Debunking Myths of China – Page 7 – A project of the Furman University First Year Seminar taught by Dr. Tami Blumenfield

China’s Conflict Over Catholicism

rhavis / November 29, 2012May 6, 2015 / Religion and Belief

By A. Nichols

Although China had once constructed an actual Great Wall to shield itself from aggression from tribes, clans, and countries to its north, modern society has torn down most walls that were made to keep foreign ideas and influences out Chinese culture. With the growth of Communism in China, China’s government has placed a new ideological wall around religion and its authority to write doctrine, which is the equivalent of giving the Asian Studies Department the authority to create the Math department’s curriculum. In order to understand the current dynamic between Catholicism, one of the main religions in China, and Chinese society, history and motives of both sides are critical, especially for answering the debate over the myth of Chinese distaste for Catholicism. As a metaphor for the notion of the Chinese government’s “caging” of Christianity, this picture from “China Encounters” provides a possible depiction of the conflict.

Historically, the strain that exists between the Church and the Chinese people has existed from Catholicism’s entrance alongside Christianity into Chinese society on the heels of the Opium War, which would taint the minds of the Chinese people who “do not forget history”[1]. Understandably, this method of “evangelizing” created deep divisions between the Chinese and Western missionaries; yet due to competition for converts, a sort of miracle developed and each branch of Christianity rapidly embraced the “Chinese way” to make themselves more appealing. However, Westerners remained waiguoren; for in the power vacuum left by the second World War, Christians found their ideological rival, atheistic communists, perched in command China’s authoritarian government.

With this new atheistic entity that became the single political party with power in the Chinese government, Communism and the Vatican found themselves diametrically opposed on ideology. Due to the Church’s need to comply with the government’s guidelines with thanks to Deng Xiaoping, who is displayed bellow with photo credit given to Choo Yut Shing, the Vatican’s reaction against the government’s claim to supremacy over the Pope in matters central to the faith, such as appointing bishops, would draw the powers into conflict. In another struggle for papal supremacy, the seemingly unstoppable communist force was ready to collide with an unmovable object.

Additionally, the conflict may have political ends rather than a mere ideological struggle for power, for the Communists risk losing at their own game of being helpful to “the little guy.” Despite China’s government’s claim to be a “party of the people,” the Catholic Church represents a threat to Communism’s promise to be the best solution; for the Church can provide easy and cheap healthcare that the government cannot challenge[2]. Because most people acknowledge the power of religion, the Communists lack the means to eradicate faith fully; but that does not stop them from attempting to control religions and their doctrines, which is a sign of warranted fear.

While the Communists reserve the right to deem true Catholicism guilty and a threat in court, Chinese people have found Catholicism innocent in the court of public opinion; for Catholic traditions and spirit have planted themselves in society, and the Chinese people have accepted them. This hopeful photo of Christianity in Chinese society is credited to Mister Bijiou.

[1] The Bamboo Cross.Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 2008.

[2] The Bamboo Cross. Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 2008.

Gaokao, For Better or For Worse

lpope / November 29, 2012May 6, 2015 / Education

By A. Nichols

Soon after students studying in China graduate, possibly the biggest turning point in their lives will occur: the gaokao. The gaokao is China’s university entrance examination. It is the test that goes far beyond simple academics. It often determines the financial success a student will have in life, as it is the only thing necessary for entering a university. More so than the SAT, the gaokao determines the course of the test-taker’s life. One Chinese student noted, “We can lose everything at the gaokao: a bad score in the gaokao means we go to a bad university … This means we get a bad job … and this means we will have a bad life.”* This puts so much stress on students that it is not unusual for a student to become physically and psychologically ill. In short, the gaokao is an unyielding process, a mechanism that charts not only a person’s academic path, but largely determines his or her station in life.

In secondary school, no matter where the student lives, the senior year is one long cramming session with the culmination

of everything they learned over years of diligent, difficult work in one three-day test. It is not unusual for students in secondary school to get up at four in the morning to study before school every day, and stay late into the night afterward. In one notable classroom “students [were] taking energy-boosting amino acids from intravenous drips hung from the ceiling” to continue working. In her article, Professor Lindsey Lucenta notes, “[Students] endure an exhausting high school experience because preparing for the gaokao consumes all their time academically and socially. Once in college, many admit being overwhelmed with their newly available free time, never having developed any hobbies or interests beyond studying.” The gaokao encourages schools to teach students in a way that leaves them without analytical or critical thinking skills, but full of knowledge that is not necessarily relevant.

