eacs 4b final

documentary: Under the Dome

• What: Viral 2015 documentary on China's smog.

• Significance: Proved power of "muckraking" digital activism.

• Outcome: Banned by state to stop mass mobilization.

examples of environment pollution in China (Under the Dome film, Shapiro reading)

• Air: PM2.5 industrial smog; respiratory crisis.

• Water/Soil: "Cancer villages" from industrial runoff.

• Global Factor: Driven by China as "world's factory."

obstacles to environmental protection in China (Under the Dome, Shapiro reading)

• Weak Enforcement: Ministry lacks power over big polluters.

• SOE Resistance: State-owned giants ignore rules for profit.

• GDP Priority: Local officials value growth over environment.

PM 2.5 (under the dome film, Yang lecture)

• Definition: Tiny particulates (<2.5μm) from coal/exhaust.

• Health: Enters bloodstream; causes heart/lung disease.

• Politics: Used as a metric for public protest.

Coal use in China (Under the Dome, Shapiro reading, lecture)

• Scale: Powers 70% of China’s massive industry.

• Impact: Leading cause of PM2.5 and CO2.

• Dilemma: Essential for growth vs. deadly for health.

“Environmental mass incidents” (Shapiro reading)

• What: Large-scale protests over local pollution/health.

• Volume: Tens of thousands occur annually in China.

• Effect: Threatens "social harmony"; forces state response.

China’s green technology and industries (lecture)

• Strategic Shift: Moving from "world's factory" to global leader in high-tech/clean energy.

• Market Lead: World's largest producer of solar panels, wind turbines, and EVs.

• Labor Factor: Green automation needed to offset China's shrinking/aging workforce.

Buddhist notions of reincarnation, equality of all “sentient beings,” vegetarianism, and compassion for other life forms (Buddhist video clip on Canvas, Yang lecture

• Reincarnation: Birth-death-rebirth cycles; status determined by karma/merit.

• Equality: All "sentient beings" possess Buddha nature; equal respect.

• Compassion: Non-violence (ahimsa); vegetarianism to reduce universal suffering.

unilinear social evolutionism and plight of traditional Chinese religions

• Theory: Progress moves linearly from "primitive" superstition to "civilized" science/rationality.

• State Impact: CCP labeled traditional practices (shrines, rituals) as "feudal superstitions" to be eradicated.

• Plight: Mass destruction of temples and suppression of "backward" folk beliefs for national modernization.

Document 19 (Yang reading, lecture)

• Context: 1982 CCP policy restoring limited religious freedom after Cultural Revolution.

• Key Rule: Recognizes 5 official religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism) under state control.

• Boundaries: Religion must serve "socialist transition"; proselytizing/foreign interference strictly forbidden.

Stalin’s Five-Stage theory of universal history (Yang reading, lecture)

• Stages: Primitive Communism → Slave Society → Feudalism → Capitalism → Socialism/Communism.

• Linearity: All human societies must progress through these specific stages toward a "scientific" end.

• Religious View: Religions are "remnants" of lower stages (Feudalism/Capitalism) destined to disappear under Socialism.

State secularization of religion in the post-Mao era (Yang lecture, reading)

• Shift: Total Maoist destruction → Strategic CCP regulation.

• Control: SARA bureaucracy monitors all approved sites.

• Limit: Religion restricted to private, state-defined "religious spaces."

Categories of “religion” vs. “superstition” (Yang lecture, reading)

• Religion: 5 state-sanctioned "world" faiths only.

• Superstition: Folk rituals/divination; labeled "backward" and illegal.

• Function: Tool for state to justify selective suppression.

China’s five state recognized “religions” (Yang lecture, reading)

• List: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism.

• Status: Only "legal" faiths; managed by state-run "Patriotic Associations."

• Control: Prohibited outside official sites; must support CCP leadership.

Chinese popular religion

• Nature: Unorganized, syncretic blend of Buddhism, Taoism, and local folk traditions.

• Focus: Worship of ancestors, local deities (Mazu, Guan Yu), and "ghosts" for worldly blessings.

• State Status: Often labeled "superstition"; lacks official legal recognition but widely practiced.

