December 13 - Dube - East Asia since 1900

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Hello everyone,

Please share your thoughts about our December 13 afternoon session - East Asia since 1900 by Clayton Dube - by replying to this post.

-Miranda

[Anonymous]

I felt that this lecture was a truly enlightening experience. As a World History teacher, I feel that it is quite common to teach about the WWII era, and never truly project/communicate to the students the powerful impact this had on the Asian world. It is probably due to the fact that once the A-bomb is dropped, so is the topic of Japan for quite some time. Today, Prof. Dube, allowed me to understand the true impact that the war had on the region, not only to Japan, but China, Taiwan, & Korea as well. Another highlight that will remain was the explanation of the long-term impact of the "one-child policy" in China. I was blown away by the simple understanding of the responsibility of the single-child in relation to their immediate elder (4 grandparents & 2 parents; 6 to 1), as well as the projected dependence of 300 million seniors and 300 pre-teens on the labor of 800 million workers. Last of all, I am appreciative for the time the professor took in explaining to us the difference between economic growth and economic development.

Manuel 😀

[Anonymous]

Miranda and Classmates:
If I might, I would like to mix a few ideas of the morning and of the afternoon sessions.
I found Mr. Dube's suggestions of what might work with teenagers to be most valuable.
For starters, the Ebrey translation "Of Special Edict Restraining Officials From Evil"(p. 205) to be something that might work to inspire discussion and thought, especially if the ideas were used with reference today's politicians and public servants.
Secondly, the ideas of the Manchu requirements to shave the forehead and wear the que as acts of submission - could this be juxtaposed to dress standards in high school?
A third idea was the use of advice columns. I'm a bit less confident here, but I do know that teenagers are quite taken with each other's problems. Therefore, there might be room for planning and use.
I see definite application for the 1947 Japanese Constitution(American Written/Inspired?) and particularly Article 9 which forbade the use of military force in Japan's future. How would this compare to the United States Constitution and our uses of the military in recent times?
Lastly, the Ebrey contracts on p.215 - for the "Purchase of a Concubine" or for the "Purchase of a Son for Adoption": I see these being quite provocative, and with a bit of "tweeking", they could be used to inspire exposition or persuasion, both of which are units in English 10.
In conclusion, I have to say that I now know a bit more about the opium trade and the opium den. I have heard of both in association with the Chinese, but now I see how they fit into their historic perspective.
Respectfully submitted,
Walt Banta

[Anonymous]

Breviated narrative of first invidious incident, which occurred December 13, 2008:

1. Mr. Dube verbally reprimanded me by calling out my name in front of the entire class as if I were in high school for quietly talking with my classmate Sofia.
2. Later when Sofia tried to talk quietly with me I had to virtually ignore her so that I would not be further embarrassed. Mr. Dube did NOT call out her name and discipline her.
3. Obviously, there are less egregious ways the incident could have been handled.
3. To call out my name and single me out is, in my opinion, discriminatory.
4. No such disciplinary action had taken place like this before in this seminar.
[I have perfect attendance.]

Submitted,
S. Rae

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed the morning session and continued to enjoy the afternoon session. I missed the images, since I'm a very visual person, but I know how they tend to slow things down. In any case, since we will have access to them later, I'll enjoy them then. I will have less use for this information since I don't currently teach any 20th century history, but you never know what the future holds in store! I was particularly interested in the revolutions of this period.

[Anonymous]

Profound questions were raised at the end of the sessions. Furthermore, how we shall embed these questions into our teaching? How we should view the world geographic politics?

I think the children didn't know enough how American foreign policies help shaping the world.

I had a chance to discuss the topic of Opium War with the students today. And they raised many excellent questions. One question I want to mention here is that one student asked what is the Opium War's influence on United States at that time? I believe this is a great opening question for more interesting dialogues.

[Anonymous]

Well I think to be a bit more accurate, how foreign policy helps shaping the world at least after WWII.

[Anonymous]

I have long been a fan of the Beats, of Alan Watts, Eastern philosopher, and also Allen Ginsberg, poet and Buddhist. In 1996, I was at the University of Arkansas studying writing. Ginsberg was guest lecturer for 2 days at Hot Springs, Ark , a famous 40s retreat, where he conducted a chant / meditation workshop which I participated in. He was somewhat frail in body but his soul and spirit were a force to be reckoned with, as was always true of his life.

