Emerson+R


 * Social Structure in Han China and Imperial Rome**

Paris Hyatt is a report for Gossip Magazine and keenly interested in the social structure of Han Dynasty China and Imperial Rome. Ms. Hyatt lives in a gated community far from the city, supports several local charities, and is addicted to watching the E! CChannelhannel. To help her decide which dynasty to visit, you will need to research answers to the following key questions:

= **Key Questions:** =
 * 1) How were the social structures broken down in the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire
 * 2) Describe and explain the types of jobs within each social structure?
 * 3) What was life like in each social class? Describe the family life? Could people move from one social class to the next very easily?
 * 4) How were women and slaves treated in the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire?
 * 5) What was education like for all people in the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire?
 * 6) Which empire should Ms. Hyatt, a reporter for //Gossip Magazine//, visit? Why?

=Resources= Your research will be confined to the following web resources and library databases. If you wish to use a resource not on this list you must seek approval from your teacher.

**Rome**
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 * China **
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 * __[|http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/FORMHAN.HTM]__
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 * Library Databases **
 * @http://www.micdslibrary.com/databases.html

Scroll down to the History/Social Studies menu; the ABCCLIO Ancient World History database is particularly helpful.

=Research and Citations= Use the space below to record your research for each question. Remember that you will need to cite your sources using the format found on the MICDS Library resource page.

How were the social structures broken down in the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire?
Han China: The social structure in the Han Dynasty included several different classes. At the top were the Royal family, led by the emperor; the regents, the heads of state; the nobles; and the eunuchs who presided over the harems. Although their population number was small they had the most power in society. The next set of classes in the social structure included the gentry scholars and officials. They were a privileged part of society that was head of government. Below the gentry scholars and officials were the farmers and landowners. They were in the middle of the social class because they made food for some people and owned medium sized estates. Below this were the artisans and craftsman. They were towards the bottom of the social class because their work was thought to be less valued than those of the classes above them. The next class included the merchants and industrialists. They engaged in trades and industries. This class was thought lowly and contemptible by officials and gentry scholars. Since they were in such a low class, they were forced to wear white to show their class level. Below them were the guests and retainers. This class worked for a host who provided for them to live. Finally, the lowest social class was the slaves. They were either owned privately or state owned.

Imperial Rome: In Rome the social class consisted of two different classes that had many occupations in each of them. The upper class was the patricians. They made up 5% of Rome's population. The types of people that made up the class of patricians were mostly wealthy land owners that came from old families. Patricians controlled the government and made the rules and laws that applied to patricians and plebeians. The lower class of imperial Rome was the plebeians, known as the working class of Rome. They were farmers, bakers, builders, or craftsman. The plebeians made up the other 95% of Rome's population. Plebeians had little power. They weren't allowed to participate in the government. The patricians made laws the plebeians had to follow. There were huge differences in the lives of the patricians and the plebeians in money, jobs,houses, etc.

Describe and explain the types of jobs within each social structure?
Han China: Since there were various classes in China, there were many different types of jobs too. The emperor ruled the dynasty; the eunuchs maintained the harem of the palace; and a regent acted as head of state. The officials job in the government was higher than the gentry scholar. The officials were the head of government and one of their jobs as head of government was to get taxes from the farmers in grain. The gentry scholars were usually unemployed officials, scholars and students. They did not hold a government office. The next classes had jobs as farmers and landowners. The farmers and medium sized estate landowners worked on a farm and acted as a manager over their son or daughter. They would also weave and then sell their products at a home sale or market. Artisans and craftsmen's were privately employed or could work for the government. They made such things as bronze mirrors or lacquerware. Below the artisans and craftsmen were the merchants and industrialists. The merchants and industrialists job was to work in a small shop. In early western Han they worked in a salt mine or at an ironworks site. Below them were the guests and retainer who worked for a host and the host would give them lodging, clothing, and transportation. In return they would work as a bodyguard, an advisory, or work around the house. Sometimes the host would make them do dangerous jobs such as assassinations, fighting off bandits or riding into battle to defend their host. The lowest class was the slaves. Their job was to do whatever the private owner or government owner wanted them to do.

