Tell it to Steven Hawking. A person's physical stature does not limit his/her potential for work that does not rely on his/her physical stature (e.g., English teaching, as well as physics). The cultural attitude that those who are discriminated against because they do not fit the culturally desired norm should be outcast or should be provided for by special environments that can be sold as entertainment venues to those who will not deal with their own prejudices is a cultural attitude that perpetuates discrimination against all who are 'different'. The problem here, as elsewhere, is a matter of dehumanizing those who are 'different' - prejudicial culture that regiments anything that deviates from its standards, rather than dealing with the prejudice itself. Why not have a theme park within which 'foreigners', with all their funny habits, can be kept, so that they do not disturb the 'normality' of cultural prejudices? Actually, there could be many: one for 'black people', one for Tibetans, one for Japanese, one for gay people, one for Han Chinese people who have given up their 'traditional' clothing for 'western-style' clothing (e.g., the great majority of Chinese, over the past century or so) - in fact we could subdivide and subdivide until nothing was left but mutual nonrecognition. All these would help to maintain the narrow identities of 'normality' that can be relied upon to advance support the cultural attitudes that promote the continuing inability of people to recognize each other as human, and to celebrate and accept their differences - not as entertainment items, no matter how 'cute', but as full human beings. How different is all this from apartheid?
This effort to maintain prejudice can, of course, be profitable to those who invest in it, and convenient for social engineers and political elites who want to maintain an elite power status by reliance on it.
The place is an insult to our common humanity and a spotlight on cultural attitudes of exclusion. Those who find that they enjoy such displays should take a good look at the nature of the culture that has formed them so narrowly. Cultures change; cultures have always changed; cultures are presently changing and will continue to do so; there is nothing sacred about cultural attitudes. Our common humanity is an ongoing project, and those who imagine they are not part of such a project are simply contributing their own blindness to it, and limiting themselves in the process. It's not the 'dwarves' who are the problem, its the people who will not accept them as within the boundaries of 'us'.
China to overhaul high school education in "poverty-stricken" regions
发布者@tiger: For the village in question, I'm referring to the percentage of middle-school grads who go on to senior secondary, at present. In this village, the percentage just a few years ago was even worse. And the percentage of elementary school kids who go to middle school is less than 50% now - worse 10 years ago - in fact, 10 years ago those who completed elementary school was less than 50% too. Yeah, I know, the law says everybody has to study through junior middle, but it was ignored, with no consequences other than for the future of the kids.
China to overhaul high school education in "poverty-stricken" regions
发布者I'm sure that the percentages are considerably lower in poor rural areas of Yunnan. I know of a Miao village where the percentage is considerably less than 20%.
China to overhaul high school education in "poverty-stricken" regions
发布者It's about time! This is SO important for poor areas of Yunnan! As far as I'm concerned, the stipends should make it 100% free for any student to study in senior secondary school, as well as to room and board there.
Married couple's tarmac dustup at Kunming airport delays flight
发布者Thing about staff/security not interfering probably has to do with general Chinese unwillingness to get involved in other's family affairs, where concerns for others among one's family members are rather strong. Flipside perhaps of the lack of concern for members of general public.
Married couple's tarmac dustup at Kunming airport delays flight
发布者Mass Society & Depersonalization Dept.
A thing that annoys me about this event is that such people, in their absorption with their own problems, the apparent complete lack of concern for the rights/convenience of anybody else - as if those who are not directly, personally involved with you simply don't count.