Readings for Session 4

Home › Forums › Readings for Session 4

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • April 27, 2010 at 3:10 pm #4929
    Rob_Hugo@PortNW
    Keymaster

    I was/am especially fascinated by Session 4's readings which pose the question, "What is reality? What is truth?" The very word, "propaganda," has a negative connotation in the US, but seems to have a positive connotation in "Revolutionary," (what IS "revolutionary,"? What is, "reactionary, counter-reactionary?") China.
    Furthermore- how can revolting constantly be considered good? If it was good once, how can revolting against the revolt not be good? (If revolt = good, continual revolt is good and necessary). These middle school students have belied no small lack of logical thinking skills here if you ask me.
    [Edit by="price on May 10, 12:38:07 PM"][/Edit]

    April 29, 2010 at 3:43 am #28343
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I would love to use this article in one of my classes to discuss predjudices and stereotypes and how they affect our society.

    April 29, 2010 at 4:09 am #28344
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Culture and Art

    25. In the world today all culture, all literature and art belong to definite classes and are geared to definite political lines. There is in fact no such thing as art for art's sake art that stands above classes, art that is detached from or independent of politics.

    This is insane!!! I could could not believe this idea. There is art that has political attachment, but not all art is politically driven. I just could not fathom living in a country where this concept is accepted and enforced. Art is driven by emotion not always politics.

    This would be an interesting debate to have with students. I have my students blog about different topics throughout the semester and I think I might use this as our next post.

    April 30, 2010 at 4:45 pm #28345
    Anonymous
    Guest

    My students have a problem with calling everything racist (which then always leads into a discussion about "no that would be elitist or ageist"). After I read this article I brought it into class to show them what "racist" really would be. They couldn't believe that this was printed in a magazine. My Japanese and my Chinese students were the most interested. They made many comments about how the article was wrong.

    May 3, 2010 at 12:03 pm #28346
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I love the idea of using culture and art for "the people." When I was reading I kept thinking back on the propaganda of different time periods and places. In the USSR all art was to glorify the revolution and the peasant. I couldn't help but compare this idea of using art and culture to influence society to Benjamin Franklins quote (and I'm paraphrasing) "Every revolution in the third person is illegal. Our revolution is legal it is only their revolution that is illegal..." Just substitute the word art and propaganda.

    Art is a powerful medium. And that is art in any form. Performance art, visual art, musical. It's what makes the study of a particular history to life. Whoever wins the war woos the artists...

    May 3, 2010 at 4:16 pm #28347
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I agree that art is powerful. It evokes emotion and is capable of carrying multiple messages. "Reading On the Road to Power" I thought of the ancient Buddha's destroyed by the Taliban, or the wood signs destroyed during the cultural revolution in China because they represented the four olds.
    These items were destroyed because of the powerful meaning they held. Yet art can be destroyed or created to serve as propaganda for a cause. This being said, the quote I found most interesting was #4 "A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture or doing embroidery it can not be so refined, so leisurely so gentle.... A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class over throws another."

    May 4, 2010 at 3:41 am #28348
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I thought this was a really interesting and humorous, but disturbing article. I suppose that if you are Japanese, you can't be a friend to an American. It was helpful to learn about Henry Luce the founder of Time Magazine to understand the reasoning and bias behind this article. Since he was born in China, it is understandable that he would have a natural hate of the Japanese and deference towards the Chinese. This would also be important to show students the people and reasons behind the articles and magazines they read.

    May 4, 2010 at 4:23 am #28349
    Anonymous
    Guest

    When I first saw the article from Time magazine, I didn't think it was real. I wondered who did the magazine get as their "expert" to help figure out the difference between Chinese and Japanese? And the part where they try to explain the characteristic of a Japanese person just made me laugh. It is amazing how prejudice is feuled by ignorance and fear. It is a good thing we are taking this class so that we can use our knowledge to help our students eliminate any preconcieved notions they may have regarding Asian history.

    June 28, 2010 at 10:33 am #28350
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I enjoyed all the reading,s but the one that struck me the most was Ebrey's "Victims." The taught that one's own people would cause harm to their own race seems impossible. Propaganda, fear and the search for hope led people to attack their own. I connect and understand history better when I imagine myself in people's shoes-- I'm educated and a teacher-- my life would have been destroyed if I lived during the anti-Rightist campaign of 1957. Knowing this information allows me to present information better to my student and use my personal life to make a comparison which I hope student can understand the historical content. Presenting the human aspect of history makes history more valuable.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.