Buddhist revival in Mainland China (Yang lecture)

• Growth: Rapid post-Mao expansion; largest "official" religion in China.

• State Role: Utilized for "soft power," tourism, and social morality.

• Modernity: Wealthy urbanites adopting "Humanistic Buddhism" for inner peace/ethics.

Tzu Chi Buddhist Merit Foundation recycling and environmentalism (Yang online article)

• Religious Labor: Recycling framed as "spiritual cultivation" and "self-cultivation" rather than mere chore.

• Technological Innovation: DA.AI Technology converts recycled PET bottles into disaster relief blankets and clothing.

• Philosophy: "Turn trash into gold, gold into love"; creates a "terrestrial Pure Land" through environmental purity.

Radio and television vs. new media (including WeChat) in China

• Legacy Media: Top-down, state-controlled broadcasting; primary tool for formal CCP propaganda.

• New Media (WeChat): Horizontal, peer-to-peer "super-app"; integrates social, news, and payment.

• Censorship: TV is pre-vetted; WeChat uses AI and manual "keyword" filtering of private/public groups.

Youth culture and media development and culture

• Platform Shift: Move from state TV to interactive "Bilibili" and "Douyin" (TikTok).

• Subcultures: Rise of "ACGN" (Anime, Comic, Game, Novel) and "fandom" digital communities.

• Social Expression: Use of "Danmu" (bullet comments) to create real-time, shared social experiences.

History of media development in China (lecture)

• Mao Era: Total state monopoly; "Mouthpiece" model for top-down mobilization.

• Reform Era: Commercialization; media became "hybrids" seeking both profit and propaganda.

• Digital Era: Shift from TV/Print to "Great Firewall" regulated internet and Super-Apps.

Nationalism and a shared temporality via media (lecture)

• Concept: Media creates "simultaneity"; millions consuming same news/events at once.

• Effect: Individual "clock time" aligns with "national time"; builds "Imagined Community."

• Identity: Shared media consumption fosters a sense of belonging to a single, moving history.

internet censorship in China — state strategies and Netizen counter-strategies (Rongbin Han reading, lecture)

• State Strategy 1 (Fear/Repression): Blocking websites (Great Firewall), deleting posts, and punishing high-profile dissidents.

• State Strategy 2 (Friction/Flooding): Making sensitive info hard to find and "flooding" feeds with pro-regime content (50-Cent Army).

• State Strategy 3 (Discourse Competition): Moving beyond blocking to actively competing for public opinion via state-sponsored and voluntary nationalists.

• Netizen Counter-Strategy 1 (Circumvention): Using VPNs to "scale the wall" and technical tools to bypass filters.

• Netizen Counter-Strategy 2 (Coded Speech): Using homophones, "Martian language," memes (e.g., Grass Mud Horse), and "socialist recoding" to hide meaning from AI.

• Netizen Counter-Strategy 3 (Pop Activism): Using entertainment, satire, and parody to mock authority and build shared identity without direct political confrontation.

“The medium is the message” (Yang lecture)

• Core Idea: The form of a medium (TV, Internet, Print) influences society more than the specific content it carries.

• Social Impact: New technologies reshape human association, perception, and the scale of social organization.

• Example: A lightbulb has no "content" (like a news story), but it fundamentally changed human life by creating 24/7 activity.

• Application: In China, the shift from TV to WeChat (the medium) changed how nationalism is practiced, regardless of what the posts actually say.

city of Dusseldorf, social media, tourist economy (Carwyn & Yan Chapter)

• Platform-Led: Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) replaces traditional guides to dictate tourist routes.

• Wanghong (Internet Famous): Specific city spots are curated for their "photo-readiness" and aesthetic value.

• Spatial Change: Local businesses adapt physical spaces to match the digital "tastes" of Chinese influencers.

WeChat and Xiaohongshu (Red Note)

• WeChat (Super-App): Focused on closed-circle social networking, private messaging, and daily utility.

• Xiaohongshu (Aesthetic/Discovery): Focused on open-platform lifestyle curation, shopping guides, and "internet-famous" (wanghong) aesthetics.

• Function: WeChat maintains existing social relationships; Xiaohongshu drives consumption and trend-seeking through "digital word-of-mouth."

