Final session

[Anonymous]

I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan while I was in grad school and I loved the detail the author put into the foot binding. It also had great imagery on the tea ceremonies. If you are looking for a good, easy read, I recommend it! But I also know there are some major inaccuracies in the novel.

[Anonymous]

I agree with most of my colleagues that this was the best session, but it left me feeling like I only know such a small amount of information. I at least now have the resources to look into more historical research to help my students even further. Thank you everyone!

[Anonymous]

hmacias wrote:

That's so great to hear that some of the information we have gained during our sessions has helped a colleague out in such a short time! I really enjoyed the information about the Opium War as well as I had heard about it, but never really knew how it came about or even the basic facts around it. I wish we had more time to expand on some of the topics briefly brought up as well, like the foot binding the Clay mentioned but didn't get to elaborate on.

I agree! Some of the topics were so interesting but we just touched on it. The more we learn about China the more I realize how much I don't know about the power in the East.

[Anonymous]

I was really interested in the period on national shame for China. In my U.S. history class I teach the Open Door Policy. This lecture really helped me see the big picture and make some connections I had not previously made. I am looking forward to teaching the American Imperialism unit this year and adding in what I learned.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

I am very interested in finding out more about the importance of Mexican silver to the global trade & spread of imperialism. The period of national shame, when China lost its status as a global power house for 100-150 years, seems almost insignificant in the vast trajectory of Chinese dominance in the past 2000 years. It is no wonder that China's new ascendency to global power is alarming to the dwarfing global powers of the 20th century. The last lecture put this paradigm shift into a broader global perspective. I wonder about the impact of Maoist China in terms of accelerating China's re-emergence into to world as a big league contender.

[Anonymous]

Great issues -- You make the observations that, "The trick will be avoiding the perception that power is always zero sum, that is if you have some, then I must have lost some. In my life experience as a native born Chinese individual, and having grown up under Mao and every Chinese Government that has followed, I believe that in the long term, Chinese culture and Chinese economic policies will continue to evolve with a sense of "mutually supportive and mutually beneficial" relationships. This is the primary basis of Chinese marriage, just as it is the basis by which government institutions and private enterprise seeks to interface with the rest of humanity. Sometimes it may be difficult to see this, but as a case in point, for the past thirty-plus years, the Chinese Government has worked to establish cross-cultural and economic ties with all 48-plus countries of the African continent. In fact, in 2006, the Chinese Government sponsored a Summit of some 48 African countries in Beijing. While the U.S. carries on its continuous campaign of global military dominance, combined with corporate expansionism, the Chinese very quietly work through establishing business and cultural ties to all peoples of the world.

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