Unusual Earthquake Job Controversies

Jiang Xiaojuan was one of thousands of police-officers attending to earthquake relief in China's Sichuan Province.  But Jiang's unique contribution to the relief effort set her apart from the rest her peers- she breastfed nine babies newly orphaned by the earthquake.

Normally, this type of story would be nothing more than a unique human interest story, but Jiang's new promotion to vice commissar of police in Jiangyou City has created quite a stir.  An editorial in the People's Daily asks the question, of whether or not a breastfeeding mother could be a good political commissar.  According to the editorial, she was just a humble policewoman who happened to offer a unique service to the relief efforts.  She may not be as qualified for the job as other more senior officers. 

Others disagree, and another editorial from Xinhua News says that the promotion was completely justified.  They argue that she was promoted because of her kind heart, police qualifications, and "low-profile "celebrity"".  According to the editorial, any moral, competent person can become a good leader.

But Jiang Xiaojuan isn't the only one whose job has been subject to the earthquake spotlight.  While her actions resulted in a promotion, Fan Meizhong (dubbed "Runner Fan" in the blogosphere), a teacher who ran out of his classroom when the earthquake hit, has been fired.  Danwei.org has an interesting analysis on the situation, posing the question of whether self-preservation is a fireable offense.

While no student in Fan's school died during the quake, the surviving ones said he was a good teacher who encouraged independent thinking.  His principal said Fan was fired not for his instincts, but his "inappropriate" statements, which received considerable discussion and debate online. 

Chances are that Fan wasn't the only teacher who cared more about his own life than the lives of his students, but he was the only teacher who thought that sharing his experiences on Tianya.com was a good idea.  He said, "I would only give up my life for my daughter.  I would not do it for other people, even my mother."  While these thoughts don't really reflect looking out for "the greater good," he would hardly be alone in his instinct of self-preservation.

Without the earthquake, Fan and Jiang would probably be on the traditional job trajectories, and definitely wouldn't be web celebrities.  But their stories are a far more striking example of social values than typical career tracks.

Amidst the greatly evolving Chinese landscape, basic mores, like valuing the interests of the greater good over self-preservation, continue to shape the culture.  At the same time, these sentiments aren't completely unchallenged, and both Jiang's promotion and Fan's firing have resulted in intense online debate.

Not even the "official" state-run news agencies agree on Jiang's promotion, though you could either argue that her strong character is beneficial to the greater good, or that her lack of experience could be problematic for those under her authority.

We'll probably never know how successful Jiang will be in her new job, or whether Fan receives a teaching job at another school, since their 15 minutes of fame are already fading.  On the other hand, the ongoing earthquake coverage will continue to give the global public a unique glimpse into China's social values.