Nationalism and time (Yang lecture on Benedict Anderson)

• Empty, Homogeneous Time: Modern time as a "container" where events happen simultaneously, replacing religious/cyclical time.

• Simultaneity: Media (newspapers/TV) allows millions of strangers to experience the same moment, creating an "Imagined Community."

• National "We": Shared clock-time makes individuals feel they are moving through history together as one unified nation.

Tang-Song Dynasties

• Cosmopolitanism: Openness to foreign trade/religions (Buddhism) and Silk Road expansion.

• Innovation: Technological "Golden Age" (gunpowder, compass, printing) and Meritocracy (Civil Service Exams).

• Economic Center: Shifted global economic weight to East Asia through massive maritime and agricultural growth.

Ming Dynasty

• Maritime Power: Zheng He’s "Treasure Voyages" projected Chinese naval dominance across the Indian Ocean.

• Centralization: Restoration of Han Chinese rule and building of the Forbidden City/Great Wall.

• Tributary System: Re-established China as the "Middle Kingdom" through a ritualistic diplomatic and trade hierarchy.

Afro-Asian Non-Aligned Movement (Sen)

• Bandung Conference (1955): China’s emergence as a leader for "Third World" solidarity against Western/Soviet imperialism.

• South-South Cooperation: Promotion of anti-colonialism and economic self-reliance among developing nations.

• Diplomatic Shift: Used "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence" to build an alternative global order to the Cold War binary.

Quanzhou in Song Dynasty China (lecture)

• Zayton Port: Emerged as the world’s largest and most diverse maritime trade hub.

• Cosmopolitan Hub: Coexistence of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists via the "Maritime Silk Road."

• State Revenue: Central to the Song economy through taxes on high-value imports like incense and spices.

The (old/ancient) Silk Road (Yang lecture)

• Transcontinental Exchange: Linked China to the West via Central Asia for silk, spices, and technologies.

• Cultural Transmission: Facilitated the spread of Buddhism, Islam, and Nestorian Christianity into East Asia.

• Tributary Logic: Functioned as a decentralized network of trade and diplomacy rather than a formal empire.

Maritime Prohibitions (Yang Lecture)

• Ming Isolationism: Banned private maritime trade to curb "Wokou" piracy and solidify state control.

• Tributary Monopoly: Shifted trade from open markets to official, ritualistic state-to-state exchanges.

• Economic Impact: Suppressed the merchant class and fueled the growth of the illicit "black market" economy.

One Belt, One Road Initiative (OBOR, or BRI)

• Connectivity: A massive global infrastructure project linking China to Europe, Africa, and Asia via land (Belt) and sea (Road).

• National Rejuvenation: Uses the "Silk Road" narrative to frame China’s modern economic expansion as a peaceful return to its historical "Middle Kingdom" status.

• Strategic Pivot: Shifts from building "hard" infrastructure (ports/rails) to "soft" digital and green sectors (Digital Silk Road/50G/Renewables).

Chinese Inbound & Outbound Foreign Direct Investments (Yang lecture)

• Transition: China shifted from "Invite In" (attracting foreign capital/tech) to "Go Global" (investing heavily in overseas infrastructure/firms).

• Strategic Motivation: Inbound FDI modernized Chinese industry; Outbound FDI now secures raw materials and exports excess domestic capacity.

• Economic Rebalancing: Inbound is becoming more selective (high-tech/green), while Outbound is used as a tool for "economic statecraft" and geopolitical influence.

Chinese students studying abroad

• Positional Good: A degree used as a "status symbol" to compete in China’s job market.

• Sea Turtles (Haigui): The massive trend of students returning to China after graduation.

• Reactive Nationalism: Living abroad often makes students more patriotic, not less.

Chinese Infrastructural development around the world

• Connectivity: Building ports, rails, and 5G to link global markets.

• Strategic Pivot: Shifting from "hard" construction to "soft" digital/green tech.

• Standard Setting: Exporting Chinese technical and financial norms to the Global South.

Race and class relations among Chinese and foreigners in Guangzhou (Matthews reading)

• Low-end Globalization: Micro-merchants from Africa and South Asia trading in "informal" or knock-off goods.

