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Robert DocterI agree with your view that, "Additional freedoms given to anyone also creates stress". I think this oxymoron roots to the speed of the change in the Chinese middle-class. In the beginning of the article, it details how apartment buildings four years ago look dates, that oppurtunities are rampant, but because there's SO much change and progress, the stress to keep up to date and relevant is resulting in these stressors. I see it on a smaller scale here in Los Angeles, but the fact that these changes are occuring at an alarmingly shorter time than what was experienced in America over a longer span of time, explains the consequences of the speed and middle-class pressures to perform.
Robert DocterI had similar reactions to reading the excitement of the youth, but I think it's a result of indoctrination but also the fact that young people are part of a movement, travelling far with others in excitement and similar age groups. I think those who joined the movement refused to look at the negative side affects because of the indoctrination itself.
I read this and couldn't help but to think of the new "Jojo Rabbit" movie. The movie begins with a young boy's excitement to take part in a Nazi Youth training camp. The movie is satirical, but shows the silliness and of it all. I think the comparison of the red guard experiences versus the violence and struggles depicted in "Democracy Wall" reveal the harsher realities. It would be good to compare those sources to each other and discuss what's missing, why it's missing, because depicting partial truth reveals a tactic/reality in itself.
Robert DocterThanks for the ideas, Cynthia! Exploring bias is at the forefront of teaching history. I loved the ideas you shared in regards to the multiple perspectives. I was trying to think of ideas of different accounts of the cultural revolution and Great Leap Forward. It's hard to have the multiple perspectives in the media under a communist state controlling the media, but that's where primary sources such as journals, speeches, conversations, or posters are so important. Prof. Dube and the team do a fantastic job in providing those sources to this lesson and the others - especially with China which could be difficult to find multiple perspectives from inside China itself.
Robert DocterA major reason for taking this seminar was to get a modern understanding of China in 2019 and their progression going forward. This reading helped shape Xi Jingping's practices and mindset very well along with Prof. Dube's lesson of modern China.
A few things stand out that provided me with context for 2019 China: Xi is a leader of contuinity, and of disruption. It's this intresting scenario that, "everything has to change, so hat everything can remain the same" in order to preserve the ideologies while turning China into a global power by the party's 100th anniversary in 2049. This is seen in the last two decades as military spending and the overall economy has nearly quadrupled (military spending is at 110 billion versus 22 billion in 2002). Xi also uses force and intimidation to preserve and to build China. This is seen with slogans such as, "Chinese Dream", and his creation of a superstructure that includes, "...not only the political and legal system, but also culture and ideology". Prof. Dube mentioned this as well, but they're "changing to keep the same" China by dispatching officials permanently in 100 companies to "facilitate communication". This also provides me with the context of today's struggles, especially with Hong Kong, as Xi Jingping shapes the country's idealogy where, "We must also clearly see the ideological situation as a complicated, intense struggle.” The document envisages a multifaceted struggle against constitutional democracy and the notion of universal values, a dismantling of civil society, and strict controls on journalism and journalists to make sure they are loyal to the party"(4). In the words of this article, "China stood up under Mao Zedong, got rich under Deng Xiaoping, and is becoming powerful under Xi" which is currently capturing the global attention heading forward.
Robert DocterThe quote, "as if everything in America over fifty years were collapsed into a single decade" resonated with me too and the speed of a changing middle-class society in China.
This articles was interesting for me personally, and helped me understand modern-China the best out of the other excerpts. Bella, the focus of this excerpt from "Factory Girls..." is born the same year as myself. Hearing her daily life as a fifth grader, with all of its pressures, standardized tests, all with various scales and comparisons to others was shocking. I couldn't help to compare it to American life and my childhood. I couldn't say that it was the same, as it feels much more extreme in China, but I see glimpses of this culture.
A few moments stand out about the change in culture occuring in China (although this was from a time over a decade ago):
"45 percent of Chinese urban residenrs are at health risk due to stress. highest rates among high school students"
"Sons used to listen to their fathers. Now the fathers listen to their sons"
College aged Chinese of different genders living together before marriage.
"If you don't continue to upgrade and recharge... you'll be eliminated"
I found the excerpt very unsettling. But I had to realize that similar accounts are occuring in my life and the life of some of my students (to a degree) here in Los Angeles. The price of a middle-class, especially in a society sharply changing and progressing at tremendous speed has pros and cons. Perhaps the cons (at least in this reading) outweigh the good.