Imperial Rome:  In Rome there were two classes, the patricians and the plebeians. The patricians didn't work that much, meaning that most of the work was done by the plebeians. The patricians still had some jobs, they worked in the government. The whole Roman government was patricians. The plebeians performed jobs and were even nicknamed the working class of Rome. Since Rome had very fertile soil there was a lot of farming. Since the patricians didn't want to do the farming they made the plebeians do it. Other occupations of the plebeians were bakers, builders, and craftsmen.

=== What was life like in each social class? Describe the family life? Could people move from one social class to the next very easily? === Han China:  Life in the Han Dynasty was very strict. The father was always the head of the home, followed by the mother, then sons, and then the daughters. The father would arrange marriages for their child. A husand could divorce his wife but a woman couldn't divorce her husband. A common household in the Han consisted of four to five people. The rich had the bigger homes. People in the Han dynasty couldn't move easily from one class to another because each class had its own specific jobs. For example, a farmer couldn't become an official because he didn't have that training to be one. They were trained to do one type of job and therefore could not move to another type of job or class. People in the Han liked to be entertained. One of the locations that people in the Han went for entertainment was an amusement place. There, they would see horse racing, puppet shows, musical performances, dancing, acrobats, types of juggling, cockfights, and caged animal fights. In addition, the rich people had a lot of entertainment in their homes. Some of them might have orchestras with drums, flutes, stringed instruments and bells. Some liked games such as gambling and board games. One of the people's favorite games in the Han was called liubo.

Imperial Rome: Life in Rome depended on the class you were in. The patricians had it easy. They ate the finest foods, wore the nicest clothes, and stayed in the nicest homes. They would eat meat, bread, fruit, vegetables, and wine for breakfast. Because they didn't work they spent their days being busy doing the things they liked to do. Some of the things they would do were listening to music, poetry, riding horses, and hunting. Their houses were very large and fancy. The plebeian's life was very different. It wasn't as exciting as the patrician's because it involved work. Their lives were also poor quality lives. For breakfast the plebeians would only have bread dipped in water or wine. They lived in small cramped houses. Children in Rome were lucky to live past the age of 10 because of all of the disease and filth in their cramped homes and towns. Just like Han, in Rome it was hard to switch between classes. The reason for this is because of such a big difference in life of the classes (house size, food, clothing) and because of the size of both classes. The plebeians made 95% and patricians made 5% of Romanian society. There was not much room for additional patricians. In addition, if you were in the bottom of the class of plebeians you would have to pass most of Rome's population to move classes.

How were women and slaves treated in the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire?
Han China: Slaves in the Han dynasty were treated very harshly. If they didn't obey their owner the owner was allowed to whip them. Even though they were treated harshly they weren't treated harshly enough to be killed. Slaves in the Han, made up only 1% of their population. That is a lot smaller than the slaves in the plebeian class in Rome, which made up 95% of the population. Slaves in Han were split into two categories, owned by the state or privately owned. Private slaves were people who were in debt and had to sell themselves into slavery to get money. State owned slaves, on the other hand, were prisoners of war. Private slaves were used for whatever the owner wanted them to do, which was probably farming. State owned slaves worked in palaces, workshops, offices and things like that. Women in the Han weren't treated badly compared to many other places. Women were allowed to work and some of the jobs were reserved for women. Also, they were the head of the family when the father died. Women in the Han were expected to do many things. Their primary job was to weave clothes for the family, rear their children, and perform duties, such as farming and cooking for the family. Also, they could make money by forming spinning or weaving groups. This money would be used for candles and lamp oil that they needed for the harsh winters. Some women even had special jobs like a doctor for the high class families, nobles, and officials.

