Dr. Chris Eberhardt, IES Beijing Center Adjunct Faculty; Jeremiah Jenne, IES Beijing Center Associate Director for China Studies
Description:
This internship seminar is designed to provide an environment for students to analyze and internalize the nuances and dynamic working cultures, management styles and behavioral norms of different business corporations and NGO/NPO organizations in Beijing. Students gain this understanding by bringing their experiences from the internship placement into the classroom and through reading of academic and professional articles. The discussion based seminar will analyze phenomena in the workplace, making sense of cultural, social and political influences at large. Students are expected to put knowledge and skills learned in the seminar environment to the test at their internship placement to help them better integrate themselves into the working environment, improve their work performance, and enhance interpersonal and intercultural communication skills. In addition students will be invited to share their insights and understandings with the larger Beijing IES community and encouraged to begin developing a public voice regarding China.
The final internship culture project (ICP) will serve as a mechanism for students to demonstrate their personal growth and gains in intercultural competence vis-à-vis the three month internship placement experience. The ICP asks students to describe the journey of becoming a member of their assigned work team, explain work related cultural differences, and analyze a central issue discovered during the course of the internship placement. Students will engage in several workshops during the course of the semester that will serve to guide students through the design, organization, and final write-up of the ICP.
Learning outcomes:
Identify, understand, and be able to explain cultural differences in the workplace culture and build competence in interpersonal and intercultural communication skill in a multinational work environment.
Develop a working glossary of Chinese language terms related to your internship placement and working in China and general.
Develop skills for personal career development both in China and home culture
Solve work related problems using best practices for intercultural communication and objective analytical methods
Gain knowledge of common Chinese business practices and management structure dynamics within organizations and across sector
Method of presentation:
Seminar format; two class hours per week. Individual meetings with instructor as required.
Required work and form of assessment:
Class Participation 10%
Participation in class is crucial. As a class we will work through how to understand your internship experiences and whether or not your experiences are unique to your specific internship placement sites, or if it is common across multiple sites.
A NOTE ABOUT ATTENDANCE: IES has a strict attendance policy for Area Studies classes and it will be enforced in this class. EACH unexcused absence will lower your overall grade by a step (e.g. a B becomes a B-). Please see the IES Handbook for further guidelines on documenting absences. Please show up to class on time, three times being tardy without a proper excuse will count as an unexcused absence
Ethnographic journal 20%
On an almost weekly basis different tasks will be given to help you think critically about your internship placement site and how well you are developing skills to work in an intercultural environment. As part of these journal entries you are expected to be compiling a list of important vocabulary. The ethnographic journal also serves in some ways like a workshop, using the weekly assignments to prepare for the final ICP.
A NOTE ABOUT LATE ASSIGNMENTS: We have a limited number of weeks, and we all have different things we need to be working on. If you turn in assignments late I cannot guarantee you will receive the same constructive feedback as if you turned it in on time.
Mid-term Project 10%
You will be given the choice of projects to demonstrate your developing ability to work in an intercultural environment and a growing understanding of the work environment in China.
Final ICP submission 30% (20% final project, 10% presentation)
The Final ICP should take a form that you are willing to share with the public, that demonstrates that you have grown and have developed a stronger ability to work within intercultural settings. The ICP should not be seen simply as a report or paper, keeping that in mind, students are highly encouraged to incorporate audio, video and still images as appropriate.
At the end of the semester students will present their final projects in a session that is open to all of the IES community to attend.
Internship on-site performance 30%
(Attendance 10%, Midterm Evaluation 10% (half of the overall intern work), Final Assessment (Progress Related) 10%)
Students are expected to show up for their internship placement every week and will be assessed by their supervisors.
content:
Note: the readings are subject to change based on the experiences of the students during the semester.
February 13: Marco Polo buys a necktie...
Your first day at your Internship and you're hoping to do well, fit in, and not make too many mistakes. Have no fear, you're not alone. There's a long history of people in the same position you're in right now. For today's class we'll look at the stories of some of those who arrived before us -- eager entrepreneurs and businesspeople who arrived in this country with loads of expectations and ideas -- and will look at how China both challenged and changed those expectations. Along the way, we'll look at the background of foreigners working in the Middle Kingdom and talk about ways to avoid some of the (sometimes painful, sometimes funny) missteps of those who came before.
