Ten things my college kids talk about

There’s a list for everything except this: What my college kids are talking about as spring slips into summer here in the furnace of China. Mind you, my twenty-somethings are generally preoccupied, as most of us on the planet are, with things occurring within a radius of about three miles. But their concerns aren’t entirely parochial and apolitical . . . as suggested by this list. (I did not initiate the conversations referenced below--just things I've heard them talk about.)

1.     Gay rights. I sense that widespread advocacy is thanks to several Western movies and to stances taken by popular celebrities more than to much awareness of landmark legal rulings in the US and elsewhere. I also think advocacy for gay rights is tied to a larger advocacy of romantic love as the basis for any committed relationship.

2.     Micro-blogs. I’ve heard students question whether it’s necessary for micro-bloggers to use their real names, and I’ve heard at least one student wonder whether microblogs are “beneficial to know the truth.”

3.     Testing and ranking. My students are critical--almost cynical--about the gaokao and other exams (lots of students feel like study machines), but most of my students seem to believe in the value of  merit based tests, especially in a big country. I also sense pride in knowing that they have good study habits and are well disciplined. (I don't hear lots of discussion about multi-factor selection--using such tests together with GPA or other criteria, though. I hear some but not lots of discussion about the effects of such testing on what constitutes "learning.")  I hear some students critiquing a narrow view of college ranking—according to what? Based on what criteria?

4.     One-child policy. I do hear some students defend it on the basis of population control and the environment, but I hear many more students critique it. Many students wish they had brothers and sisters. They’re keenly aware of the image of the spoiled Chinese child (which I have to say is not my image of the average child in western China.) Some worry about the burden of taking care of two elderly sets of parents. Some compare India and China—both of which have witnessed a leveling off of population growth, even though India took the approach of sex education rather than forced family planning.

5.     Getting married in college. I hear different things. Most of my students think it’s unwise but some think it should be legal. Apparently the restriction on marriage in college was lifted only in 2001.

6.     Eating disorders. On the whole, Chinese women are more finely boned than their Western counterparts. Their frames are smaller and more delicate. But I hear some college women express concern that their classmates are way too thin, possibly eating disordered. Statistics suggest that eating disorders are indeed increasing in China.

7.     Women’s rights.  Actually, I don’t hear many Chinese students talk about  “women’s rights” per se—most of my students are happy to be girls as long as they can. But I do hear objections to particular laws, including the new marriage law and its provisions for divorce (who gets the house and under what conditions) and some law that seems to blame the victim rather than hold the criminal responsible in cases of child rape. (I don’t know exactly what law this is, but I hear it discussed.)

8.     Death penalty. I hear students go both ways on this, but I do hear them talk about it and definitely hear critique--some advocating killing the death penalty.

9.     Chinese tourists. I heard a lot of talk about “why Chinese tourists are unpopular abroad” (the new “ugly American”) but I think this may be in response to a graffiti case that went viral in the blogosphere. A young Chinese boy had been found responsible for scarring an Egyptian artifact several millennia old, and Chinese bloggers responded.

10. Gap between the rich and poor. I'm not privy to subtle economic analyses, but I do hear particular concerns expressed (for example, about the chengguan running off pedlars and beggars on the street) and a general concern about the widening gap.