The Progression of Gender and Generation

The USC China/US Summit series seminar is a close interactive study and/or experience that delves into the historical and contemporary significance of gender roles and their generational evolutions as they specifically relate to the political, economic, social and spiritual/religious timelines of Chinese, Korean and Japanese cultures and/or civilizations.  The opportunity to participate and learn from the guest lecture speakers was invaluable to my curricula as a 7^th grade World History teacher.  My reflection on how best to integrate what I learned into my teaching practice, specifically when covering China, Korea and Japan, will offer my students the opportunity to benefit further as they examine these civilizations during the Middle Ages.

               Much of what I enjoyed discussing and contemplating throughout the week’s seminar involved interpreting and/or understanding the scope of what brought the current modern circumstances that are revealed in contemporary China, Korea and Japan.  The different paths taken by each with the influence of cultural diffusion from, specifically the West, is of particular interest to me.  Although most of this personal interest is not pertinent to the curricula I teach and, therefore, not directly relative to my students, it nevertheless offers me a newfound perspective on how to approach teaching the past as a vehicle for relating to the present we find ourselves from the global standpoint. 

            From Day 1 of the seminar, Professor Yan established the concept of how patriarchal hierarchy in China was established and offered a clear origin for what would become traditional female roles in both the family and society as a whole.  The understanding of how the family unit was comprised in terms of its hierarchy explains how certain social structures were established early on in Chinese civilization, which offers a glimpse of how China later would influence, by extension, Korea and Japan, both directly and indirectly.  Professor Yan discussed Ban Zhao, a female historian, writer & politician, known for writing Lessons For Women – essentially a proposed female code for a virtuous life.  The explanation of female devotion and self-sacrifice as essential traits for how women were to live their lives clearly suggests that women participated in the fostering of the attitude that women were naturally inferior to men.  The guidelines and/or codes that were taught by women to women (i.e. humility, harmony with in-laws, singlemindedness, marriage, obedience etc.) were, undoubtedly, influenced by Confucius with respect to the general moralization of certain inequalities paralleling the lines of gender and generation. 

            This particular lecture helped set the tone for the sequential lecturers that would present.  In my mind, this seed of normalizing gender and generation inequalities would have reverberating effects throughout the East Asian arena, extending itself to socio-economic and political influences, that would ultimately culminate in communist ideology as a vehicle for breaking out of certain stagnated traditions.  Professor Yan’s own personal life experience documents much of this evolution.  The notion of helping the poor or downtrodden in the name of communism is one that I experienced by watching the documentary film, Jeronimo.  The failed deliverance of certain promises preys on the poor and downtrodden, ultimately weaponized to take freedom as opposed to making good on the freedom it promises.  And, although, for my students this historical context and perspective would be difficult to comprehend, the opportunity to see its evolutionary aspects is something of value for them to study and learn.  Comparing the social structure changes, specific to the evolution and progress of women within the confines of these social structures, is of tremendous value when examining the notion of progress in its entirety. 

            The opportunity to study Chinese, Korean and Japanese civilizations through the lens of gender progress and effective change was fascinating.  How this progress was affected based on a civilizations’ attitudes with respect to political ideology was equally fascinating.  I, sincerely, appreciated the opportunity to reflect on these topics.