Reading List
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, James McGregor, 2005, pp. 1-21
James Mann, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Katharine Xin and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161
Sam Goodman, East Eats West, pp. 76-82, 118-126, 156-161, 166-174
February 20: So...you're an intern…that wants to do research
Ethnography Workshop
As you settle into Beijing and settle into interning, this week’s readings and workshop help you to develop the skills to better observe and analyze your surroundings. This week’s readings draw particularly on Anthropology to understand the art of ethnography and how this can be used to understand our internship placement sites better.
Throughout this course you are going to encounter the words “thick description”, and the father of these words is Clifford Geertz. We are going to read some of his work that is notorious for its “thick description.” In addition we will read a text about doing fieldwork in China and two general pieces that help us to better understand how to note our observations.
We will also spend part of class time conducting an ethnography workshop where you will be challenged to conduct ethnographic research.
Reading List
Emerson, Robert et al. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chapters 1-2 pp1-35. University of Chicago Press, 1995.
Peacock, James. The Anthropological Lens. pp 70-89. UNC, 1986.
Heimer, Maria and Stig Thogersen. 2006. “Introduction.” In Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 1‐23. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Geertz, Clifford. Balinese cockfight (excerpt)
February 11, 18: No Class, Self-reading
Now that we have our internships and have even spent a little time on the job, how do we fit in with our new co-workers? What are some of the rules of the office and possible pitfalls to avoid? How do we use the internship as a space and time to learn while also adding value to the organizations where we now work?
There are two readings for you as you participate in mobile learning. The first is a little long, but I think you'll find it is a fun and enjoyable read. "The Noodle Intern" is a section of Chinese-American author/chef Jen Lin-Liu's memoir Serve the People: A Stir-fried Journey through China. After finishing culinary school in Beijing, US-born and educated Jen Lin-Liu then tackles her next challenge: Interning at Mr. Zhang's noodle shop. Wacky hilarity and life lessons ensue.
The second reading is the ethnographic writing of Peter Hessler from his book River Town where he arrives in Fuling to begin working for the Peace Corps in the late 1990s. River Town is a classic of modern non-fiction and a winner of a few key literary awards. Throughout the semester as we prepare to create our ICP you are going to be called on to draw back on the work of Hessler and Liu. As you travel through China and take notes in your ethnographic journals, take every opportunity you can to compare and contrast your observations with those made in these two readings.
Reading list
Hessler, Peter. River Town. Chapters 1-2 pp 1-52.
Jen Lin-Liu. Serve the People: A Stir-fried Journey through China. (Houghton-Mifflin, 2008), pp. 117-194
February 25: Chinese Professional Etiquette: The Dinner Table
Given the importance of food in Chinese culture, it should come as little surprise that professional success in China often starts with relationships formed over dinners and meals. But like every culture, there are do's and don’ts and this week we will learn that there is a lot more to a dinner than just knowing how to eat with chopsticks.
There is no classroom session at the scheduled time, but we will be meeting in the IES Lobby at 7:00 p.m. and then heading to the Bei Wai Hotel for a special practicum on dining etiquette. You may also find that reviewing the following readings will be very helpful in preparing for Monday's dinner.
Reading List
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans . Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 35-40
Tim Clissold, Mr. China , pp. 51-58
March 04: Face, guanxi, and reciprocity in the Chinese workplace
We'll look at some classic explanations of face and guanxi in China and spend much time discussing how things get done in this country as well as dynamic shifts in the orientation and function of social relationships over the past decades. The Yan Yunxiang article on guanxi and social change in the village of Xiahe is from a classic ethnography of rural Heilongjiang province. He discusses how society in Xiahe is a Maussian "total" situation. What does 'total" mean here? What better place to look than Mauss's classic work The Gift. We'll read and discuss the first two chapters of The Gift not to compare our Chinese compatriots to Pacific Islanders or Native Americans, but rather to show that the importance of social relationships as opposed to individualism AND reciprocity in gift giving as opposed to contractual legal arrangement both play an critical role in human history across space while at the same time suggest that perhaps the contractual arrangement is the exception rather than the rule in human interaction.
Reading List
Bond, Michael Harris. The Psychology of the Chinese People. pp 241-254. The Chinese University Press, 1986. PDF document
Yan Yunxiang. Private Life Under Socialism. pp 29-41. Stanford, 2003.
Mauss, Marcel. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. Chapters 1-2 pp 8-48. Norton, 2000. PDF document
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. pp 117-129. Intercultural Press, 1999 PDF document
March 11: Leadership in the office…what did the laoban (老板) want me to do?
In this session we’ll try to look more closely at how the intern role and the boss role are defined at each internship location and discuss any obstacles that have arisen.
