Final Essay

[Amy Chen]

Gender and Generation was such a fascinating seiminar for me. I learned so many eye opening facts about the gender roles in China, Japan, and Korea. I especially enjoyed the field trip on the last day. I never been to the Korean Cultural Center before. I also learned so much from our docent at the Japanese National American Museum. The field trip lunch was a great opportunity to meet and interact with colleagues. Being a newer teacher, I gained insight and advice from the veteran teachers. 

All the guest speakers were wonderful. Professor Dube's presentation was engaging and informational. I added to my prior knowledge about the one child policy. The fact that Mao declared concubines illegal and allowed divorce was new to me. I know that he decided this for the greater good and to promote more workers for the government. However, the new laws made a significant change for Chinese women who had no rights in regards to marriage at all. 

Professor Bernard showed us many texts that can be used with students. I found the sci fi stories fascinating. The commentary on how we are destroying our environment is poignant. It relates to my magent's theme. I will definitely use excerpts from "Wandering Earth". The short stories written by a teacher are creative in dealing with difficult behaviors. 

Learning about how gender and generation has evolved throughout history in different cultures helps us see what progress has been made and still needs to occur. I was glad to hear from the Korean Cultural Center that there is more gender equality in South Korea now. From talking to my relatives in Taiwan, I know that gender roles have improved and become more modern. This seminar educated me on many topics and gave me ideas for lessons in my own classes.