I'm keeping an open mind.
Previously, I had thought I know quite a bit about current affairs and societal trends; it is only after this 12 hours of facts, statistics, opinions and comments, ranging from outlandish and controversial to politically correct, from bordering on chauvinism to moderately moderate, that I realised how stereotypical and narrow-minded my views could be. Indeed, the diverse inputs from my classmates and Mr. Karplus alike had allowed me to uncover alternative viewpoints and unearth the actual perpetuating trends in the United States and China alike.
Progress in society. What is it exactly? Well, Wikipedia defined it as "the idea that societies can or do improve in terms of their social, political, and economic structures...may happen as a result of direct human action, as in social enterprise or through social activism, or as a natural part of sociocultural evolution." Through presentations and discussions, we had learnt about societal progress in the United States and China through three main aspects - gender equality, youth political involvement, and the American political scene.
With the wave of globalisation brought on by groundbreaking advancements on communication and transport technology alike, both American and Chinese society had progressed on an unparalleled scale; China in the socioeconomic sense, with its offshore manufacturing-fueled GDP soaring to second in the world behind America at 7.3 trillion, a leadership mired by corruption yet seemingly showing willingness to crack down, and a generation of self-centred youths determined to tap into the country's economic prosperity, and America in the sociopolitical sense, with a new African-American President optimistic for the country's future, independent females demanding for their place in the political/economic landscape, and disillusioned youths sorely disappointed with the administration.
However, to avoid boring all of us out, I am going to focus on gender equality.
There had been groundbreaking progress in both societies, especially in the role and statue of the Chinese women. In the Republic of China era, learned female voices calling for desegregation of social, economic and political opportunities were largely ignored, if not suppressed, with a 1928 survey of college-educated couples showing that 81% of the females were full-time housewives. Still, the 1919 May Fourth Movement, otherwise known as the New Cultural Movement, remained a crucial turning point in the history of Chinese feminism, with educated men and women alike campaigning for the "liberation" of women as individuals with their own freedoms and choices instead of attachments to men. Many see hope of gender stratification coming to an end when Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the People's Republic of China on 1st October 1949; with his famous quote that "Women hold up half the sky", the participation of women in the labor force soared to unprecedented rates, becoming equal "comrades" of the Party, at least on paper, and child betrothal, polygamy, et cetera, being formally outlawed.
However, the CCP had failed to do justice for the feminists; in today's China, the imbalanced gender ratio of 117.7:100 is proof enough of the public preference, courtesy of the 1979 one-child policy put in place by Vice President Deng Xiaoping, architect of the Chinese economic miracle. Apart from selective abortions and female infanticide, women in China today also suffers from social perception of their "domestic responsibilities"; more than half of Chinese men and women agreed that women should be "family oriented", according to a 2012 survey, and unmarried women over the age of 27 are labelled as "剩女", literally "leftover women". Additionally, many employers still discriminate against married women on the grounds that they will be "less productive", due to familial and homemaking duties, forcing those women to lie for the sake of their careers. They were denied their political voice as well - although they make up 23.4% of the National People's Congress, the real policymaking body, the Politburo Standing Committee, remains an exclusive all-male enclave.
Meanwhile in the United States, similar problems are rearing their ugly head. Although the situations of the two countries are vastly different, the problems they face are fundamentally similar; although the 1960s second wave feminism had opened up many avenues for American women, workplace discrimination, social stereotyping, et cetera, is still frequently reported, despite the undeniable progress that had been made in levelling the playing field. In 1962, a University of Michigan survey found that ~70% of women agreed that the most important familial decisions "should be made by the men of the house", but with the availability of education and career opportunity to women in the late 20th Century, the same percentage of women is rejecting the "male breadwinner/female homemaker model", as aptly put by the New York Times, by 1994.
Nevertheless, American women on average are financially disadvantaged, earning, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, only 77% of what men earn. Workplace discrimination is undeniably a key factor, with the "glass ceiling" stalling the careers of female professionals due to perceived weaker capabilities, and employers unwilling to hire females due to maternity leave and childcare commitments. In 2003, a University of California study stated that "women make up 72 percent of Wal-Mart's total workforce, but only 33 percent of its managers."Likewise, in the political scene, American women is poorly represented, composing of just 17.9% of Congress and 17.0% of the Senate.
Nonetheless, we must recognise that progress had been made. Increasing numbers of young, educated Chinese women had began to demand for equal status and treatment, with the first Chinese female astronaut, Liu Yang, entering space in June 2013. In 2010, the film Go Lala Go! by the young female director Xu Jing Lei gained popular acclaim, especially in feminist circles, showcasing the many workplace challenges faced by the female protagonist, of whom a distinctive image of a modern, independent Chinese woman is projected. In the end, she had achieved both career and romantic success. In the United States, Hillary Clinton, the 2008 Presidential candidate and Secretary of State under the Obama administration, is hailed by many as a beacon of feminism, her position as an influential decision-maker regarding American foreign affairs proving that women possess ability equal, if not more, than men. She had also campaigned avidly for gender equality, stating that her mission is “fighting to give women and girls a fighting chance”.
Thus, I would think that although progress had been made towards gender equality in both countries, they are evidently entering a phase of slowing down. However, given the liberalisation of ideas and opinions in a globalised world, I think that major progress towards gender equality is certainly possible in the foreseeable future.