The article by Goffman gives us a general framework for understanding how different roles in the office are defined. The piece by Farh and Cheng helps to better understand how individuals in roles of authority can act. The piece by Rafaeli and Worline challenges us to better understand the internship placement sites through observation.
Reading List
Erving Goffman. Deference and Demeanor.
Jiing-Lih Farh and Bor-Shiuan Cheng. A cultural analysis of Paternalistic Leadership.
Anat Rafaeli and Monica Worline. Symbols in Organizational Culture.
March 18: What’s your QQ number?...Communicating with your co-workers
Communication Workshop
Now that you have been interning for a few weeks you have had a chance to see how your placement operates and whether or not you fit in. A key part of fitting in is being able to communicate with your co-workers. In this class we will discuss and practice ways to communicate with your co-workers. We will also discuss and practice how you can ask questions to help in researching for your internship culture projects. We plan to have a Chinese teacher join our class to help us with wording our questions properly to get across the meaning we are looking for.
Reading List
Samovar, Larry A. et al . 1998. “Accepting Differences and Appreciating Similarities: A Point of View.” Communication Between Cultures (Third Ed.) , pp. 24 (Tentative)
Thogersen, Stig. 2006. “Beyond Official Chinese: Language codes and strategies.” In Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 110‐126. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
March 26: NGO and NPO culture in China;
Field Trip China Development Brief’s Civil Society Center and/or China Youth Climate Change Action Network
This week we will visit China Development Brief’s Civil Society Center or the China Youth Climate Change Action Network to better understand the nuances of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in China.
Reading List
Chinese NGO’s – Carving a Niche Within Constraints PDF
Guobin Yang. Environmental NGOs and Institutional Dynamics in China. PDF
Fu Tao. “China’s Third Sector: Is it losing its independence?”
April 1: Stepping Outside your danwei(单位)…differences between the Corporate and Non-Profit world
This week we build on the previous readings about non-profits in China and our field trip and compare that to some of the readings we have about corporate settings in China. Are cultural practices the same in non-profits and corporations? Does it matter if the non-profit or corporation is Chinese or international? Are these experiences of working in the corporate world in China applicable to your internship experience, why or why not?
Reading List
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 13-34,51-76, 142-156
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, James McGregor, 2005, pp. 1-21
James Mann, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Katharine Xin and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161
April 08 No Class (Travel Weekend)
April 22: Planning a Career in China
Chinese resume workshop
Today is our final class session and we are fortunate to welcome Zhao Laoshi to our class to lead a workshop on writing a resume or c.v. in Chinese. While everyone has done an English resume as part of applying for this class, writing a Chinese résumé means more than just translating your English resume including different kinds of information and different methods of presenting your best qualities.
In the first part of class we will be joined by Zhao Laoshi, who will guide us through writing a Chinese resume and what we should know about applying for a job.
In the second half of class we’ll talk more about the landscape outside your internship, and what you need to understand about the Chinese workforce if you want to come back and work in China. In the process we’ll touch on the classic HR piece by Granovetter that demonstrates the importance of networks in finding a job. We’ll also look at the piece by Ross and what it can teach us about the current landscape for Chinese employees and how this might affect your chances for finding a job.
Reading List
Andrew Ross. Fast Boat to China
Mark Granovetter. Strength of Weak Ties
April 22:Final Class Session/ ICP Workshop: Presentations and Peer Reviews of ICP first drafts
In course we will have brief presentations that outline your ICPs and we will also spend time reviewing your classmates work. In the remaining time we will review the semester, and what worked and what did not work, and discuss the degree to which you are now better able to work in an intercultural environment.
Reading List
Ann Swidler. Culture as a Toolkit
April 29: Visit to Baidu/Guest Lecture by Kaiser Kuo, Director of Global Communications
Kaiser Kuo is a fixture in Beijing. Since the late 1980s, when he founded China’s first heavy metal band to today as director of global communications for China’s largest search engine, Baidu and hosting the current affairs podcast Sinica, he brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into crossing the cultural divide and adapting to China.
Please bring a copy of your English resume to class.
May 03
ICP Projects Due
Date
Topic
text and audiovisual materials/assignments
Session 1
1/28/2013
Marco Polo buys a necktie...
Sam Goodman, East Eats West, pp. 76-82, 118-126, 156-161, 166-174
Face, guanxi, and reciprocity in the Chinese workplace
Yan Yunxiang. Private Life Under Socialism. pp 29-41. Stanford, 2003.
