Course Code and Course Title
Introduction to Chinese Studies
Time and Venue
Tuesday 2:30-5:15pm
Sino Building (SB) 239
Instructor
Prof. Jan Kiely
Prof. Yunwen Gao
Prof. Chen Li
Course Description
This course is an introduction to major themes in Chinese Studies that examines key questions, problems and approaches to the study of the Chinese world. Lectures and tutorial discussions are designed to inspire first-year students to grapple with major issues, to reflect on how they themselves relate to what is studied, and to begin to explore the wide scope of possibilities inherent to this interdisciplinary major.
Course Outline
Week 1: Introduction: Chinese Studies and You
Week 2: History and Religion
Session I (2:30-3:45pm): The historical anthropology of Chinese society
Session II (4:00-5:15pm): Why religion is an essential part of China’s story
Week 3: What is Modern in China?
Week 4: On Revolution in China
Week 5: Approaching Chinese Literature from an Interdisciplinary Perspective
Week 6: Engaging with Primary Sources: The Case of the Hong Kong Literature Special Collection
Week 7: Contemporary China: Politics and Film
Session I (2:30-3:45pm): Governing China
Session II (4:00-5:15pm): Chinese Cinema
Week 8: China’s Economy
Week 9: China’s Business Environment
Week 10: Doing Family in Contemporary China
Week 11: Waste and Society in China
Week 12: Group Project Presentations