Apart from gender equality, I had also expanded my horizons, coming into contact with notions such as the political enthusiasm of Chinese youths being snuffled by the bloodshed of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Incident, and social media sending Obama into the White House by offering a way to connect to the common people in the digital age.
All in all, my mindset was definitely widened by six weeks of the CDE module; through the discussions, I had gained a sharpened mind and a flexible perspective, having learnt that deep down, the societal trends that determines a country's future are not always evident on the façade. In the lessons to come, hopefully, I could gain more similar insights.
Allons-y!
With the wave of globalisation brought on by groundbreaking advancements on communication and transport technology alike, both American and Chinese society had progressed on an unparalleled scale; China in the socioeconomic sense, with its offshore manufacturing-fueled GDP soaring to second in the world behind America at 7.3 trillion, a leadership mired by corruption yet seemingly showing willingness to crack down, and a generation of self-centred youths determined to tap into the country's economic prosperity, and America in the sociopolitical sense, with a new African-American President optimistic for the country's future, independent females demanding for their place in the political/economic landscape, and disillusioned youths sorely disappointed with the administration.
However, to avoid boring all of us out, I am going to focus on gender equality.
There had been groundbreaking progress in both societies, especially in the role and statue of the Chinese women. In the Republic of China era, learned female voices calling for desegregation of social, economic and political opportunities were largely ignored, if not suppressed, with a 1928 survey of college-educated couples showing that 81% of the females were full-time housewives. Still, the 1919 May Fourth Movement, otherwise known as the New Cultural Movement, remained a crucial turning point in the history of Chinese feminism, with educated men and women alike campaigning for the "liberation" of women as individuals with their own freedoms and choices instead of attachments to men. Many see hope of gender stratification coming to an end when Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the People's Republic of China on 1st October 1949; with his famous quote that "Women hold up half the sky", the participation of women in the labor force soared to unprecedented rates, becoming equal "comrades" of the Party, at least on paper, and child betrothal, polygamy, et cetera, being formally outlawed.
However, the CCP had failed to do justice for the feminists; in today's China, the imbalanced gender ratio of 117.7:100 is proof enough of the public preference, courtesy of the 1979 one-child policy put in place by Vice President Deng Xiaoping, architect of the Chinese economic miracle. Apart from selective abortions and female infanticide, women in China today also suffers from social perception of their "domestic responsibilities"; more than half of Chinese men and women agreed that women should be "family oriented", according to a 2012 survey, and unmarried women over the age of 27 are labelled as "剩女", literally "leftover women". Additionally, many employers still discriminate against married women on the grounds that they will be "less productive", due to familial and homemaking duties, forcing those women to lie for the sake of their careers. They were denied their political voice as well - although they make up 23.4% of the National People's Congress, the real policymaking body, the Politburo Standing Committee, remains an exclusive all-male enclave.
Meanwhile in the United States, similar problems are rearing their ugly head. Although the situations of the two countries are vastly different, the problems they face are fundamentally similar; although the 1960s second wave feminism had opened up many avenues for American women, workplace discrimination, social stereotyping, et cetera, is still frequently reported, despite the undeniable progress that had been made in levelling the playing field. In 1962, a University of Michigan survey found that ~70% of women agreed that the most important familial decisions "should be made by the men of the house", but with the availability of education and career opportunity to women in the late 20th Century, the same percentage of women is rejecting the "male breadwinner/female homemaker model", as aptly put by the New York Times, by 1994.
Nevertheless, American women on average are financially disadvantaged, earning, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, only 77% of what men earn. Workplace discrimination is undeniably a key factor, with the "glass ceiling" stalling the careers of female professionals due to perceived weaker capabilities, and employers unwilling to hire females due to maternity leave and childcare commitments. In 2003, a University of California study stated that "women make up 72 percent of Wal-Mart's total workforce, but only 33 percent of its managers."Likewise, in the political scene, American women is poorly represented, composing of just 17.9% of Congress and 17.0% of the Senate.
Nonetheless, we must recognise that progress had been made. Increasing numbers of young, educated Chinese women had began to demand for equal status and treatment, with the first Chinese female astronaut, Liu Yang, entering space in June 2013. In 2010, the film Go Lala Go! by the young female director Xu Jing Lei gained popular acclaim, especially in feminist circles, showcasing the many workplace challenges faced by the female protagonist, of whom a distinctive image of a modern, independent Chinese woman is projected. In the end, she had achieved both career and romantic success. In the United States, Hillary Clinton, the 2008 Presidential candidate and Secretary of State under the Obama administration, is hailed by many as a beacon of feminism, her position as an influential decision-maker regarding American foreign affairs proving that women possess ability equal, if not more, than men. She had also campaigned avidly for gender equality, stating that her mission is “fighting to give women and girls a fighting chance”.
Thus, I would think that although progress had been made towards gender equality in both countries, they are evidently entering a phase of slowing down. However, given the liberalisation of ideas and opinions in a globalised world, I think that major progress towards gender equality is certainly possible in the foreseeable future.
Apart from gender equality, I had also expanded my horizons, coming into contact with notions such as the political enthusiasm of Chinese youths being snuffled by the bloodshed of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Incident, and social media sending Obama into the White House by offering a way to connect to the common people in the digital age.
All in all, my mindset was definitely widened by six weeks of the CDE module; through the discussions, I had gained a sharpened mind and a flexible perspective, having learnt that deep down, the societal trends that determines a country's future are not always evident on the façade. In the lessons to come, hopefully, I could gain more similar insights.
Allons-y!