Mauss, Marcel. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. Chapters 1-2 pp 8-48. Norton, 2000. PDF document
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. pp 117-129. Intercultural Press, 1999 PDF document
Bond, Michael Harris. The Psychology of the Chinese People. pp 241-254. The Chinese University Press, 1986. PDF document
Session 5
3/11/2013
Leadership in the office…what did the laoban want me to do?
Erving Goffman. Deference and Demeanor. PDF
A cultural analysis of Paternalistic Leadership.
Symbols in Organizational Culture.
Session 6
3/18/2013
What’s your QQ number?...Communicating with your co-workers
Communication Workshop
Samovar, Larry A. et al . 1998 . “Accepting Differences and Appreciating Similarities: A Point of View.” Communication Between Cultures (Third Ed.), pp. 24 (Tentative)
Thogersen, Stig. 2006. “Beyond Official Chinese: Language codes and strategies.” In Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 110‐126. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Session 7
3/25/2013
NGO and NPO culture in China; Visit to Friends of Nature or Chinese Youth Climate Change Action Network
Chinese NGO’s – Carving a Niche Within Constraints PDF
Yang, Guobin. Environmental NGOs and Institutional Dynamics in China. PDF
Session 8
4/01/2013
Stepping Outside your danwei..differences between the Corporate and Non-Profit world
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, James McGregor, 2005, pp. 1-21
James Mann, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Katharine Xin and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161
4/08/2013
No Class (Travel Weekend)
Session 9
4/15/2013
Final Class Session Is your cultural toolkit ready for the Chinese workforce?
Discussion: Planning a Career in China/Chinese Resume Workshop
Andrew Ross. Fast Boat to China (excerpts)
Mark Granovetter. Strength of Weak Ties.
Bring English Resume to Class
Session 10
4/22/2013
Discussion: Planning a Career in China
ICP: Presentation and Peer-review workshop
Swidler, Ann. Culture as a Toolkit.
Session 11
4/29/2013
Visit to Baidu/Guest Lecture by Kaiser Kuo, Director of Global Communications (Tentative)
5/03/2013
Submit final ICP
Required readings:
American Chamber of Commerce. Chinese NGO’s – Carving a Niche Within Constraints.
Goodman, Sam, East Eats West, pp. 76-82, 118-126, 156-161, 166-174
Emerson, Robert et al. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chapters 1-2 pp1-35. University of Chicago Press, 1995.
McGregor, James. One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, 2005, pp. 1-21
Mann. James, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Granovetter, Mark. Strength of Weak Ties.
Rafaeli, Anat and Monica Worline. A cultural analysis of Paternalistic Leadership.
Ross, Andrew. “The Sent-up Generation.” Fast Boat to China.
Swidler, Ann. Culture as a Toolkit.
Xin, Katharine and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161.
Yan Yunxiang. Private Life Under Socialism. pp 29-41. Stanford, 2003.
Yang, Guobin,. Environmental NGOs and Institutional Dynamics in China.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Chris Eberhardt holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from The New School for Social Research. The topic of his dissertation was how urban Chinese youth make sense of climate change in their daily lives, in the process looking at cooperation between Chinese and international actors. He specializes in studies of political activity and the use of media, particularly social media. His current research is comparative work looking at efforts by young generations in the United States and China to pursue their dream life and the implications this has for the environment.
Jeremiah Jenne is a Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of California, Davis. He specializes in 19th-century Qing history and is currently researching anti-foreignism and colonialism in the coastal ('treaty port') cities of the Qing Empire. Other research interests include the Qing as an imperial(ist) power, the construction of identity during the Qing Dynasty, nationalism in modern China, and gender and the family in Late Imperial China. His essays have appeared in China in 2008: A Year of Great Significance and The Insiders Guide to Beijing, 2009 Edition.
Internship Seminar
This internship seminar is designed to provide an environment for students to analyze and internalize the nuances and dynamic working cultures, management styles and behavioral norms of different business corporations and NGO/NPO organizations in Beijing. Students gain this understanding by bringing their experiences from the internship placement into the classroom and through reading of academic and professional articles. The discussion based seminar will analyze phenomena in the workplace, making sense of cultural, social and political influences at large. Students are expected to put knowledge and skills learned in the seminar environment to the test at their internship placement to help them better integrate themselves into the working environment, improve their work performance, and enhance interpersonal and intercultural communication skills. In addition students will be invited to share their insights and understandings with the larger Beijing IES community and encouraged to begin developing a public voice regarding China.