• Legal Precarity: Strict policing of visas and residential permits based on nationality and economic status.

• Transactional Harmony: Relationships defined by business profit rather than deep social or cultural integration.

Foreign communities living in China: ancient & contemporary (Matthews, Yang lecture)

• Ancient (Quanzhou): Wealthy, integrated religious elites (Muslims/Hindus) driving state-sponsored maritime trade.

• Contemporary (Guangzhou): Low-end global merchants facing high legal precarity and "transactional" social ties.

• State Control: Shift from welcoming diverse "tributary" residents to strict, security-focused visa and residential management.

Non-state transnational Chinese migration, small businesses (Yang lec; Matthews reading)

• Low-end Globalization: Small-scale traders moving goods like electronics and textiles through informal, personal networks.

• Chungking Mansions: A key "hub" where "suitcase" merchants from the Global South trade with Chinese suppliers.

• Legal Precarity: Migrants operate in "gray" markets with limited state protection and high risk of visa deportation.

Cosmopolitanism vs. insularity, isolationism (Yang reading, lecture)

• Open Cycles: Periods like Tang/Song favoring foreign trade, religions, and meritocratic exchange.

• Closed Cycles: Periods like Ming Haijin (prohibitions) prioritizing border security over private commerce.

• State Logic: Shifts driven by the perceived threat of "disorder" versus the benefits of global wealth.

Japan’s industrial modernity and postwar economic miracle (Hwang lecture, Yoneyama lecture)

• Developmental State: Government-led industrial policy (MITI) targeting high-growth sectors like steel and autos.

• US Security Umbrella: Reduced military spending allowed for massive reinvestment into domestic technology and infrastructure.

• Keiretsu System: Close-knit networks of banks and manufacturers ensuring stable capital and long-term growth.

Japan: Minamata disease (Hwang lecture, Yoneyama reading)

• Toxic Capitalism: Chisso Corp’s methylmercury dumping caused mass neurological poisoning for industrial profit.

• State Negligence: Government delayed recognition to protect high-growth GNP targets over public health.

• Social Activism: Victims fought for "visibility" and legal redress against corporate and state denial.

Japan: 3.11 Triple Disaster, basic facts, government & citizens’ responses (Hwang lecture)

• The Event: A massive 9.0 earthquake, followed by a tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.

• Government Failure: Criticized for slow evacuation orders and "collusion" with the nuclear industry (Genshiryoku Mura).

• Citizen Response: Emergence of "voluntourism" and grassroots radiation monitoring groups (Safecast) to fill state gaps.

DMZ Ecology: biodiversity shaped by militarized division (Hwang lecture, Kim reading)

• Involuntary Park: Militarized isolation created an accidental sanctuary for endangered species (Red-crowned cranes).

• Divided Nature: A 155-mile "green ribbon" of high biodiversity trapped between two heavily armed states.

• Eco-Nationalism: South Korea frames the DMZ's wildlife as a symbol for future peaceful reunification.

Nature emerging within Cold War context (Hwang lecture, Kim reading)

• Accidental Sanctuary: Militarized borders (DMZ) unintentionally preserved ecosystems by excluding human development.

• Buffer Zone: Landscapes transformed into "no-man’s lands" where nature thrives amid high-tech surveillance.

• Political Ecology: Environmental preservation used as a diplomatic tool for future peace and reunification.

the double bind of DMZ conservation (Hwang lecture, Kim reading)

• Development vs. Preservation: Peace threatens the ecosystem by opening the "sanctuary" to tourism and industry.

• Militarized Life: The high biodiversity only exists because of the lethal, high-tension landmines and fences.

• Tragic Paradox: Healing the human division (reunification) would likely destroy the accidental "accidental" nature.

temple-stay rebranding Buddhist monasteries as heritage sites (Kaplan reading)

• Global Tourism: Transforming religious spaces into "authentic" cultural experiences for foreign and domestic visitors.

• National Heritage: Shifting the monastery's identity from a private sacred site to a state-endorsed symbol of Korean tradition.

