The subject of this week's lesson paints a fascinating picture of Chinese youth: in many ways they are practically indistinguishable from American youth. From the May Fourth movement in 1919, the youth have seen themselves as a force for change and revolution, a conscience for China.
Then came the ugliness of Tiananmen Square, and the youth decided that direct confrontation was probably not the best way to bring about change.
Nowadays, with a popular culture that is a blend of East and West, and more Western ideas of freedom and democracy creeping in every day, the youth of China are still a conscience for the country, albeit on a much longer time scale.
I think what is happening is more evolution than revolution.
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2 comments:
One of the documentaries made the point that not many would stand in front of a tank these days like the unidentified young man in Tiananmen square.The pull of materialism is strong and doesn't take much to quickly shed ideals for change in the pocket.I see parallels between American 60's youth who were so idealistic and engaged, but then a decade later were scrambling to buy that house in the burbs.
This evolution versue revolution situation is almost a global problem in the modern world. Access to information and even mobility has created a knowledge that there is a better life, that there is freedom and "I deserve and want it".
Kevin
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