The final internship culture project (ICP) will serve as a mechanism for students to demonstrate their personal growth and gains in intercultural competence vis-à-vis the three month internship placement experience. The ICP asks students to describe the journey of becoming a member of their assigned work team, explain work related cultural differences, and analyze a central issue discovered during the course of the internship placement. Students will engage in several workshops during the course of the semester that will serve to guide students through the design, organization, and final write-up of the ICP.
Seminar format; two class hours per week. Individual meetings with instructor as required.
Participation in class is crucial. As a class we will work through how to understand your internship experiences and whether or not your experiences are unique to your specific internship placement sites, or if it is common across multiple sites.
A NOTE ABOUT ATTENDANCE: IES has a strict attendance policy for Area Studies classes and it will be enforced in this class. EACH unexcused absence will lower your overall grade by a step (e.g. a B becomes a B-). Please see the IES Handbook for further guidelines on documenting absences. Please show up to class on time, three times being tardy without a proper excuse will count as an unexcused absence
On an almost weekly basis different tasks will be given to help you think critically about your internship placement site and how well you are developing skills to work in an intercultural environment. As part of these journal entries you are expected to be compiling a list of important vocabulary. The ethnographic journal also serves in some ways like a workshop, using the weekly assignments to prepare for the final ICP.
A NOTE ABOUT LATE ASSIGNMENTS: We have a limited number of weeks, and we all have different things we need to be working on. If you turn in assignments late I cannot guarantee you will receive the same constructive feedback as if you turned it in on time.
You will be given the choice of projects to demonstrate your developing ability to work in an intercultural environment and a growing understanding of the work environment in China.
The Final ICP should take a form that you are willing to share with the public, that demonstrates that you have grown and have developed a stronger ability to work within intercultural settings. The ICP should not be seen simply as a report or paper, keeping that in mind, students are highly encouraged to incorporate audio, video and still images as appropriate.
At the end of the semester students will present their final projects in a session that is open to all of the IES community to attend.
(Attendance 10%, Midterm Evaluation 10% (half of the overall intern work), Final Assessment (Progress Related) 10%)
Students are expected to show up for their internship placement every week and will be assessed by their supervisors.
Note: the readings are subject to change based on the experiences of the students during the semester.
February 13: Marco Polo buys a necktie...
Your first day at your Internship and you're hoping to do well, fit in, and not make too many mistakes. Have no fear, you're not alone. There's a long history of people in the same position you're in right now. For today's class we'll look at the stories of some of those who arrived before us -- eager entrepreneurs and businesspeople who arrived in this country with loads of expectations and ideas -- and will look at how China both challenged and changed those expectations. Along the way, we'll look at the background of foreigners working in the Middle Kingdom and talk about ways to avoid some of the (sometimes painful, sometimes funny) missteps of those who came before.
Reading List
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, James McGregor, 2005, pp. 1-21
James Mann, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Katharine Xin and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161
Sam Goodman, East Eats West, pp. 76-82, 118-126, 156-161, 166-174
February 20: So...you're an intern…that wants to do research
Ethnography Workshop
As you settle into Beijing and settle into interning, this week’s readings and workshop help you to develop the skills to better observe and analyze your surroundings. This week’s readings draw particularly on Anthropology to understand the art of ethnography and how this can be used to understand our internship placement sites better.
Throughout this course you are going to encounter the words “thick description”, and the father of these words is Clifford Geertz. We are going to read some of his work that is notorious for its “thick description.” In addition we will read a text about doing fieldwork in China and two general pieces that help us to better understand how to note our observations.
We will also spend part of class time conducting an ethnography workshop where you will be challenged to conduct ethnographic research.
Reading List
Emerson, Robert et al. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chapters 1-2 pp1-35. University of Chicago Press, 1995.
Peacock, James. The Anthropological Lens. pp 70-89. UNC, 1986.
Heimer, Maria and Stig Thogersen. 2006. “Introduction.” In Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 1‐23. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Geertz, Clifford. Balinese cockfight (excerpt)
February 11, 18: No Class, Self-reading
Now that we have our internships and have even spent a little time on the job, how do we fit in with our new co-workers? What are some of the rules of the office and possible pitfalls to avoid? How do we use the internship as a space and time to learn while also adding value to the organizations where we now work?