Students in Chinese schools speak about this topic. “If they fail the gaokao, parents and teachers will view them as bad boys even if they might be good in many other respects. If you are good at study, everything is fine [said in exasperation] and there is no problem. If your grades are good, then you are good. If your grades are bad, then you are bad. You are bad. You are bad, and there is nothing you can do to change this.”*

Despite all of the headaches and heartaches it brings, the gaokao is unlikely to disappear. The general public—students among them—have ambiguous feelings toward the gaokao. Those who have taken it are conflicted between the feeling of pride and horror. “Some have said that the entrance exam deprives children of their childhood, but they also argue that the exam gives every child the same right to dream and the same opportunity to achieve their dreams.“People used to say you were not a man until you climbed the Great Wall. Now, they say you are not a man until you do the gaokao.”*

Continue reading “Gaokao, For Better or For Worse”

The Evolution of Marriage in both the United States and China

psanchez / November 28, 2012May 6, 2015 / Marriage & Family

By A. Nichols

The Chinese marriage tradition has gone from what was formerly arranged marriages to modern self-chosen marriages. Previously, the parents arranged marriages to provide only the finest partner for their children. Though most people would think this type of relationship wouldn’t survive, Xu Xiaohe and Martin Whyte said in their journal article that arranged marriages always “start out cold and grow hot”. The Chinese believe that the couples learn to love each other the longer they are together. However, the idea of arranged marriages is becoming less and less popular in the Chinese culture due to the increase in status of women in society. Chinese women have obtained a lot more rights in the past few years and finally have gained equal rights with men. With this, women are more interested in marrying a man that will be able to support them and their family with a prosperous job and good personality. Women are also getting married much older because they have decided they want to become something first and go out and work in a work place, rather than just staying home. All of these elements affect marriage because not only are people making their own choice of whom they will marry, they are also making something of themselves as an individuals. The Chinese are also becoming more accepting of divorce. Though the older generation believes that the younger generation won’t attempt to make their relationships work, it is still seen that some relationships will just never work out.[1] More Chinese have been getting divorced as the country revolutionizes.

When taking a look at the historical American practices, we see it’s somewhat similar to what is practiced today with the exception of a few changes. Starting in the late 1600’s the American colonies adopted the “English common law, which said, ‘by marriage, the husband and wife are one person in the law.’”[2] Back then women didn’t have rights in America, and the men controlled most of what they did. Women couldn’t have property in their name, so their husbands controlled all of their assets. Today women have equal rights to men. Divorce is also something that has had a big influence on American culture. In 1969, “California adopt[ed] the nation’s first “no fault” divorce law, allowing divorce by mutual consent.”[3] This allowed both men and women to separate if their marriage was not working out as they had hoped. This trend wasn’t very popular at first, but allowed the option if it was necessary. But today, the idea of divorce has become very popular. Many Americans decide to take the easy route of getting a divorce rather than trying to work through their relationship. The divorce rate for America is at an all time high, “41-50%”. [4]

The Chinese and Americans started off with numerous different marriage traditions and beliefs, but as the world modernizes, their similarities began to show more significantly. Though they are moving at different speeds and at different times, they are both moving in a similar direction toward similar beliefs.

[1] Xinxin, Zhang, “How Come You Aren’t Divorced Yet?” Unofficial China: Popular Culture and thought in the People’s Republic, edited by E. Perry Link, Richard Madsen, and Paul Pickowicz, 66.

[2] Shenker, Jill. “A Selective History of Marriage in the United States | Solidarity.” Solidarity: A Socialist, Feminist, Anti-Racist Organization. http://solidarity-us.org/node/370. 2004 (accessed November 8, 2012).

[3] Shenker. “A Selective History of Marriage in the United States | Solidarity.” 2004.

[4] “Divorce Statistics and Divorce Rate in the USA.” Divorce Statistics. http://www.divorcestatistics.info/divorce-statistics-and-divorce-rate-in-the-usa.html (accessed November 8, 2012).