Imperial Rome: Slavery characterized Rome. Although slaves were very important, the Romans still treated them poorly. Slaves in Rome were used for farming. When a patrician had a farm, they would require the slave to take care of the farm for them. Slaves worked for no pay. Slaves were strong because they were usually captured war prisoners. If slaves had children, their children were automatically born into slavery. Slaves couldn't inherit property. Women in Rome were treated better than slaves. Some women were treated better than other women. Women that were patricians were treated better than those that were plebeians. Women had a basic education. In late century AD, women could inherit, dispose and own property. Women couldn't participate in government but they did influence the way that it ran. A women in Rome would usually spin or weave during her free time. Rome's slaves and women weren't treated fairly but they did have some rights.

What was education like for all people in the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire?
Han China: In China there were two types of education, public and private. Public schools are how they are today, they are run by the government. Private schools are also how they are today, they are not run by the government and the tuition that is paid is what pays the teacher's salary. Some of the things children learned in the Han were history, poems, laws, customs, and arts and crafts. Some of the materials they used in class were dictionaries, biographies, manuals, and treatises.

Imperial Rome: Education in Rome depended on your class. Many poor children were sent to work instead of school. A wealthy family's dad or slave often tutored the children until they were six or seven. After that they went to school. Girls went to school until 12 years old. Boys went to school until they were 16 years old. Children started school early in the morning and finished in the afternoon. They would walk to school on their own with their books and sometimes stop to get food. They learned Latin, Greek, math, science, literature, music, and public speaking. Education in Rome came at a cost but helped you in your future.

Similarities and Differences
Before deciding which dynasty your client should visit, you may wish to create a simple Venn Diagram to compare/contrast the two empires. You may use [|this template] or create one online at Read-Write-Think.

===Which empire should Ms. Hyatt, a reporter for //Gossip Magazine//, visit? Why? If I had to suggest where Ms. Hyatt should visit I would suggest the Han dynasty. I think she would like it their better than Rome. There are many reasons why she should visit the Han instead of Rome. First, it seems that women are treated better in Han. They are allowed to wok and can even get jobs like a doctor. So as a woman, I think she would be treated better. Also, if she went to Rome there would be a greater chance of her being treated as a plebeian than a patrician. Since there are very few patricians, she would have to have been born into that society. Since she was probably not, she would have to live in crammed house, a very different place than her gated community. If she went to the Han she could be in the middle class. Since she supports several charities may be she would want to help people. She would probably want to help the people of Rome, but because she would have very little power as a plebeian she would probably not be able to help anyone. That is why I would suggest Ms. Hyatt visit Han. ===

= **Travel Poster Components:** =

You will create a travel poster for each of the two empires. Each poster should be attractive, persuasive, and highlight the major features related to your topic. You will create the posters using Glogster.edu (instructions will be provided in class) and they should contain the following components:

__**Travel Poster Components**__
 * 1) One Glogster.edu poster for each dynasty
 * 2) At least three "must see" tourist features with detailed text and relevant images for each dynasty
 * 3) At least one audio recording on each poster

The **[|Poster Rubric]** will be used to evaluate your work; you should refer to it before handing in your final product. When you have completed the poster, embed it below the "Travel Poster" heading below:

Travel Posters
//embed your posters here by copying the embed code from Glogster and adding an HTML widget//

= **Oral Presentation Guidelines** = The oral presentation is your opportunity to share your posters, explain whether your client should visit Han China or the Roman Empire, and should follow these guidelines:
 * 1) Less than three minutes in length
 * 2) Should address/explain the "must see" features of each dynasty
 * 3) Should explain which destination the client should visit and why

This presentation is about speaking skills and the use of your posters. You will be permitted to use notecards but are NOT to simply read your notes to the audience. The **[|Presentation Rubric]** will be used to evaluate your work; you should refer to it before giving your final presentation. also china has good food