• Commercial Spirituality: Packaging monastic life (meditation, tea, chanting) as a consumable "wellness" product to fund preservation.

religion operating within modern capitalist society (Hwang lecture)

• Secularization Myth: Religion did not disappear; it adapted to modern market logic.

• Branding Faith: Religious institutions use marketing and "heritage" status to compete for followers.

• Consumable Spirit: Spiritual practices (meditation, rituals) are sold as wellness products for urban workers.

Shamanism’s this-worldly logic (Hwang lecture)

Christianity and modernization in Korea (Hwang lecture)

• Material Success: Focused on tangible results like health, wealth, and family prosperity now.

• Reciprocal Exchange: Offerings to spirits are made to secure specific favors or protection.

• Problem-Solving: Rituals (gut) function as "spiritual technology" to fix immediate, real-world crises.

Minjung theology and democratization (Hwang lecture)

• Social Justice: A "People’s Theology" centering the oppressed (Minjung) as the protagonists of history.

• Han (Suffering): Focused on resolving the collective bitterness and suppressed pain of the marginalized.

• Political Catalyst: Provided the moral and organizational framework for the 1980s South Korean pro-democracy movement.

Mountain Buddhism and spatial marginalization (Hwang lecture)

Religion transformed into cultural tourism (Hwang lecture, Kaplan reading)

• Joseon Suppression: Confucian elites pushed Buddhist temples out of cities and into remote mountains.

• Geographic Isolation: The rugged terrain served as a "spatial filter," distancing monks from political power.

• Survival Strategy: Temples became self-sufficient mountain enclaves, later rebranded as "authentic" nature retreats.

The Asian Century and shifting global power (Hwang lecture)

• Economic Gravity: A structural shift of global GDP and manufacturing from the West back to Asia.

• Multipolarity: The end of U.S. unipolar dominance as China and India rise as competing centers of power.

• De-centering the West: Challenging "Universal" Western values with Asian models of development and governance

Pax Americana shaping post-WWII East Asia (Hwang lecture)

• Security Umbrella: U.S. military presence allowed Japan and South Korea to focus budgets on economic growth.

• Market Access: Open U.S. consumer markets fueled the "Export-Oriented Industrialization" of the Asian Tigers.

• Containment Policy: Strategic infrastructure and aid used to prevent the spread of Communism during the Cold War.

Paik Nak-chungs concept of the “division system” (Hwang lecture, Paik reading)

• Self-Sustaining Logic: A "system" where the North-South hostility reproduces domestic political power in both Koreas.

• Internal Colonization: The division dictates social, economic, and cultural life, transcending simple military standoff.

• Double Task: Overcoming the system requires simultaneous democratization (internal) and reunification (external) efforts.

Division system as subsystem of the capitalist world-system (Paik reading, Hwang lecture)

• Mutual Parasitism: The North and South regimes use the "threat" of the other to justify internal authoritarianism and suppress dissent.

• Global Function: The division isn't just a local conflict; it acts as a functional cog in the global capitalist world-system and the arms trade.

• Double Task: Overcoming the system requires simultaneous domestic democratization and a fundamental shift in the global geopolitical order.

Division system constraining South Korean democracy (Paik reading)

• Red-Baiting: Elites label dissent and labor movements as "pro-North" to delegitimize and suppress pro-democracy activists.

• National Security State: The "threat" justifies massive military spending and conscription, prioritizing security over civil liberties and social welfare.

• Systemic Parasitism: True democracy is blocked because the political structure relies on the North-South standoff to maintain authoritarian control.

Korea between Pax Americana and rising China (Hwang lecture)

• Dual Dependency: Caught between U.S. security (military alliance) and Chinese economy (trade dominance).

• Strategic Ambiguity: Forced to balance two superpowers as their rivalry turns into a zero-sum game.

• Regional Re-centering: The Peninsula remains the primary "fault line" as global power shifts from the West to the East.

THAAD controversy as example of the division system (Hwang lecture)

• Security vs. Economy: Reliant on U.S. military protection but Chinese trade markets.

• Strategic Squeeze: Caught in a zero-sum rivalry where choosing one side risks the other.

