Can I start a Jacques deLisle fan club? Every time I've heard him speak, he has been supremely knowledgeable, prepared and, despite his obvious brilliance, able to relate to those of us who are much more rudimentary in our understanding of China. What a great discussion. Ishmael's comment was a reminder for us to not be too smug about our media... something important to keep in mind when students can default to a "we live in the greatest country that ever existed" mentality.
And I give Sarah serious props for her attempt to answer the question about how we define revolutions. Her answer was more eloquent than what I would have given... but right on target... I found it SO interesting that Sarah was shut down in such a right/wrong... black/white... yes/no manner. Maybe one of the learnings we can take is that we really do look at things a bit more critically and less didactically in our classes? What do you think???????
I think the Egyptian faculty member was simply looking for an academic definition and made that very clear. It seemed that they were much more prepared for the discussion than we were (they referred to their notes and seemed to have seen the questions ahead of time). Perhaps, her direct response was more culturally acceptable in Egyptian society than in our own. Sarah took it like a champ! I can't speak about the Egyptian school system but that is how I interpreted the situation. Also, I must say it was nice to see the professor defy the stereotype of the meek, unassuming Muslim woman.
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