[Margaret Siryj]

I read the article in the "Economist" about the rising divorce rate in China.  Traditional Chinese culture and norms dictated that couples stay together for the long haul, and make it work.  However, more recently, Chinese couples are bucking the former system, and getting divorced in record numbers.  The Chinese government is working hard to change the current trend in hopes of keeping couples together, but the article pointed out one twosome with the wife beating her husband repeatidly,  The article pointed out that "China is the easiest and cheapest place" to get a divorce.  

I plan to use this article in my classroom as a comparison between China and US divorces.  At the beginning of this school year, I conducted a student survey and one of the questions was aimed at delicately finding out the composition of my students' families.  I am the only person who know the information, and my students know I am confidential about their personal business.  I was surprised because most of my students, a significant percentage came from a blended or divorce situation at home.  If this is the new normal for Chinese children and their parents, how will they cope, and how do they perform overall in school?  Even though the article mentioned that divorce takes place because of the migration from rural to urban areas, how does this affect kids and their social-emotional needs?

 

 

[Margaret Siryj]

My first card notes, " Develop the revolution, improve the production, labor, ready for war, and do every aspect of work well".  The educator and lifelong learner in me who enjoys digging deeper and geeking out had to read the captions before choosing which two cards to pick.  The card features six individuals, four males and two females.  One of the females is quite young and donning a ponytail.  She looks to be under 10 years old.  The other female has a sort of overall or work type garb and has her hair contained in a bandana away from her face.  She appears to be a worker and is smiling because she is enjoying what her job is, and like the caption reads, doing her work "well".  The remaining four males appear to be performing different roles.  One of them is in a uniform, complete with brandishing a weapon.  Another man appears to be a worker and again, quite happy.  A third and forth seem to be the same approximate age, around 25 -30 years old and perhaps, supervisors or lead personnel in their factory.  The background piqued my interest because a bridge is in front of a mountain range.  One of these supervisors or a sort of leadership role is carrying a book.  All six individuals are content, happy, and satisfied.  Truly they fit the propaganda that is advertising to work hard, improve the production to experience economic growth and economic development.  The final part of the card reads to be ready in all aspects so the image of different gender and ages ties in well with the content written.  

In the 1950s and 60s, Mao Zedong was on a mission to amalgamate farmland into communes that contained a number of family units who engaged in agriculture.  Unfortunately, all these plans to reform farming wound up creating widespread famine in China during the mid to late twentieth century.  Mao Zedong had an Agrarian Reform Law and this gave land to peasants and were able to bring charges against their landlords.  Chairman Mao wanted people to share the work along with tools and machinery for a common goal.  It was all about collectivisation which was a backlash to agrarian reforms.

I plan to use this card in my classroom when my World History students study the Cold War.  We normally talk about Cuba, but having these propaganda cards will enhance instruction.  Students will be able to compare/contrast WWII posters from the 1940s and with Chinese propaganda posters from the 1950s and 60s.  

An interesting time line http://www.johndclare.net is contained at this website.  The information is presented well and easy for a World History student, my 10th graders to understand.

[Margaret Siryj]

I found the morning session most interesting.  I teach Economics, and just this week one of my 12 th graders asked me why teachers get paid so much more than working as a minimum wage earner.  I have discovered that the majority of my students do not have a clue to that is involved with being an educator at the secondary level.  As I reflected over her question the realization hit again.  When someone sees or experiences a professional at work, it appears that it is easy to replicate and do what is being witnessed.  It became a teachable moment and I stopped lecturing about supply and demand, although there are aspects that can be easily be tied together.  I went off the agenda and spent time discussing economic growth and how a country uses labor as a unit to measure input and output.  My students know that I am taking this course and used the Chinese as a reference point.  I tied in working longer and harder, as well.  I used the hamburger analogy mentioned in class, and tied it to uniformity.  Economic development is about improving, and thus, achieving a better living standard because more options occur.  I discussed how each of my students (this classes' roster is 38) is a unique individual and with this concept, comes tremendous variables.  With this, a teacher needs more of a complicated skill set whereas, the minimum wage earner at a fast food franchise makes a uniform, "the same" frozen, out of the freezer hamburger.  It was great because I was able to demonstrate, and truly relate to my whole class why futhering their education is imperative.  With education, they know that a higher value is placed on their labor.  It was a great discussion and my seniors "got it".