If he were alive, he might have just married his gay partner in celebration of their LOVE--our Constitution's promise of freedom for ALL. That's why Preeoposition 8 is so disturbing. A rainbow-colored me shouts NO to prop 8. The ads have been disturbing in their close-mindedness and in their ultra-conservatism. Sunday's Times had an ad quoting Leviticus about homosexual love as an abominnation--a sin.

But it failed to quote 2 Commandments: "Do not covet your neighbor's wife.
Do not commit adultery."

Jesus had the simple answer: "You who are without sin cast the first stone."

Later, Ginsberg gave a 2 hour reading /chanting of his poetry.
All from memory.
Bless the Ginsbergs of the world.

[Anonymous]

I also enjoyed this session, because like I mentioned in an earlier post, I listen more intently with Dube presentation style. In addition, I too appreciated the suggestions on how to keep teenagers connect to the material regarding East Asia. I am most interested in using the book "Did Marco Polo Go to China?" by Frances Woods. I think is will work well when I present and think it will be good documentation of the Silk Road. As an opener, I will bring up the fact that teenagers (even younger kids) play the game "Marco Polo" in the pool and challenge them to discover with me why this is so.

[Anonymous]

I wish i could just talk to Clay for hours!!! He has so much information and I really love how he can pretty much talk about anything relating to East Asia and relate anything to East Asia. This was a wonderful class and I am sorry we didn't have more time to discuss everything. Clay was able to clarify a lot for me. My particular interest is that of the relationship between China and the US. But, Clay offered a lot of interesting information of Korea and Japan and now my interest in those countries is piqued as well! I am looking forward to reading more and learning more about these countries as well.

[Anonymous]

Learning about East Asia in the modern period was a very interesting topic. I was also happy to hear Clay talk about Marco Polo and his controversial journey. I always talk to my students about how some scholars doubt that he went to China. Clay did a good job of presenting both cases. I will also look for a copy of the Woods book on Marco Polo to use as a source. Text

[Anonymous]

The afternoon session was, like all of Prof. Dube's lectures, eye opening to me. The presentation of Modern Asian history in one afternoon session is a daunting task to say the least, but I thought Prof. Dube did a great job of zooming in and zooming out. I found especially useful the discussion on China's one child policy. This is something we hear about all the time but have a hard time grasping the implementation of the policy and its effects. Since the seminar I actually talked with one of my students, who is from China, about the impact this policy has had on her and her family. I know that time was tight but I think more readings on this topic would be helpful, and maybe a broader discussion of the one child policy. Thanks

- Mike Clancy

[Anonymous]

Sorry for the late post on the Dec. 13 session; I've been in some level of computer hell for the last three weeks!

Anyhoo...as my classmates have before me, I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion on the more modern aspects of East Asia. I teach English literature, not history, but do always try to incorporate historical events and concepts into the background of whatever literature we study. For example, when I introduce Shakespeare's Othello to my 10th graders, I do a brief discussion on King Henry VIII, his wives, and talk a bit about the daughters Mary and Elizabeth so that hopefully my students will have a better understanding of the author, even if that understanding is microscopic.

I'm not certain how I will incorporate modern Asia into my lessons yet, but the three elements I found most intriguing were the one child policy, the question of "Did Marco Polo Go to China," and the Manchu decree of shaved head, etc. The latter made me think of every Western stereotype I'd ever seen of the Chinese people who worked on the railroads or in laundries -- Hop Sing on Bonanza; the bumbling henchmen in Thoroughly Modern Millie -- and so I think I will use that information as part of my discussion on archetypes and stereotypes that I have at the beginning of each school year. I think I can show students how the media can help to promote such stereotypes, while hindering learning of where these images come from. I'm going to be re-reading the materials and will try to think of a way to have students elaborate on other stereotypes and where those may come from as well. Along with that, the idea intrigued me that the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean peoples have overlapped each other in conquest and evolution, and I never had realized how geography played such an important role. Again, don't know what I'm going to do with that yet, but I will definitely find a way to use the graphics of what each of these countries looked like (land "ownership" wise) over the past century to help explain why parts of Asia hold so many similarities and differences. Very intriguing.

The "one child" policy is something I've been flippant about in the past, in making references to it during classroom discussions, but I had never thought of the repercussions of such an edict. We had some discussion in class when the earthquake (or was it a tornado? I'm lame...can't remember) hit and devastated the schools where thousands of children were killed. As I said, I like to incorporate historical incidents when discussing literature, and I will now be much more cautious and informed when next the subject arises.

Thanks, Clay for a very informative session!

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