Daily Archives: August 2, 2013

Asia

New History for A New China

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Lughnasa                                               Moon of the First Harvests

Two weeks ago I began a MOOC (massive open online course) from Hong Kong University called New History for a New China*.  This is a quicky, a four week dip into a data driven approach to near history in China, near history in China’s case going back to the latter Song Dynasty (1000-1100) with some sources.  The work they are doing is similar to Big History and history from the longue duree (the long term) perspective most often encountered in French historiography.

Using records of students taking the national examinations for positions in the bureaucracy, a practice begun in the Sui Dynasty (605) replacing preferment from the ranks of the nobility, the practice since the origin of the bureaucracy in the Han Dynasty, the scholars at Hong Kong University look at demographic details such as age, parent’s occupation and education, place of residence, age at taking the first exam and age when the exams were passed or failed and positions achieved.

An advantage to using these records is that they are relatively consistent over a long period of time allowing a longitudinal examination of mobility in Chinese society, at least as education influenced it.

So far I find the data produced fascinating and its revelations about the workings of Chinese society often brand new though I’m not so sure about the comparative method that the scholars say lie at the heart of their work.  They contend that this work can make neutral or objective comparisons between east and west, countering and sometimes correcting the Eurocentric nature of much social science research.

I’m hopeful that this work will get there though what I’ve seen so far is only a beginning and has some weaknesses that beginnings tackling a problem of this magnitude might be expected to have.  Still, it’s proven an interesting ride so far.

 

*A New History for a New China, 1700-2000: New Data and New Methods, Part 1

James Z. Lee and Byung-Ho Lee

The purpose of this course is to summarize some of the new directions in Chinese history and Chinese social science produced by the discovery and analysis of new historical data, in particular archival documents and datasets, and to organize this knowledge in a framework that encourages learning about China in comparative perspective.

Bees, Dogs, Garden

The First Harvests Continue

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Lughnasa                                                                      Moon of the First Harvests

Jobs I would not want to have.  Commercial harvester of either currants or gooseberries. Currants bend you over and twist your arms and legs to get into position.  Gooseberries do all of that, plus the plant fights back with alien-simulating probes.  I’m going to find out what the evolutionary advantage of spines are.  We have raspberries, gooseberries and black locust, all spiny.  The gooseberries and the black locust put off humans and the raspberries are no fun.  What’s the point?  Ha, ha.

There were enough currants, gooseberries and the last of the cherries and blueberries for Kate to make what she calls tartlets.  These are carb light, much more so than pies and very tasty.

We’ll probably pull more carrots and beets today or tomorrow, too.  Today or tomorrow as well I’m going to check the honey supers, just to see where are and I may head out to Stillwater to get a mite treatment.  This is an organic method that is food quality so there’s no negative effect on the honey.  I’m hoping this will increase my chances of over-wintering this strong colony.

The new bee area will require some chain saw work, creating both space and wood for the fire pit.  I’m thinking, after writing up Lughnasa yesterday, that a harvest bonfire on the fall equinox (Mabon) would be fun.  I’ll talk to Kate and see what she thinks.  Meanwhile we adjust to a smaller house, a leaner pack.

One example, then I’m done.  When Kona was young, we had her tested by a cardiologist who found a heart murmur.  They prescribed vasotec twice a day.  We gave it to her wrapped in sliced turkey.  I’ve mentioned this here before.  Since dogs understand fairness, that means everybody gets a slice of turkey, before bedtime and after the morning feeding.  Kona is dead now so there is no longer a reason to continue the turkey aside from the fact, and a big deal, that all three dogs have never known any bedtime ritual that doesn’t include the turkey.  We’ll keep on with it.  A good example of how traditions get started.