Midterm Concepts Flashcards
What is Hukou ( Household registration)?
Registration/Classification of an individual in the system based on occupation and political stance. Contains name, date of birth, members of household.
Explain Hukou.
Officially identifies a person as a permanent resident of an area with the identifying information. Continuation of ancient Chinese tradition into Modern China, changes are not allowed after registration. Inherited from their father.
Why is Hukou important?
Limits the determination of future opportunities. Poses a system of discrimination in China in quality of education, children left behind, job opportunities and wages. One of the social mechanism in Maoist China, the purpose is to prevent the resurgence of the enemy classes.
Define Nihonjinron and homogeneity.
Theories about the Japanese people. Based on the theory that Japan’s population in monocultural and homogeneous with people being united by the “Japanese Blood”. Being Japanese includes the possession of nationality, culture, and lineage.
Why is Nihonjinron and homogeneity important?
Reimagining of nation identity to form an empire. Led to very little acceptance of mixed race people and Korean residents in Japan as “other”.
Explain Nihonjinron and homogeneity.
Nihonjinron is a Japanese idea that differs from the western idea of individuality, seeing the Japanese people as one, united by heritage and culture. Instills a sense of dependence on each other. Homogeneity composition is NOT a result of Japanese history, ethnic minorities, class differences.
Why is homogeneity problematic?
Overgeneralize, theories benefit the powerful conservative class. Japan is relatively homogenous but has minorities so can be diverse, ethnically, ideologically, and in terms of class.
What is Pan-Asianism and Japan’s multiethnic empire?
Pan-Asianism is an inclusive ideology, the unification of different Asian cultures. Advocating for solidarity among Asian nations against the perceived threat of Western dominance.
Explain Pan-Asianism and Japan’s multiethnic.
Japan adopted a pan-asianism perspective to unify Asia.The objective was to unite asian races together, freed from western rule and influence to be united under a dominant Japanese empire. Japan had largely colonized most of Asia, became a geographical unit much like the West.
Significance of Pan-Asianism and Japan’s multiethnic empire?
East Asian regions became increasingly Pan-Asianist. Japan formed a very multiethnic empire where different asian races could coexist. However, Japanese empire grew to be Western in its power and sphere of influence.
What is class and social strata in China?
Marx definition of class is based on the ownership of the means of production. Maoist it refers to a label based on both economic origins and political background. Social strata is layers in society differentiated by various social factors and analyzes inequalities and their impact.
Explain class and social strata in China?
Referred to social ranks in hiearchy. Class labels inherited through father and continues for several generations.
What is State feminism?
The active role of state/government in women’s rights to propel them further in the world.
What is Gender erasure?
The blurring of gender roles and characteristics. Women were masculinized so that there was no distinction between male and female.
Explain State feminisim.
In the Maoist era, state pushed away idea of women being housewives in a result of finding women in more male dominant positions. Banned arranged marriages.
Explain gender erasure.
Unisex dress codes made it hard to delineate gender. Media promoted this in films and articles depicting women doing the same things as man. Sexual ignorance.
What is the signifcance of State feminism and gender erasure?
Modern gender role with more rights given to this marginalized group. Leads to post-mao crisis in Chinese hyper-masculinity because of the idea of “weak man-hood”.
What is Mixed race Japanese?
Grouped as konkatsuji (mixed-blood) not seen as fully Japanese. Grown up naturalized as Japanese citizens and eventually accepted over the years.
Explain Mixed race Japanese.
After WW2, American/Allies stationed in Japan had children with Japanese women, children were orphaned bc they were unable to take them back to the U.S ( ant-asian exclusion laws). The women did not want to claim them as their own because of (social-stigma). Transformed into a social problem since mixed individuals were looked down upon and dismissed for their impure heritage.
Significance of Mixed race Japanese?
Rise of “halfsplotation” films where directors used mixed race Japanese as stand ins/metaphors for the occupation. One ex. is Konkestuji Rika is played as a revenge/fantasy plotline. Eventually there was integration of mixed race Japanese becoming very visible in society and media. This added to the image of Japan being cosmopolitan, also disproving the theory of homogeneity. However, due to societal judgement, there is a question of Japanese-ness.