Robert DocterThanks for writing on this excerpt from "Last Days...", Dennis. I felt lots of similar struggles, conversations, and worries from the current waves of gentrification here in Los Angeles and other cities across the US. This is not to undermine the aggression and tremedous struggles occuring in Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, but the feelings of lost neighborhoods, connections, small family businesses, and affordability made me thing of our city to a degree. This also reminded me of the struggles Brazil's people went through when they transitioned the city heading into the Rio games in 2016: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/opinion/sunday/brazils-olympic-catastrophe.html -- Similar scenarios of low compensations and dislocation occured as, "According to a report released in November by an advocacy group that is monitoring the preparations for the Olympics, at least 4,120 families have been kicked out of their homes because of the Games. (The government disputes this number, saying that most of the displaced were moved because they lived in areas prone to flooding and landslides.) “In all cases, evictions occurred without residents’ access to information and without public discussion of the urbanization projects,” the report says. These families were often offered compensation well below their homes’ market value or, if they were lucky, new apartments in neighborhoods as far as 35 miles away".
Robert DocterI enjoyed the Democracy Wall source that Prof. Dube provided for this session. I previously mentioned a lesson plan idea for the red guards primary source reading. This reading would compliment that source very well as it shows a progression that the students can link the two with different ideas and themes for the time period. It provides the progression of sentiment and struggle from the 70s onwards. This source also stood out to me because I recently had a discussion with an old friend who attends UCSD, where students of the school constructed a similar democracy wall at the university to shed light on the Hong Kong protests, and the vandalizing of the wall after the first day from students who were anti-protests. The university is home to many international students including students from Hong Kong and China. Even college campuses here in the United States are experiencing the present tensions.
Robert DocterI wanted to share about use of the primary sources provided in this last session coupled with Prof. Dube's lesson. I found this lesson to be one of easier ones for me to bring directly into my 10th grade world history classroom as it goes into details about 20th century China including Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution - 2 events directly in the California Content Standards for Social Studies.
"Red Guards" primary source is organized in a way that makes for a great jigsaw activity for groups of three. Each student is assigned one of the first three readings in the pdf. Students will have to analyze and annotate their reading along with focusing on unifying themes. Themes can include the "4 olds", old vs new China, indoctrination, proletariat vs bourgeoisie and so forth. The first three readings detail primary accounts of those in the red guards. They express their devotion and feelings for involvement. They are accessible to most students, making it a solid resource. As students complete a graphic organizer of some sort with the themes you choose, they can come back together after sharing and read the last account on the Sept 11 massacre, the only one of the readings detailing violence on the red guards themselves.
I used this primary source as day's lesson on my unit on the Chinese Cultural Revolution. I also took ideas from Prof. Dube's presentation. I loved his use of Time magazine covers for instance when detailing the progression of events during the post WWII era in China.
Robert DocterUSC US-China Institute’s East Asia Since 1800 seminar provided extensive resources and ideas in teaching East Asian history in the classroom. Although I teach high school history, my content knowledge of East Asian History was very limited. It’s my first year teaching, and my undergraduate History major focused on US History. Therefore, I was severely lacking in the East Asian History field! Thanks to this seminar, I have access to resources, lesson plan ideas, readings, and future opportunities when teaching East Asian History. The seminar created a round and robust basis to work with.
Prof. Dube introduced a variety of teaching techniques that complimented the material very well. The encounter activity was a great technique for debates and conversations, with questions in the DOK 3 and 4 level. For my high school students, these activities are especially crucial and important. Prof. Dube and his colleagues also provided a variety of different historical topics when building a basis for the content. This included primary source analysis, pictures, posters, art, architecture, culture, and current events. This approach was a fantastic model for me as I begin a career in teaching.
For specific implementation of content in my class, there was a wide variety of topics that fits directly in a high school world and US history class. For world, I plan to bring in the Cultural Revolution, Great Leap Forward, Japan’s industrial rise in the 1800s/1900s, the imperialism of Japan and China, Cold War tensions and relations on the Chinese and Korean fronts, and stretching to the modern issues between Korea, Japan, and China. A few memorable moments that I’ll try and emulate include Japan’s Black Ships picture along with details of its industrialization, the 20th century Time magazine covers that Prof. Dube presented, and the modern day look at Korea’s cultural and economic rise.
For my US class, Prof. Yamashita’s lesson stands out. His work with journals from the Japanese WWII homefront experience would compliment well with a look into U.S.’s homefront in a comparison lesson. Additionally, the Japan-US relations after WWII would fit into the US course. Although a stretch, a comparison of industrialization of Japan and the US during the late 1800s/early 1900s could also work.
Overall, this was my first salary point class! And it went way beyond my expectations. The content and experiences deeply enriched my knowledge and teaching practices. Thank you to the USC-US China Institute team! I look forward to exploring future seminar oppurtunities and workshops.