[Margaret Siryj]

The card you are referencing is what occured in China in the late twentieth century.  The propaganda cards, originally posters as mentioned by Dr. Dube reflected a time in Chinese history that focused on advancing the agricultural sector.  This sector was motivated at both the local and country level.  Chairman Mao was interested and focused primarily on agriculture.  However, sadly his efforts and thrust did not pay off as history reflects that widespread famine occurred throughout China.  The tractor you mentioned highlights the goal of mechanization throughout China at the helm of Mao Zedong. 

 http://www.johndclare.net/China6.htm

This website had interesting information that expanded on changes under Mao III:  Agriculture 1950-62

[Margaret Siryj]

I couldn't agree more with you, Mario!

Reading this article was quite surprising.  I knew little about the Korean conflict, and became shocked upon reading the details of the war and the timeline of the events leading up to the hard fought battle.  Confucianism philosophy states that intellectual pursuits are important.  When the North Koreans rounded up the intellectuals and politicians, this was a direct hit to Korean Confucianism ideals.  The overwhemingly sad part is the fact that three years past with constant contest between the North and South that "solved nothing".  What was the total damage?  One needs to think of the other ideals including nature.  It is hard to imagine how torn up Korea became after this terrible war.

[Margaret Siryj]

In response to "Top Ten Things in the 21st Century article from The Korea Society, it struck me that Numbers 3, 4 and 5 speak to the notion that the ideology of Confucianism has remained relatively strong on the Korean Peninsula.  Number three was interesting and noteable because "scholarship was important" to early Koreans.  This was shown in the movie, "YMCA Baseball" when the young man became conflicted with his career choices.  His father, a scholar felt strongly about his son choosing the same path, and with future plans of becoming the head scholar of his school.  The son saw Baseball and decided this would be his future destiny.  In the movie, the father decides to show up to one of his son's games to see what "the hype" was all about.  In the end, the son goes with honoring his dad and taking over the scholar role and school.

One of the ideals of Confucianism promotes loyalty, and in the article Number 4 staates that the fourth century ushered in this philosophy of service to leaders.  By leaders, I am referring to the leadership that was shown to the son by the father in "YMCA Baseball".  Even though the movie was set in early 20th century, Seoul, the philosophy stands today.  The article stated that children should "accept paternal leadership".  The important idea to remember is Confucianism is hierarchal and the father was known to sociey as a "scholar leader".  Even though the son faced an internal conflict, he ultimately, did what was expected of him under Confucianism. 

Number 4 was thought provoking because teachers use the outside to provide learning opportunities for their students.  In my classroom, I plan to use our campus to allow students a different environment, and change things around by asking my World History sophomores to read aloud while outdoors and continue with a debriefing on what they thought about this change of venue.  My campus is awesome and we have a koi pond that contains quite a few fish.  I have never thought about taking my class outside, but plan to do so while enjoying the subtle movements of the fish.  Number 4 totally caught my attention, and think my students will enjoy the class period, or perhaps, part of the period to do this. 

 

 

[Margaret Siryj]

The article regarding central government and Zhang Zhidong (1837-1909) was thought provoking because it involved launching reforms without losing vision of Confuscianism.  Confuscianism thought during this approximately 65 -70 year period of Zhidong power focused on political and cultural ideas.  Self strengthening wanted to bolster Parliament, both Lower and Upper by appointed channels.  Lower Parliament included ways and means while Upper included legislature.  Strengthening within can begin with government as the overseers of the people of China.  Bolstering was the way to "save China".  Prior to this period, Mercantile Companies had a component of trickery and deceiving individuals.  One of the ways this was accomplished included "bogus stocks" meaning ownership of enterprises were synthetically made and not genuine stock.  Zhidong was interested in "stomping out counterfeit".  As a strengthener, I would hire a team of investigators and reward them for each counterfeiter seized and brought to justice.   Strengthening would include prosecuting to the highest extent of the law to ensure a deterrent to future counterfeiters.  Merchantile Companies would be rewarded for new innovation that improved our product output, creative ways for rooting out tricksters, and ways to improve productivity.  

