Youth Phenomenon in China

[Oulgin]

Hi, I'm new here. I work as a youth programme coordinator, particularly with youth from troubled family background. Just for my own research purposes, I'd curious to find out your opinion about youth in today's China. Be it their interests, recreation, lingo, mentality, view towards dating & getting attached, problems, difficulties & challenges they face among peers, family, school & society.

What are some of the social trends, both good & worrying, you see emerging. Are there any difference in these areas & their thinking due to regional cultural difference, for eg. any northern Chinese youth in maybe Shen Yang, Harbin as compared to Beijing & Shanghai youths, as well as to youth in the southern city as in Guangzhou & Shenzhen?

I do have some basic understanding & assumptions, I'd just like to poll the opinion out there to see if those are correct. I know know it is a loaded question that encompasses a wide spectrum, but appreciate if I could know how you or perhaps your friends think. Kindly indicate the region or city you are in so that I know where to place the opinion in it's relevance. Much thanks guys.

[mind_wander]

I recommend you add the Western view (US) of Asian Culture because this topic has many problems. It really depends because post-war II parents has a harder time adjusting to the new age (millinem) attitudes. After the baby boomers borning the next generation babies, in my opinion are having trouble communicating because of the culture differences between East/West.

[Oulgin]

I understand the impact of western influence or even influences from like Hong Kong or South Korea. Part of my job is to deal with the side effect of the conflict between some of the more adverse aspects of western influence on the youth & the parent culture held by their parents, teachers or society in general. This influence is unavoidable therefore the realistic approach is how to work with it, to minimise the negative damages while accentuating the more healthy & positive aspect of external cultures.

My study on this is to find out how is the different regional conditions reacting to this element among the youth. Does local conditions friendly & adds to the adoption of external influences? To what extend do they embrace & co-exist? How do the young people view & react to this acceptance or rejection? I have good understanding towards the western aspects of culture as well as general universal characteristic of youth. What I'm keen in finding out is, how much of that are modified, evolve, change, affected by local regional culture? It is only with this understanding, we can start working out an effective approach to handle any adverse results arises to this contact. Nonetheless, thank you for your input, I guess it helps clarify the topic I'm on to. Best regards

[mind_wander]

Here is my own personal view, in order to resolve the problem is to have a hub/organization/groups, have some kind of international culture organization can communicate with others either in native language or any other foreign language; with their interests. I am more referring more toward homogenous groups, for example Asian/ Asians/ABC/FOB, Americans/ABC. It is kinda hard to get together too because some can speak their own native tongue and some can't either read, write, and listen, but another language other than their own.

As, for Asian culture is different in all across, some families are more strick than others, loose, or just messed up (Gap difference-really a major issue). It is a very interesting topic you started with, by the way I am from the USA.

[ala]

http://www.shanghaistreets.net/ (in english)

http://www.shrock.cn/bbs/ (in chinese)

you might want to post there.. if you want alternative shanghainese youth, young adult info, especially pertaining to those alienated or non-traditional.

beijing scene is big too.

other regions have much less outlets, but there is also less social competition and pressure.

[Oulgin]

Wow! Thank you for the interest in the topic. I do understand those chinese youth who left CHina to study oversea is a unique group of their own. My study does include them as one of the focal groups. In fact I think they can be sub-divided further into those who study in asian countries like Singapore or Hong Kong & those who do so in a more western context like Australia, the United States or Britain.

As for the asian cultural traits which are many & varied, I'm trying to find some common traits among it all. I use culture here in a general sense as in the main stream culture. Some of the differences are regional based like for eg. Guangzhou will be quite different from Shanghai inspite of both being metropolitan, & they both are quite different from Harbin. I've been to & work in those cities, I know there are differences social culture wise. Now, having stayed in S'pore, Hong Kong, Shenzhen for some good period of my life, I perhaps know more intimately the youth culture in these places, but not so for Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin or Shenyang as compare to say a native Shanghainess or one reside in Harbin. I 'd like to find out the impact these different social cultures in the different cities have on the youth culture, are there any difference in their fringe cultures? The main stream youth vs the fringe group as in the Rockers which Ala had so helpfully furnished. The metropolitan vs the less developed cities. The characteristic of an ordinary family in these cities & how do they relate to their youth.

I have selected several focal group as representative to these major trends & sub trend, to put some order into the scope, lest it's too wide for our purpose here. The first will be the oversea group, splitted into 2 sub groups, those in western nations & those in more asian context. Then Guangzhou as representative of cities in the more affluent Southern China, Shenzhen, a newly metropolitan city with it's hybrid social culture due to her population consist of more than 70% migrants from other parts of China. Shanghai the traditional pacesetter, fastest metropolitising city rivaling SZ. Beijing, China's political centre & the northern cities, I have Harbin & Shenyang as representative.

Ala, thanks for your lead, I'll post there as well. If you do have any lead for the other cities I've mentioned above, I'll be more than grateful. Perhaps you can share on your take in observation, for both Shanghai & the other cities? Thanks guys, I'm sure we can come out with some rather interesting observation.

I'm currently based in S'pore.

[mind_wander]

I wonder oulgin are your a program director in the US or another foreign country. Sorry, I don't have to many inputs for China, since I wasn't born there.

[Oulgin]

In Singapore. This topic is of professional interest to me as there isn't much studies & analysis on China youths as yet. There is a substantial amount of chinese student coming over to S'pore for education, forming a distinct yet relatively unknown group here. Appreciate your interest over this topic, perhaps you can still give your input in term of your observation of the chinese students studying over at the States.

