Week #1 Class Discussion: How China Became Chinese (From Jared Diamond's book GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL)

Class Discussion Notes:

Colin (page 331): Tattoos and ethnic minorities. Yi people.

Anya (page 331): Rivers; rivers = agriculture.

Katrina (page 332): Qin Emperor - book burning; loss of Chinese history - why? FARMER POWER.

Jennifer (page 333): Japsn and Korea using same writing system as China for long time; consistency...WRITING.

Skyler (page 333): geographic isolation , yet China able to influence their neighbors AXIAL TILT OF CONTINENTS

Ryan (page 323): Chinese ethnically diverse, geographically unified - see above...

Rob (page 323): genetic differences; xenophobia - fear of outsiders - Chinese as THE MIDDLE KINGDOM.

Melanie (page 329): North (cool and dry) versus South (warm and wet; languages in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar - have been "disappeared."

Tyler (page 331): North to South spread --> Rivers -> east/west (Yellow snd Yang tze) - how did cultural influence spread? WRITING perfected in North...

DIVERSITY
GREAT HISTORY - DEEP HISTORY
CLIMATE IS VARYING - NORTH VERSUS SOUTH
WESTERN STEREOTYPES - HOMOGENEITY/HAN