There are two readings for you as you participate in mobile learning. The first is a little long, but I think you'll find it is a fun and enjoyable read. "The Noodle Intern" is a section of Chinese-American author/chef Jen Lin-Liu's memoir Serve the People: A Stir-fried Journey through China. After finishing culinary school in Beijing, US-born and educated Jen Lin-Liu then tackles her next challenge: Interning at Mr. Zhang's noodle shop. Wacky hilarity and life lessons ensue.
The second reading is the ethnographic writing of Peter Hessler from his book River Town where he arrives in Fuling to begin working for the Peace Corps in the late 1990s. River Town is a classic of modern non-fiction and a winner of a few key literary awards. Throughout the semester as we prepare to create our ICP you are going to be called on to draw back on the work of Hessler and Liu. As you travel through China and take notes in your ethnographic journals, take every opportunity you can to compare and contrast your observations with those made in these two readings.
Reading list
Hessler, Peter. River Town. Chapters 1-2 pp 1-52.
Jen Lin-Liu. Serve the People: A Stir-fried Journey through China. (Houghton-Mifflin, 2008), pp. 117-194
February 25: Chinese Professional Etiquette: The Dinner Table
Given the importance of food in Chinese culture, it should come as little surprise that professional success in China often starts with relationships formed over dinners and meals. But like every culture, there are do's and don’ts and this week we will learn that there is a lot more to a dinner than just knowing how to eat with chopsticks.
There is no classroom session at the scheduled time, but we will be meeting in the IES Lobby at 7:00 p.m. and then heading to the Bei Wai Hotel for a special practicum on dining etiquette. You may also find that reviewing the following readings will be very helpful in preparing for Monday's dinner.
Reading List
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans . Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 35-40
Tim Clissold, Mr. China , pp. 51-58
March 04: Face, guanxi, and reciprocity in the Chinese workplace
We'll look at some classic explanations of face and guanxi in China and spend much time discussing how things get done in this country as well as dynamic shifts in the orientation and function of social relationships over the past decades. The Yan Yunxiang article on guanxi and social change in the village of Xiahe is from a classic ethnography of rural Heilongjiang province. He discusses how society in Xiahe is a Maussian "total" situation. What does 'total" mean here? What better place to look than Mauss's classic work The Gift. We'll read and discuss the first two chapters of The Gift not to compare our Chinese compatriots to Pacific Islanders or Native Americans, but rather to show that the importance of social relationships as opposed to individualism AND reciprocity in gift giving as opposed to contractual legal arrangement both play an critical role in human history across space while at the same time suggest that perhaps the contractual arrangement is the exception rather than the rule in human interaction.
Reading List
Bond, Michael Harris. The Psychology of the Chinese People. pp 241-254. The Chinese University Press, 1986. PDF document
Yan Yunxiang. Private Life Under Socialism. pp 29-41. Stanford, 2003.
Mauss, Marcel. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. Chapters 1-2 pp 8-48. Norton, 2000. PDF document
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. pp 117-129. Intercultural Press, 1999 PDF document
March 11: Leadership in the office…what did the laoban (老板) want me to do?
In this session we’ll try to look more closely at how the intern role and the boss role are defined at each internship location and discuss any obstacles that have arisen.
The article by Goffman gives us a general framework for understanding how different roles in the office are defined. The piece by Farh and Cheng helps to better understand how individuals in roles of authority can act. The piece by Rafaeli and Worline challenges us to better understand the internship placement sites through observation.
Reading List
Erving Goffman. Deference and Demeanor.
Jiing-Lih Farh and Bor-Shiuan Cheng. A cultural analysis of Paternalistic Leadership.
Anat Rafaeli and Monica Worline. Symbols in Organizational Culture.
March 18: What’s your QQ number?...Communicating with your co-workers
Communication Workshop
Now that you have been interning for a few weeks you have had a chance to see how your placement operates and whether or not you fit in. A key part of fitting in is being able to communicate with your co-workers. In this class we will discuss and practice ways to communicate with your co-workers. We will also discuss and practice how you can ask questions to help in researching for your internship culture projects. We plan to have a Chinese teacher join our class to help us with wording our questions properly to get across the meaning we are looking for.
Reading List
Samovar, Larry A. et al . 1998. “Accepting Differences and Appreciating Similarities: A Point of View.” Communication Between Cultures (Third Ed.) , pp. 24 (Tentative)
Thogersen, Stig. 2006. “Beyond Official Chinese: Language codes and strategies.” In Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 110‐126. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
March 26: NGO and NPO culture in China;
Field Trip China Development Brief’s Civil Society Center and/or China Youth Climate Change Action Network
This week we will visit China Development Brief’s Civil Society Center or the China Youth Climate Change Action Network to better understand the nuances of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in China.