[mind_wander]

How I see it, just keep the program simple as possible because people don't like to be forced to do something they don't want to do. I know that for a fact, as myself don't like to do something that I am not interest in. To help, for example to make it more comforting by allowing Asians accept their own liking of either tv series/music(eastern/Western)/dance/traditions(culture).

This is just a layout plan, if none above then as what do they like to do, either reading on blogs about hobbies on celebrities/singers which brings it into another culture. Usually the final result is the issue you brought up about the social issues, if finally only people are in this genre. There are people who needs someone who understand them for who they are really on the inside. For example, adults are not seeing the big picture only see at the point of the view of an adult on the eyes of their own age. I often see it in their own point of view or related comparisons, sometimes forgot to see them in their own persecptive which often times can be offensive. I am not a program director, but I still kinda keep contact with someone who is isolated in the group from the American culture. Although, she is younger than me, as a friend able to understand what she is going through in high school, because I been there done that. Best info comfort is what kind of obsecules giving out there for minorities, as myself because there isn't anyone who really understand this as an program director or teacher (They see mostly what is infront of their eyes). So, it is hard to giving full helping hand, so the individual will have more increase isolation making it worse.

I go to college which is the majority 65% causian, so I am kinda isolated in a room full of majority of Cauasian, and 2% or 1% minority. I am seeing the eyes of a smaller minority, but I know for the fact when I step out of the country Asian is a larger majority. Also, I bring the Asian perspective into the classroom, if I get projects done, so to enlight the issue. Many times trying not to think too much about this, but still it happens is trying not to lose that Asian populous effect by watching out the holes Asians shouldn't be doing. For example: I don't have that great grades like an Average Asian student, which it is very rare in Asian culture (Although I am ABC). I don't keep to much an update American issue because I am not changing anything, I will make a change by bringing updates what is going on Asia. For example, Asia has it's own problems, but if you ask someone in an American isolated to the Asian world. The most response you get is: oh, the country taking our jobs away or the Tianamen square(no human rights), I give the overall the big picture that is still progression to make China's big country a modern developing nation.

Here is another suggestion, if people are isolated please advised to watch a American tv show released in March 12 called Trading Races:Black/white. There might be people you deal with might fit in this category, since it is relevant to the issue.

However, my young age is just my appearance, but my knowledge is growing at great lengths making me more openminded. Since, I do listen to others who is older than me, now these days the youth don't listen to adults at all.

Sam

[mind_wander]

Going back to your original goal, this is my own opinioned suggestions. The Asian world has so many mixed culture, as the topics your trying to narrow down is kinda complicated to root out all the answers. Why is Singaporans associated more for the western and eastern ways, to assimulate without being an outcast basic principle. As, unity Singaporans/ Chinese/FOB/ABC, Chinese/ European/ American/Malaysian/Filiopinio. Asian culture is really a friendly place, so there is room for more less isolation, but it is the hardship pressured by parents want their own children to do good in school. The unity starts is when there are things closely related to each individual who actually can associate with. Asian joking at another Asian actually starts because of the lacking speaking another language who understand or because of the coutry they come from. My feelings this is more over there than here, as for the American world full of the melting pot still have the prejudices, racism, discrimination, unfairness. There really isn't unity, but unitry relations to segregated culture, until America can mostly wake up and can work together as a unit no matter they are causcian, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Irish, Italian.

I hope this helps, like I did posted this is my own opinioned suggestion broken down in parts, not solely held liable. If most or all this actually works, then your questions are 80% answered. There are the grey zones, but I will allow you to take your time to test out these ideas/suggestions/opinions posted, it does work. I hope I make a difference from along place, if I did I am very delighted.

Sam

[mind_wander]

I am very interested in these type of topics because most of my life I outcasted the Asian life but the western life most of my life up until first year of college. I thought being Asian is something negative, or something was wrong with me. Then after my winter break during first semester of college, I woke up and lucky to be Asian as the high majority in the nation. The problem is how to apply both eastern side into the western this is what ABC is having trouble with, there is not really a grey zone. Also, so much eastern stuff I missed out and now trying to gather info some currrent youth culture, music, tv series, american stuff that Asians like which isn't that great here.

I compared what Asian media got there and comapred to what American media don't got here could be considered successful if they tried. I didn't think about this stuff either, the more I write more about this, it sounds like I am a program director. However, I don't involve to much my life with social groups, since I am busy balancing things in my life here.

If you want to start a comfort zone, allow the youth to run things alittle, but with some strong rules can't be broken. For example, what kinds of music they like to listen too, play it in the room. For example, F4/ Jay Chou/ Wang lee Hom (There is a fan club for him there, I am sure of it)/ Western hip-hop/ Wang Fei/ Jimmy Lin/Jacky Chan(the actor). If they have a chinese tv series please advice to have an one hour session, it helps increase reading Chinese characters the youth is still having problems. For example, martial arts shows containg xiao ao jiang hu, Shen diao ying xiong zhuan, yi tian tu long ji, Tian long ba bu, pop star idol tv series.

Finally, if all these things work out for you, for helpful creditiblity suggestion can email me : zhangliangqun@gmail.com. I am from Albany, NY. Since, people try to get resources and have creditbility issues all over, can be held liable, caution, things can be restructured so not held accountable.

Samuel Chang