What Do I Know About China?

I would have to say that before this semester with my enrollment in two China courses, the media was responsible for 100% of the knowledge I had acquired about China. Disney is a staple of our culture here in America, and as a little girl my favorite Disney princess was without a doubt, Mulan. In thinking about what I know about China and how I know it, Mulan played a crucial role in my introduction to the country.

Photo Cred: wdwplanning.org

From the film, I learned the following about China:

• Honor and family are huge aspects of the culture.
  
• The Chinese value the role of the ancestors.
• It is a patriarchal society, with a detectable preference for sons.
• The Great Wall was built to keep the bad guys out!
• China is a HUGE country, with tons of people.
• Tea and rice are very popular.
  
• The movie also provided an introduction to Chinese art/music, martial arts and clothing.

In high school, I watched an episode of Oprah that was done by Lisa Ling on the one child policy in China. The policy really had an impact on me, and I was inspired to learn more.

Clip From National Geographic: China's Lost Girls

Last semester, for a CORE class, I chose to do my human rights research project on the one child policy. I viewed Lisa Ling’s National Geographic documentary: China’s Lost Girls, and extensively researched the origins of the policy, its impact, American involvement, and where it will take China in the future. I am very interested to see if the policy’s repercussions will be observable during our time in China.

A few key facts I learned from my research were:

• The basics of the one child policy (who,what,where,when,why)
• Impact of the policy (fines, forced abortions/sterilizations)
• Male preference (men work, care for their parents) resulting in abandonment/infanticide of females
• What this means for China in the future (by 2020 possibly 40 million men with no one to marry, women kidnapped and sold as brides, etc.)
  

My familiarity with China is very limited! I am looking forward to applying what I know, and expanding my knowledge further. I’m very interested in the influence of the one child policy, and in the differences that have existed, and still exist between men and women. What are the differences in the roles they play? Why has only one women been emperor in the history of China?

"Wu Zetian": chinancient.com