Dissertation research questions

Hello to all Chinese people out there.  I was wondering if you could help me. I am researching for my dissertation and I need some help gathering the most up to date information about China’s medical system. I have written four fairly straightforward questions that I am hoping you will be able to answer, as I do not know many Chinese people in Scotland.

Question 1: What do you think of Chinese Medicine today?

Question 2: How heavily influenced do you think Chinese medicine is over western medicine and how easily influenced do yuo think Western medicine is over Chinese medicine?

Question 3: How good/or bad is the treatment of mentally ill people in China?

Question 4: How successful has herbal medicine become in China and how successful do you think it has become in the west?

If you could reply with your comments, I would greatly appreciate it.

Kind regards

Lindsay Osborne

Proposal

Made in China Research Project Project Proposal

Wild swans

Wild Swans is the true story of three generations of women in the twentieth century. My mother recommended I read this book a long time ago, its been sitting in her library for years now and I could hardly bring myself to read it because I just knew that if she thought I should read it it would be a harrowing tale! But I have resolved to read it during the holidays when I have more time and don’t mind my mascara dribbling down my cheeks. The book was first published in 1991 so its been out for over 20 years now , has  been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 10 million copies. Here is one of the reviews on the book.

“Riveting, an extraordinary epic. A work of true, living history drawing deep on family memories, an unmatchable insight into the making of modern China and the impact of war and totalitarianism on the destinies of a quarter of the human race.” Richard Heller , Mail on Sunday.

“China Has Another 300 Years To Go…”

According to Zhang Weiying, an economist, that’s how long it will take China to get a market economy  . He was quoted in the Gaurdian in response to a case against an entrepreneur in China, Wu Ying.  According to the Gaurdian Wu Ying is facing the death sentence because her business empire failed and she has been charged with fraud and raising money outside the banking system.

The problems seems to me that the Chinese government want to have their cake and eat it. They encourage entrepreneurs like Wu Ying but are not prepared to support them as the  banks prefer to lend money to state- owned enterprises. This means that entrepreneurs seek capital from other sources,  private lenders who are looking for a better return on their money as interest rates from banks is so low. However in China it is illegal  to raise money from private lenders.  So its a catch 22 situation.

It’s obvious that the system is at odds with its ambition .  No amount of money on fancy PR can erase the brutality of a regime that holds out a carrot to its people but beats them when they bite.

Ceramics Workshop

Posted on March 22, 2012

CERAMICS WORKSHOP

 On Friday I took part in a ceramics workshop which I must say was very enjoyable indeed. We used porcelain and moulds . The workshop is part of our Made In China module and we have looked briefly at Chinese ceramics. This is my version!

First of all we cut a piece of porcelain clay and worked it , a bit like kneading bread dough . Then we rolled it out quite thinly and placed it on a mould , shaped it with a damp sponge into the countours of the mould, cut off the surplus clay carefully with a wooden knife and then I added ball feet. Later in the afternoon I painted it with cobalt which is a blackish colour when applied but which turns blue once it is fired.

This is my “Chinese “ceramic

Bowls we painted

Dipping bowls into the glaze practise session.

The dishes above had already been made for us so that we could practise painting with the cobalt and Chinese brushes. Later that day we glazed them and they were taken away to await their turn in the kiln. So it might be a week or two before I see the results. Thanks to Sean for the workshop it was great fun.