Going to China?

I finally turned in my study abroad application, and at the last minute too. After playing 5 hours of fallout the night before,I had to leave work early to get Ashley to edit my essay (she is a great editor) because I could not get it done that night. By the time I finished all the edits on the essay, it was 3 o'clock and the application was due in an hour. So I cut it pretty close.

Now the suspense begins.

Here is my statement of purpose:
(Excuse the lame title, I was running out of time)

Statement of Purpose: A Chance of a Lifetime

When Dr. Algaze told my anthropology class that his theory on the development of writing in Mesopotamia was due to the need to keep better track of resources, it dawned on me that anthropology and economics are closely entwined. After class, I made a connection between Mesopotamia’s development of writing and China’s cultural shift - both had occurred due to favorable economic conditions. The city of Shanghai is one of the centers of the cultural shift due to China’s booming economy, which makes it a perfect case study of how culture is affected by economics. Fudan University, residing in the heart of Shanghai, provides a unique opportunity to observe the changes that are occurring in Chinese culture and study the economics that is making it happen.

Though UC San Diego has anthropology courses on China and Southeast Asia as a whole there is no substitute for personally witnessing the culture for one’s self, which is one of the reasons why the anthropology department strongly encourages studying abroad. I aim to focus my anthropology studies on Southeast Asia and the opportunity to live in China would allow me to better understand and connect with future courses. The time I will spend at Fudan will teach me how to minimize my bias and observe a culture as objectively as possible, a critical skill for anthropology. When I asked Dr. Algaze how I could see culture with neutral eyes, he told me that when my interpretations matched those of the locals, something I would not be able to do at UC San Diego, then I was on the right track. This program is my chance to truly understand a slice of Chinese culture by being able to step into the shoes of a local rather than simply a textbook or lecture.

The emerging modern art culture in China is of particular interest to me. Modern art in Asia has long been dominated by Japanese and Korean artists, but this has been changing ever since China decided to open its doors. Today, the art world is beginning to take note of contemporary Chinese artists and so have I. Since Shanghai is one of the cultural centers of China, has become one of the centers of the Chinese modern art movement. It would be dream come true to be able to witness avant-garde art happening before my eyes.

When I discussed the economic aspect of the program with my microeconomics professor, Dr. Andreoni, he pointed out that China today is more capitalistic than the United States. This made me realize that the fundamentals of economics could possibly be better observed in China than the United States due to the fact that China’s economy is a more pure free market because of fewer regulations. The course at Fudan, titled Economics of Development in an Era of Globalization will give me insight into Chinese economic policies and how they contributed to the rise China’s economic power. The course will also give me an understanding into the forces that helped shape contemporary Chinese culture. In addition, the cost of capitalism has always been an interest of mine, and I believe there is no better place than China to witness them. China’s economic boom left a lot of people behind, and judging from the growing wealth gap those people are getting left further behind. When I go to Shanghai, I want to see the costs of capitalism because I have already heard so much of the benefits from living in the west. At UC San Diego, there are no courses on the very unique economy of China. Besides the lack of Chinese economic courses, trying to acquire an understanding of Chinese economic policies in the United States, would be akin to an anthropologist trying to acquire an understanding of primate culture by studying them in a zoo.

Language is a major obstacle to my goals at Fudan, but it is something that I believe I can overcome. The only Chinese I speak is Cantonese, which is not very useful in a city that speaks either Mandarin or Shanghainese. In addition, I cannot read or write but a few words in Chinese. However, I have taken steps to ensure that by the time I arrive in Shanghai, I will be able to at least have enough mandarin to survive. These steps include investing in language software to practice during this academic year and finding a tutor for the summer. Drawing from my previous experiences in learning languages, I am confident that I will be able communicate when I reach Fudan and be fluent by the time I leave. Cultural differences in social etiquette must also be considered when learning and using a new language. In order to minimize the culture clash during my studies in Shanghai, I have enrolled in Communication Across Cultures at the UCSD extension.

On a more personal level, when I was growing up I was always told that I should be proud to be Chinese, but I never understood what that meant. This lack of a cultural identity was further compounded by the fact that my parents never celebrated Chinese holidays nor took part in any Chinese traditions. The fact that I have lived in Canada, Germany and the United States, three very culturally different countries, muddies the water of my cultural identity even further. I see this program as an opportunity to find my cultural identity and get in touch with my roots as far back as I can trace. My grandfather’s hometown is near Shanghai and to have the opportunity to see and be part of a grass roots Chinese community even just for a day, would be a life changing experience and give me a better understanding of who I am.

The experiences and knowledge I would gain from my time at Fudan would bring me closer to my dream of eventually living and working there. I want to help bridge the gap between East and West with my cultural diversity, especially in the professional world. I have already making arrangements with a friend who will also be studying abroad in Shanghai fall semester, to attend a job and internship fair hosted by New York University in Shanghai. The opportunity to intern or work in China would help establish connections and bring me ten steps closer to achieving my dream. However, personal goals aside, the main hope is that by the end of my studies at Fudan, I will have gathered enough information to, as Dr. Algaze would say, write several doctoral dissertations on the relationship between Chinese economics and culture.

-muffinman