• Fault Line: Re-emerging as the primary geographic center of global power competition.

social media and rapid protest coordination (Hwang lecture, Ji article)

• Real-time Mobilization: Platforms enable instant communication, bypassing traditional media and formal organization.

• Leaderless Movements: Digital networks facilitate horizontal coordination, allowing for "organic" and decentralized mass gatherings.

• Narrative Control: Social media breaks the state monopoly on information, rapidly amplifying grievances to a global audience.

participatory democracy and mass protest (Lee reading)

• Direct Engagement: Citizens bypass traditional parties to influence policy through direct action and street assemblies.

• Sovereignty Reclaimed: Protests act as a "correction" to representative failure, reasserting that power resides with the people.

• Institutional Pressure: Large-scale mobilization forces legal and constitutional changes, turning the street into a legislative arena.

K-pop as soundtrack of contemporary protest (Hwang lecture)

• Subversive Re-appropriation: Pop lyrics are repurposed as political anthems, shifting meaning from commercial to communal.

• Youth Identity: Uses the global language of K-pop to signal modernity and solidarity against older conservative structures.

• Non-Violent Resistance: Catchy, upbeat songs transform tense street confrontations into joyful, mass performances.

Light sticks replacing candlelight in protest (Hwang lecture, Lee readings)

• Technological Evolution: High-tech LED light sticks replace traditional wax candles for safer, brighter, and more persistent visibility.

• Fandom Mobilization: Adapts the visual language of K-pop fandoms into political solidarity, signaling a younger, tech-savvy demographic.

• Aesthetic Unity: Creates a coordinated, "instagrammable" visual spectacle that maintains morale and attracts global media attention.

Kpop as soft power, Kpop as street power (Hwang lecture)

• Soft Power (State/Global): Used as a diplomatic tool to project a modern, attractive image of South Korea and boost global exports.

• Street Power (Protest/Local): Repurposed by citizens as political anthems to challenge the state and mobilize youth during mass demonstrations.

• Contradictory Tool: While the government uses K-pop for national branding, activists use its catchiness to subvert authority and gain media attention.

“Impeachment playlist” as collective protest archive (Hwang lecture)

• Emotional Scaffolding: Curates a specific emotional journey (anger, hope, victory) to sustain morale during long-term occupations.

• Cultural Memory: Acts as a living historical record, embedding the political movement into popular culture for future generations.

• Acoustic Solidarity: Uses shared musical knowledge to create a unified public space, turning individual protesters into a synchronized collective.

The leading subject leading contemporary protests — young women (Lee article)

• Gendered Resistance: Driven by a backlash against state-level misogyny and the proposed abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality.

• Cultural Repertoire: Utilize K-pop fandom tactics (light sticks, coordinated singing) to transform the aesthetic and energy of traditional protests.

• Individualist Solidarity: Mobilize as a "mass of individuals" rather than formal organizations, using digital networks to bypass male-dominated leadership.

Intersectional protest coalitions among marginalized groups (Lee reading, Ji reading, Hwang lecture)

• Shared Vulnerability: Groups (women, LGBTQ+, labor, disabled) unite against systemic exclusion rather than single issues.

• Diverse Tactics: Combines K-pop fandom aesthetics with traditional labor strikes to create a broad, multi-generational front.

• Solidarity of Others: Mobilizes "as individuals" to support different causes, recognizing that one group's rights protect all.

Music building affective communities of resistance (Hwang lecture)

• Emotional Synchronization: Shared singing aligns individual heartbeats and emotions, creating a powerful sense of collective belonging.

• Safe Spaces: Music transforms hostile public squares into joyful zones, lowering the psychological barrier to joining a protest.

• Transcendence: Rhythms and melodies help protesters endure exhaustion and fear, sustaining long-term resistance through "sonic energy."

Far-right YouTubers and mobilization of authoritarian counterpublics (Lee article)

• Authoritarian Legacies: Use nostalgia for past dictators (e.g., Park Chung-hee) to build a collective identity against progressive movements.

• Conspiracy Mobilization: Amplify debunked claims, like election fraud, to justify extreme state actions (e.g., martial law declarations).

• Alternative Truths: Create "counterpublics" where anti-communism and anti-feminism are framed as the only ways to "save" liberal democracy.