Is Western or Chinese Parenting More Effective?

kballatore / November 28, 2012May 6, 2015 / Marriage & Family

By A. Nichols

Parenting is a great responsibility that comes with many choices and decisions to be made. Social scientists have speculated about and researched parental and family influence on child development for many decades. Parenting styles differ based on many aspects of culture. Different cultures tend to have different perceptions and goals of how to raise a child based on their past and their beliefs. The Chinese culture tends to refer to a more strict method of parenting, while Western parents have a more laid back technique of raising children. To both countries, children are the most important natural resource; but the outcome depends on how we treat them. Through exploring different ideas and techniques of parenting, one can make their own assumption about what the best way to raise a child is. Chinese and Western parents both have evidence that shows the effectiveness of their parenting styles, but one must analyze their reasoning for using those specific techniques and contemplate if that is the optimal for their cultural and familial situation.
Chinese parents pay special attention to training children and adhering to socially desirable and culturally approved behavior. Chinese parents tend to be much stricter. Many people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful children. Chinese parents believe that their children owe them. The reasoning behind this is based on the Confucian filial piety which is a guide for Confucian followers. This training concept is important in explaining the academic success of Chinese children. According to this philosophy, Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents, obeying their parents, and making their parents proud. A Chinese parent will disregard their child’s feelings if they do not agree with them. And yet, Chinese culture is not as punitive of children as Western culture. Although using a laid back tendency of parenting now, the “authoritarian” concept has evolved from an American culture and psychology that is rooted in both evangelical and Puritan religious influence. North American families have found that strong support from the spouses and friends may ease mothers’ stress in parent-child interaction, which allows them to respond more sensitively to their children’s needs, but Chinese mothers perceive that social support is not associated with their authoritarian parenting.
Children are the product of their cultural upbringing and are the most potent force in shaping the present and future of a nation. Parenting and parent-child interaction are influenced by the ecological context, which is mediated by society-wide changes and shifts in cultural values and child-rearing goals, as well as family-level life stress and social support. There are considerable individual differences in parenting styles. Parental influences on children’s development have been the topic of speculation for centuries and the focus of theory and research for decades. Although Chinese parents and Western parents may have different thoughts on the best way of raising a child, it is up to the individual set of parents to reflect on their goals and expectations of their children to decide what is the best parenting style for their circumstances.

How Chinese is Chinese Food in America?

smaletic / November 28, 2012May 6, 2015 / Food

By A . Nichols

Mushu pork, General Tsao’s chicken, egg rolls and the like aren’t nearly as Chinese as you may think. An article by David Chan details how their birth can be dated back from the late 1800s when Chinese immigrants first came from America from the Toishan region of China, seeking a new life, as well as an escape from the less than ideal conditions in their homeland. They quickly found work on the railroads and in American’s kitchens, contributing both to America’s international railroad and America’s cuisine. At first, the Americans were hesitant to allow their employees to cook authentic Chinese food in their homes. This led to the Chinese using what they know, combined with the ingredients available to create some of the first American-Chinese fusion.

One of the dishes created in this process is chop suey, a dish created with egg, meat and various vegetables, typically in a starchy sauce. Fast forward about 60 years, Americans have developed a taste for food on the go due to bigger cities and faster cars. In nearly every big city,

corners are dotted with delivery Italian and Chinese delivery restaurants, or chow chow houses as Americans called them at the time. The hamburger delivery joints of the 1920s had finally met their match, in the form of food cooked by Chinese immigrants, contained in wax paper boxes and plastic take out bags.

At the end of nearly every Chinese meal in America, at the bottom of every take out bag, and in the kitchen drawers of American kitchens lurks the fortune cookie. One may be lead to believe that the iconic fortune cookie is one of the most Chinese foods out there, but they would be sorely mistaken. Fortune cookies are without a doubt one of the least Chinese foods served in American-Chinese restaurants, often being made in Mexico along with most of the food served in Chinese buffets.

American-Chinese food has made a complete circle, returning home to China. As more and more expats begin to call parts of China like Beijing home, more and more American-Chinese restaurants are popping up in China in hopes of catering to homesick expats looking for a slice of the old country. One of these innovators is Lu Wintao, a Chinese American chef. He started refining his techniques in the American south, in North Carolina where he learned to blend Chinese food with American cuisine. After his tenure in North Carolina, he went back to Beijing where he opened up the Lobster House, a restaurant that serves the crustacean in multiple ways, many of them with an American twist.