Robert Docter
Hong Kong Protest, Largest in Weeks, Stretches Several Miles
Chinese news has been especially present in the New York Times in recent months. Back in November, the times devoted a Sunday cover page plus digital database of leaked Xinjiang papers detailing the persecution of ethnic minorities in the country. Since June, multiple American media outlets have been covering the Hong Kong protests. As I was deciding to pick an article, I chose today’s NYT update on Hong Kong as 800,000 protestors took the streets— a sign that demonstrations continue with no sign of weakening as the protests enter its sixth month.
The article provides a simple update, but with signs of no compromises between protestors and the Chinese government. Coinciding with Human Rights Day, a rare approval allowed the mass protest that stayed relatively peaceful despite previous violent and fatal clashes between police and protestors.
The concerning details of the article point to the little signs of any progress despite some recent victories in local elections in favor of democracy advocates, this weekend’s demonstrations showed no signs of letting up. The article exchanged quotes and perspectives from both sides. Both are rigid in standing strong, with little evidence of compromise. Protestors warn of escalating demonstrations including altering transportation tomorrow morning (Monday, 12/8). The Chinese government accuses protestors of public safety concerns in justifying their actions and lack of compromise.
Sadly, Hong Kong has now faced a recession due to protests as its affected tourism. According to this article, Chinese protestors may want Hong Kong to continue suffering. The strict policies of Xi Jingping and government don’t want to back down and remain steadfast in their agenda, and possibly to flex their power to the wider world. I commend the protestors and their continued demonstrations despite the little sign of compromise.
In meeting standards, bringing this article in the classroom may be a challenge. However, it provides a glimpse into the wider globalized world. The article depicts struggles of American business leaders located in Hong Kong. It provides the struggle between peaceful and violent protests. I see myself using this or similar material as an end of the year lesson as both my world and US history classes end with the modern worlds.
Robert DocterI think it's also hard to consistently rise and rise and always expect growth. I was trying to understand the reading from this session, and it was explaining the factors of the Japanese economy after they eased away from the American intervention. It seems that they depend on the new industries. Yes, Japan is a frontrunner for innovative technology and ideas, but are they approaching a ceiling? Is the ceiling being brought down due to an aging population along with a culture of overworking emplyees? It's interesting to see the next twenty years for Japan, especially with local competition in Korea.
Robert DocterI was struck by the cost of the economical success to the public enjoyment as well. Thanks for bringing this question up.
The increase in production demands since the 40s and the 50s, with the rise in the 90s has created new challenges for Japan and the rest of the world. One of the many factors for the economy is new industries. Communities dependent on a specific industry could be wiped out due to sudden changes. Additionally, the combination of an aging population and rise/overbuilding in cities is creating an enormous strain where, "The aging of the population made it harder to shift workers to new skills quickly, creating an atmosphere of human disposability with painful implications for both economic efficiency and personal satisfaction." They're also facing a problem that most countries will increasingly face which is the depletion of resources, distruction of natural resources and lands, combined with climate change. Perhaps new industries for Japan to explore is to look at the growing dependency of renewable resources and provide products for the rest of the world.
Robert DocterThe articles on, "Ridding China of Bad Customs" gave me reminders of the American suffragist and women's rights movements as well. I wasn't able to use Jin's address in the debate, but I wish us radicals voiced it up specifically as I look back! But Jin and the other accounts are accessible for my students, and a good resource when bringing in cultural and social issues during the late 1800s. Bringing in the multiple accounts about footbinding, regulations of marriage, tensions with fathers when having a female daughter, etc. would resonate well with a world history class on this topic. The power in Jin's words resonate so simply and strong, "Dear sisters...". It would be interesting to find accounts of Jin's influence throughout other countries' women's rights movements as well.
Robert DocterThe breakdown of China when we counted the border countries provided a simple yet revealing detail of their global influence long before them being the economical and political powerhouse today. More so, this excercise helped me when distributing map activities to my students. Not only focusing on the country(s) themselves, but the various borders, shared rivers, oceans, etc. For instance, understanding the Indian and Chinese border tensions, especially with water resources. A good warm up for China would be to show the snow/icy pictures, desert pictures, city pictures, and have students guess what oe country contains the variety of landscapes.
Robert DocterAs I'm reviewing this seminar, I look back to this session to find material to bring into my current US History class, specifically the Japan Times article. As it provides the frustrations and barriers between a Korean, Chinese, and Japanese young person living in Japan, the relatability to similar discussions in America makes the article a good resource for my US class. For context, we finished the Industrial Revolution/Gilded Age which included a dive into immgration in American History, including a present-day analysis. I look to this article as a future resource because it'll provide a relatable voice for many of my students. Many of my students expressed the frustrations of immigrating as a child but not having a chance to vote when they turn 18 next year. The article relates to the students of mine who have spent most of their lives growing up in America and no this country's culture more than their birth-home country. The article details the three's response including a social media campaign which would be good for my students to read, relate to, and gain another voice and perspective to an issue that relates to them.
