion of making oneself a person.”
This is very different from an Americanized view of believing that we were born with a particular set of rights. The traditional Chinese views of abortion and marriage are also affected by the views of the individual. The idea that abortion is not viewed the same way as it is in other countries as a result of the fetus or newborn not being a “full person.” That everything is earned and there is no right to privilege. Also in that marriage, having a child, and having your child have a child, all are aspects that make someone more “full” as a person. On the other hand, if your child does not marry, when they should, it is viewed as a failure on the parent.
Question:
I know that much of this concept of the individual changed during the Maoist Era, but how much of these traditional views on marriage and abortion still exist to some extent today?
@skroop, after years of hearing my mother and sister complaining about food safety in Vietnam and China, I wasn't at all surprised with the paper written by Dr. Yan, in fact, I've seen the video of the shrimp injection before and was as disgusted as you were...there's a rice vermicelli that's called "bun" that is used in a lot of Vietnamese dishes. I can't digest bun anymore, it just solidifies in my stomach. My mom says that a chemical, probably formaldehyde, is used as a whitener and preservative. It's a shame because I love Vietnamese food, but now I have to be cautious about everything I eat from Vietnam and China.
@hlien, how self-centered to you think the "little emperors" of the youngest generation will grow to be? Ever wondered what became of the children of the helicopter parents? You guessed it, they're the Millennials...seriously, parents have to take some of the heat for how their kids turn out.
Dr. Yan is an incredibly sharp and incisive thinker and I found his paper on the food safety crisis in China academically imposing but otherwise well written and timely. His ideas on kinship and the Chinese family structure is intriguing to say the least. Coming from a Confucian society, Vietnam, I sometimes saw very similar attitudes in my parents, and to a lesser degree with my older siblings. It would have been fascinating to go deeper into the subject by looking at some examples of how these general attitudes are manifested in the ways individuals are treated based on their status in society, i.e. teacher, pupil, father, son, married or bachelor, etc..
edited by hdao on 7/27/2016