Wenming and Social Order

               

                Today Meilina and I walked through T'ienn An Men Square. The square is the largest in the world, and it is occupied by beautiful flowers, a stunning monument to the People's Heroes, and Mao's Memorial Hall. We also went to the Forbidden City (more on that to come later) and the Summer Palace, where we enjoyed the beautiful architecture and rode a rented pedal boat across the lake.

On a different note, I love Chinese culture and philosophy. Last semester I took a class on Chinese philosophy from the fabulous Dr. Honey. One of the things I learned was that while Western philosophy asks questions like "What is truth?" or "What is man's nature?", the main goal of Chinese philosophy is to answer this more practical question: "How do you organize, order, and control society?" Confucius suggested that hierarchal relationships and social rituals establish order. Laozi said that governing a nation was like cooking a small fish—too much handling will spoil it. Being in China in 2012, I catch a glimpse of how the Communist Party of China establishes and maintains social order.

                One of the ways I've picked up on is the political slogans. They are painted on city walls, and printed on red banners that hang in schools and other public locations. One of my favorite catchphrases is "文明 " or wenming, which means "civilized." Wenming citizens don't push and shove when boarding a bus. Wenming citizens don't spit on the ground, or urinate in public, or litter in the subway station. Wenming citizens obey traffic laws and respect cultural relics. Wenming citizens beautify the city, go green, create newness, and improve China. (Can you tell I've seen a lot of these slogans? It's become a little hobby of mine to take pictures of all the wenming signs I see.) Using these slogans is a clever tactic to encourage reform and let the people know how they are expected to behave. Words are so powerful, and this campaign has really deepened the meaning of "civilized."  

                The Chinese government also motivates people and maintains social order through more aggressive means. To various degrees, all governments do. Some of you may have heard about the recent crackdown on foreigners in Beijing. The police has begun a 100-day "purging" of foreigners, which means that we non-Chinese may be asked at any time to show our passports and visas. We have to carry them with us at all times to prove that we are here legally. An effective tactic? Absolutely. Since arriving in the capital, I haven't left the hostel without double-checking for my passport. They even reminded us at church on Sunday to carry our passports with us.

                So what is the best way to maintain social order? Slogans? Laws? Threats? Tanks? Is there a right way? These questions have been on my mind lately, considering the tragedy that occurred exactly 23 years ago today in Beijing. The political slogans and abundant police officers make it obvious that security, stability, and unity are very important to the Chinese. I've noticed that Americans value freedom over security and stability, while Chinese value security and stability over freedom. Americans place the individual before the state; Chinese place the state before the individual. It's a cultural thing.