Foods Across Cultures: A Reflection by Parker Havis

Tami Blumenfield / November 28, 2012May 6, 2015 / Food

This picture of our last night in China on July 4th highlights the breadth and many different kinds of Chinese foods that we were able to experience on our trip. While neglecting some more exotic foods that we experienced, this picture even contains Sprite, which may seem normal, but it reminds me of the fact that all water must be boiled before it could be consumed. Furthermore, this selection of food taught me the Chinese tradition of eating noodles on your birthday for long life. Additionally, these meals in China were normally more personal experiences than in America due to the sharing of entrées.

See Trista Baldwin’s 2011 article on the CNN Travel website for more information about Chinese eating habits.

Farewell Banquet

Photo by Parker Havis, Suzhou, China, July 4, 2012.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Capitalism in China

ebailey2 / November 28, 2012May 6, 2015 / Economics

By A. Nichols

When discussing China, the question of whether or not China is a socialist or a capitalist country is always brought up. While the Communist party is in power in China, the economic structure of the country looks very different from a typical communist economy. By looking at the reforms that China went through under Deng Xiaoping, the increase in privatization of factories and homes, and seeing if socialism and capitalism can work harmoniously, it shows that China is no longer a strictly socialist nation, but rather a nation that is capitalist with socialist qualities.

To understand how China’s economy shifted towards a more capitalist economy, one has to look at Mao Zedong’s successor, Deng Xiaoping, and all the reforms he put into place. After Mao Zedong died, it was not long until Deng Xiaoping changed the way China was run. Deng Xiaoping encouraged China to open up to foreign investments and he encouraged others to “get rich gloriously” (BBC). It drastically changed China’s economy; China’s economy soon stabilized and then it started to grow rapidly: ten percent a year, lifting two hundred million out of poverty (BBC).

One key aspect of deciding whether or not China is indeed capitalist or not is the privatization of China’s businesses and homes. When Deng Xiaoping opened China up to the West, many previously state-owned businesses become were soon privatized by Western businesses. See Edward Gargan’s New York Times article about an American businessman coming to China. American companies came to China; not only big industrial companies, but fast food chains and commercial stores.

McDonalds_medium

Photo Credit: c apl@washjeff.edu

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With a shift in attitude towards privatization of businesses, it comes as no surprise that there was also a huge focus on the privatization of homes.The idea of being wealthy enough to own your own home is very appealing to many Chinese, and is forming a new class that is focused on the social status that comes with owning one’s own home (Li Zhang). It gives the people in China a small sense of what freedom is like when they can own their own home. The privatization of what was once state-owned housing and companies shows that China is shifting away from the traditional “communist” ideas and moving towards capitalism (Li Zhang). See Joseph Kahn’s article on the shifting views of capitalism in China.

DSCN3027 Photo Credit: Erin Bailey

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With the emergence of private property and businesses, it is clear that China is no longer a truly socialist nation, but is it one hundred percent capitalist? There is no black and white answer, though there was a major shift in political and economic thought when the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping were put into place. The reforms allowed there to be an opening up of ownership, and allowed there to be the existence of private business owners (Faure).

Noting that China is no longer a strictly socialist society, the question now is whether or not capitalism and socialism could possibly work at the same time. China is truly a unique country at the moment; it has somehow been able to mix the socialist, capitalist, bureaucratic, and business sectors all together, creating this interesting hybrid system. See Ming Li’s article on how capitalism and socialism work together in China.

Bible Factory in China

Photo Credit: Erin Bailey

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

China is definitely in a unique situation. China is never going to fully be free of the socialist qualities, which means China is a mix of socialism and capitalism, and it will stay mixed for a while. China is capitalist with “Chinese characteristics;” not fully capitalist, but not fully socialist either (Mingi Li).

Works Cited:

BBC, “Becoming a Superpower: Deng Xiaoping’s Reforms and Their Legacy.” 

 China’s Capitalist Revolution, Web,URL
 Li Zhang, “Private Homes, Distinct Lifestyles: Performing a New Middle

     Class,” Privatizing China: Socialism From Afar, editors Li Zhang

     and Aihwa Ong, United States of America, Cornell University Press,

     2008,Chapter. 23-40

David Faure, “China and Capitalism: A History of Business Enterprise in

     Modern China,” Hong Kong China, Hong Kong University Press, 2006,

     1-124, 68.

Mingi Li. “A Harmony of Capitalism and Socialism?.” Science & Society 73,

      no. 2: 216-221 ,April 2009, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost,URL