Course Code
CHES5101
Course Name
Selected Themes on Gender in China
Time
Mon 14:30 - 17:15
Venue
CKB_706B
Instructor
Dr. Lynn Sun
Teaching Assistant
Huang Xiaotong
Course Description
This course takes an anthropological perspective to debate a general human category, gender, in the context of contemporary Chinese society. Through this approach, the course will show how the notion of gender is largely a sociocultural product. The anthropological approach helps us contemplate taken-for-granted beliefs regarding gender and sexuality. Gender politics in essence address differences and inequality. Reflecting upon how gender became a category of analysis for anthropologists, we bring to the fore the relationship between culture and power. Students will explore material, economic, political, and sociocultural factors that underpin such processes of construction. This course will start by introducing core concerns, arguments, and approaches related to gender and sexuality in China. After the introductory sessions, we will focus, week by week, on common (or controversial) gender and sexual issues we encounter in our daily lives. Students are encouraged to examine their own gender identities and beliefs critically; to not only understand how our gender assumptions are shaped but also to develop one’s own gender statements.
Course Outline
WEEK 1 (6 Jan): What is Gender, and Why do We Study Gender?: An Anthropological Approach to Gender and Sexuality
NO TUTORIAL
WEEK 2 (13 Jan): Performing Chinese Femininities
NO TUTORIAL (Sign up for the tutorial facilitation)
WEEK 3 (20 Jan): The Hybridity and Pluralism of Contemporary Chinese Masculinities
WEEK 4 (27 Jan): Gender and the Chinese State
WEEK 5 (3 Feb): NO CLASS (Lunar New Year Holiday)
WEEK 6 (10 Feb): Gender, Marriage, Power and Resistance
WEEK 7 (17 Feb): Empowerment or New Forms of Exploitation?: Gendered Mobility in Contemporary China
WEEK 8 (24 Feb): Gender, Class, and Work
WEEK 9 (3 Mar): NO Class (Reading Week)
WEEK 10 (10 Mar): Gender, Body and Consumption
WEEK 11 (17 Mar): Gender, Aging and Caregiving
WEEK 12 (24 Mar): Gender, Eating and Cooking
Final Research Paper Proposal Due (Optional)
WEEK 13 (31 Mar): Individual Consultation Sessions (TBA)
NO TUTORIAL
WEEK 14 (7 Apr): Romancing and Queering the Cyberspace: Gender and the Charm of “Beautiful Men”
WEEK 15 (14 Apr): Gender, Feminism and the Future: Alternatives and Challenges
NO TUTORIAL
Friday, 25 April 2025: Final Paper Due
Assessment & Assignments
Attendance and Participation 15%
Discussion Facilitation 20%
Reflection Paper 30%
Final Research paper 35%
Honesty in Academic Work
Students should submit written assignments to the Veriguide system and print out the Veriguide receipt and scan it into a PDF file before submitting to the Blackboard. See the website: https://services.veriguide.org/academic/login_CUHK.jspx. Any cases of plagiarism will be severely penalized and reported to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, which could result in failure or expulsion from the University. http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/.