Reading List
Chinese NGO’s – Carving a Niche Within Constraints PDF
Guobin Yang. Environmental NGOs and Institutional Dynamics in China. PDF
Fu Tao. “China’s Third Sector: Is it losing its independence?”
April 1: Stepping Outside your danwei(单位)…differences between the Corporate and Non-Profit world
This week we build on the previous readings about non-profits in China and our field trip and compare that to some of the readings we have about corporate settings in China. Are cultural practices the same in non-profits and corporations? Does it matter if the non-profit or corporation is Chinese or international? Are these experiences of working in the corporate world in China applicable to your internship experience, why or why not?
Reading List
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 13-34,51-76, 142-156
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, James McGregor, 2005, pp. 1-21
James Mann, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Katharine Xin and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161
April 08 No Class (Travel Weekend)
April 22: Planning a Career in China
Chinese resume workshop
Today is our final class session and we are fortunate to welcome Zhao Laoshi to our class to lead a workshop on writing a resume or c.v. in Chinese. While everyone has done an English resume as part of applying for this class, writing a Chinese résumé means more than just translating your English resume including different kinds of information and different methods of presenting your best qualities.
In the first part of class we will be joined by Zhao Laoshi, who will guide us through writing a Chinese resume and what we should know about applying for a job.
In the second half of class we’ll talk more about the landscape outside your internship, and what you need to understand about the Chinese workforce if you want to come back and work in China. In the process we’ll touch on the classic HR piece by Granovetter that demonstrates the importance of networks in finding a job. We’ll also look at the piece by Ross and what it can teach us about the current landscape for Chinese employees and how this might affect your chances for finding a job.
Reading List
Andrew Ross. Fast Boat to China
Mark Granovetter. Strength of Weak Ties
April 22: Final Class Session/ ICP Workshop: Presentations and Peer Reviews of ICP first drafts
In course we will have brief presentations that outline your ICPs and we will also spend time reviewing your classmates work. In the remaining time we will review the semester, and what worked and what did not work, and discuss the degree to which you are now better able to work in an intercultural environment.
Reading List
Ann Swidler. Culture as a Toolkit
April 29: Visit to Baidu/Guest Lecture by Kaiser Kuo, Director of Global Communications
Kaiser Kuo is a fixture in Beijing. Since the late 1980s, when he founded China’s first heavy metal band to today as director of global communications for China’s largest search engine, Baidu and hosting the current affairs podcast Sinica, he brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into crossing the cultural divide and adapting to China.
Please bring a copy of your English resume to class.
May 03
ICP Projects Due
Date
Topic
text and audiovisual materials/assignments
Session 1
1/28/2013
Marco Polo buys a necktie...
Sam Goodman, East Eats West, pp. 76-82, 118-126, 156-161, 166-174
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 13-34,51-76, 142-156
Fall 2012 Student Blog posts
Session 2
2/04/2013
So...you're an intern… that wants to do research
Ethnography workshop
Emerson, Robert et al. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chapters 1-2 pp1-35. University of Chicago Press, 1995.
Peacock, James. The Anthropological Lens. pp 70-89. UNC, 1986.
In Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 110-126. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Geertz, Clifford. Balinese cockfight (excerpt)
2/11/2013,
2/18/2013
No Class, Self-reading
Jen Lin-Liu. Serve the People: A Stir-fried Journey through China. (Houghton-Mifflin, 2008), pp. 117-194
Hessler, Peter. River Town. Chapters 1-2 pp 1-52.
Session 3
2/25/2013
Chinese etiquette dinner
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans . Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 35-40
Tim Clissold, Mr. China, pp. 51-58
Session 4
3/04/2013
Face, guanxi, and reciprocity in the Chinese workplace
Yan Yunxiang. Private Life Under Socialism. pp 29-41. Stanford, 2003.
Mauss, Marcel. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. Chapters 1-2 pp 8-48. Norton, 2000. PDF document
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. pp 117-129. Intercultural Press, 1999 PDF document
Bond, Michael Harris. The Psychology of the Chinese People. pp 241-254. The Chinese University Press, 1986. PDF document
Session 5
3/11/2013
Leadership in the office…what did the laoban want me to do?
Erving Goffman. Deference and Demeanor. PDF
A cultural analysis of Paternalistic Leadership.
Symbols in Organizational Culture.