Schools were a part of Zhidong government, but widespread schooling, including college/university would improve intellectual pursuits.  It is important to work on encroaching of foreigners as the article points out as vis a vis the French Revolution was about the sans coulette, the ignorant who would eventually become "min quan", people power and become rebellious toward the government.  The Tongmeng Revolution Proclamation of 1907 wanted to strengthen the borders.  This is a good strategy for us as the self-strengtheners.  By increasing our sense of nationalism, building our nation (min za) we can avoid a civil war from the reformers, and resist the rebels who are interested in robbing and plunder.

[Margaret Siryj]

Reflecting on Choson from 1392 - 1910 was an interesting time in Korean history because present day Seoul and the monopoly of power within elite yangban families was ushered in during this a pproximately five hundred year period.  More interesting to me was during this second kingdom of Korean history was the changes women experienced because of Manchu Qing.  However, perhaps the most interesting of the time period was the stratification of classes.  Royals were at the top of the hierarchal platform, with scholar officials next.  After the scholar officials, Chugin, as Dr. Kim lectured were the "middle people", the real workers in the government along with concubines whom negotiated position .  Concubines have had their place in history and continue to do so, even though it is not necessarily highlighted in contemporary history.  The commoners were intriguing because peasants and artisans were highly regarded due to the fact that Confuscian honored the hardest working Koreans of the day.  Along with the peasants, artisans were highly focused because the hard labor they exhibited.  Finally, merchants were less revered as they merely sold what the peasants grew and the artisans manufactured or made.  Contrast that to today and in the US, this way of thinking, generally speaking does not hold true.  Merchants tend to be regarded as more sophisticated than many farmers, and true artisans either work for custom made projects or may have challenges finding enough customers to sell their wares.  The lowborns had to remain in their position and were stuck there for life while the slaves were the common criminals.  As nineteenth century commenced, the complex government lent itself to problems.  When problems occur, people can be more open-minded about changes especially in light of local corruption.

[Margaret Siryj]

Ingrid,

Your post provided some good you tube resource clips for my 12th grade Economics students!  I was surprised to learn from Dr. Dube and the CNN article from 2017 that China is facing some of the same concerns that we as Southern Californian residents are grappling with today.  The article mentions that Mao back in the 1950's was determined to disport the water from the rain drenched North to the arid South, but the project was projected to cost 80 billion dollars.  As you may know, here in So Cal in the 1990s a massive water creation project was initiated and now assisting with the precious resource, water.  The water collected in Riverside County offsets some of the reliance that we previously had with resources from Lake Havasu. 

My students will be graduating soon and this information will have an impact on thier daily lives especially since many of my seniors are planning to attend college/university here in Southern California.  I am hopeful that the awareness of the water shortage literally creates a "ripple effect" and my 12th graders can share their knowledge with family, friends, and roommates.

 

[Margaret Siryj]

The 2017 CNN News article on The China Water Crisis peaked my interest and was timely because this past week in my Economics class taught to high school seniors, the subject of water came up in a class discussion.  Economics is the study of choosing how to appropriately allocate limited resources, natural and human.  Factors of production include the idea of “scarcity” meaning “the limited amounts of resources to meet unlimited desires” (Prentice Hall, Economics Principles in Action, 2007).  Many of my students were quite surprised when I stated that the majority of the water they use for daily needs comes from Lake Havasu, Arizona. 

The morning session with Dr.Dube was an eye opener because I did not realize that China was grappling with the same question and concern that Southern Californians are dealing with and how to increase awareness to all citizens.  Chairman Mao’s plan to disport the water flow from the wetter North to the arid South.  A comparison can be drawn with local economics and resources.  In the 1990’s California and the Department of Water and Power built a dam in Riverside County to offset some the need from Arizona.

In my classroom throughout the semester we will be pursuing the topic of natural resources, and this article reflecting the same problem and concern affects citizens around the world exposes and highlights a precious commodity: water.  I plan to use this article and ask my students to research and draw comparisons and contrasts to California and China and the water crisis.  At the conclusion of their research, I am thinking to ask an essential question such as, “California and China:  Should I limit my daily shower(s), Why/Why Not?  Students will submit their findings and will present their evidence to the whole class.

 

[Margaret Siryj]

Hello!

I teach W History and Economics and looking forward to meet everyone!

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