This article presents four stories of personal experiences of China. In "A Journey Between China's Past and Present," Peter Hessler, a former Peace Corps volunteer and author, highlights misconceptions between Chinese and Americans and the desire both peoples share for knowledge about one another. In "Life on Liberation…

During the recent presidential campaign, some prominent politicians called for a "time out" in negotiating new agreements to expand international trade, and others wanted to reduce it by canceling existing trade agreements. The stated concern is that trade with countries with low labor costs forces American workers to either accept lower…

Presents a conversation among a teacher from Shanghai, China, and two professors from the University of Victoria, Canada, on the topic of life in China. Subjects discussed include the importance of traditional values and food in Chinese life and of maintaining them in the face of overcrowded cities, pollution, and other problems of the modern…

Describes three trends that are thought to be important in shaping the Pacific Rim and discusses the significance of each. The first is the continuing economic and military influence of the United States in the region; the second is the increasingly dynamic Japanese expansion; and the third trend is the diffusion of Chinese people throughout the…

Discusses a program at the John Eaton Elementary School in Washington, D.C. in which the students are taught about the People's Republic of China. Describes implementation of this interdisciplinary curriculum and concludes that the program helped promote better understanding of Chinese culture. (GEA)

Describes cultural and temporal problems in learning about contemporary China. Provides an introduction to the other articles on China in this issue of the journal. (JDH)

Presents three theories or "perspectives" for studying recent changes in China: the modernization perspective which views changes as a form of evolutionary development, the cyclical perspective which interprets changes as the ebb and flow of normal phases, and the dialectical perspective which assumes changes stem from unresolved…

Presents views of four Chinese visiting scholars regarding social, political, and economic conditions in China. Contemporary conditions are contrasted with previous periods, exposing some of the misconceptions which are typical of U.S. citizens who have failed to keep up with China's development. (JDH)

Argues that geography can be made more relevant in today's social studies if it is presented as the study of the environmental impact of culture. This theme is illustrated by contrasting cultural influences which shaped the physically similar east and southeastern regions of China and the U.S. (JDH)

Among the goals of Chinese educators today are unifying education standards, extending the length of schooling to 12 years, and improving teacher quality. Moral education is being introduced into formal schooling on a large scale. Social studies courses are heavily laced with party dogma. Social studies courses are listed. (RM)

Reports an individual's observations during a trip to China. Argues that the U.S. government and students must learn to understand and appreciate China because of its large population, market potential, and position among major world powers. Discusses personal impressions, the protesters at Tiananmen Square and elsewhere, and reactions to…