Session 6
3/18/2013
What’s your QQ number?...Communicating with your co-workers
Communication Workshop
Samovar, Larry A. et al . 1998 . “Accepting Differences and Appreciating Similarities: A Point of View.” Communication Between Cultures (Third Ed.), pp. 24 (Tentative)
Thogersen, Stig. 2006. “Beyond Official Chinese: Language codes and strategies.” In Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 110‐126. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Session 7
3/25/2013
NGO and NPO culture in China; Visit to Friends of Nature or Chinese Youth Climate Change Action Network
Chinese NGO’s – Carving a Niche Within Constraints PDF
Yang, Guobin. Environmental NGOs and Institutional Dynamics in China. PDF
Session 8
4/01/2013
Stepping Outside your danwei..differences between the Corporate and Non-Profit world
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, James McGregor, 2005, pp. 1-21
James Mann, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Katharine Xin and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161
4/08/2013
No Class (Travel Weekend)
Session 9
4/15/2013
Final Class Session Is your cultural toolkit ready for the Chinese workforce?
Discussion: Planning a Career in China/Chinese Resume Workshop
Andrew Ross. Fast Boat to China (excerpts)
Mark Granovetter. Strength of Weak Ties.
Bring English Resume to Class
Session 10
4/22/2013
Discussion: Planning a Career in China
ICP: Presentation and Peer-review workshop
Swidler, Ann. Culture as a Toolkit.
Session 11
4/29/2013
Visit to Baidu/Guest Lecture by Kaiser Kuo, Director of Global Communications (Tentative)
5/03/2013
Submit final ICP
American Chamber of Commerce. Chinese NGO’s – Carving a Niche Within Constraints.
Goodman, Sam, East Eats West, pp. 76-82, 118-126, 156-161, 166-174
Emerson, Robert et al. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chapters 1-2 pp1-35. University of Chicago Press, 1995.
Peacock, James. The Anthropological Lens. pp 70-89. UNC, 1986.
Heimer and Thorgensen, Doing Fieldwork in China, pp. 110-126. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Geertz, Clifford. Balinese cockfight (excerpt)
Hessler, Peter. River Town. Chapters 1-2 pp 1-52.
Jen Lin-Liu. Serve the People: A Stir-fried Journey through China. (Houghton-Mifflin, 2008), pp. 117-194
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans . Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 35-40
Tim Clissold, Mr. China , pp. 51-58
Mauss, Marcel. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. Chapters 1-2 pp 8-48. Norton, 2000. PDF document
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. pp 117-129. Intercultural Press, 1999 PDF document
Bond, Michael Harris. The Psychology of the Chinese People. pp 241-254. The Chinese University Press, 1986. PDF document
Goffman, Erving. Deference and Demeanor.\
Farh, Jiing-Lih and Bor-Shiuan Cheng. A cultural analysis of Paternalistic Leadership.
Fu Tao. “China’s Third Sector: Is it losing its independence?”
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 13-34,51-76, 142-156
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. Second Edition. (Intercultural Press, 1999), pp. 13-34,51-76, 142-156
McGregor, James. One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, 2005, pp. 1-21
Mann. James, Beijing Jeep, 112-138
Granovetter, Mark. Strength of Weak Ties.
Rafaeli, Anat and Monica Worline. A cultural analysis of Paternalistic Leadership.
Ross, Andrew. “The Sent-up Generation.” Fast Boat to China.
Swidler, Ann. Culture as a Toolkit.
Xin, Katharine and Vladmir Puck, "Trouble in Paradise," pp. 141-161.
Yan Yunxiang. Private Life Under Socialism. pp 29-41. Stanford, 2003.
Yang, Guobin,. Environmental NGOs and Institutional Dynamics in China.
Chris Eberhardt holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from The New School for Social Research. The topic of his dissertation was how urban Chinese youth make sense of climate change in their daily lives, in the process looking at cooperation between Chinese and international actors. He specializes in studies of political activity and the use of media, particularly social media. His current research is comparative work looking at efforts by young generations in the United States and China to pursue their dream life and the implications this has for the environment.
Jeremiah Jenne is a Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of California, Davis. He specializes in 19th-century Qing history and is currently researching anti-foreignism and colonialism in the coastal ('treaty port') cities of the Qing Empire. Other research interests include the Qing as an imperial(ist) power, the construction of identity during the Qing Dynasty, nationalism in modern China, and gender and the family in Late Imperial China. His essays have appeared in China in 2008: A Year of Great Significance and The Insiders Guide to Beijing, 2009 Edition.