The dramatic changes in China over the past thirty years, far from being an aberration, are a continuation of a dynamic past. This course provides the student with the broadest possible overview of Chinese history, politics, and society to prepare the student for future courses, travels, and time in Beijing. The class will explore a range of issues, both contemporary and historical, in order to seek a means to grapple with China’s past, present, and future. In this course, students will:
1. Develop a basic understanding of Chinese history
2. Be introduced to the core issues affecting China today
3. Be exposed to a broad range of opinions on historical and contemporary issues in China.
Prerequisites:
None
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate a deeper understanding of China’s recent history.
• Make connections between current events/trends and the past, thus developing a more nuanced perspective on contemporary conditions in China.
Method of presentation:
Lecture, discussion, oral and written assignments
Required work and form of assessment:
Your grade will be assessed as follows:
Participation 15%
Map Quiz 5%
Reading Responses 50%
Interview Project 30%
All assignments must be completed in order to receive a passing grade.
Grades are assigned according to the following point system:
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D 63-66
D+ 67-69
F 62 or below
Grading criteria:
C work means adequate and satisfactory completion of assignments. It indicates you were able to recall the basic subject matter of the course, apply that knowledge in discussions and written assignments, and express your ideas and arguments in an intelligible but otherwise undistinguished manner.
B work is good. It means you recall more than just the basic facts and that you can apply that knowledge in a way that makes connections with your own ideas and observations. You express your ideas and arguments with great clarity and concision.
A work is excellent. It means that you have an absolute mastery of the subject matter. You can apply your knowledge in critical and original ways, and express your ideas in a very clear and persuasive manner while drawing on a variety of sources to support your arguments.
Class Participation & Attendance 15%. Woody Allen once said 90% of success in life is just showing up. Well, the sentiment is right even if the percentage is a bit off. 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 (see above).
Preparation is essential to participation. There is A LOT of reading in this class (some days as much as 100 or more pages) and it must be done before the session begins. Homework assignments and the occasional pop quiz will no doubt contribute to your motivation to plow through it, but I also feel that to truly get something out of this course and to promote an atmosphere of lively discussion and debate in the class, it is imperative that you have done the day’s reading and carefully considered the information in the overall context of that day’s class and the course in general.
Reading Questions/Class Responses 50%: These are short assignments to get you thinking about the readings and site visits for that week. Your total answers need not be extensive (500-750 words total) but should show careful thought and consideration of the readings and the questions asked. Questions will be sent out following each class and are due by email (to jjenne@iesabroad.org) by the start of the next class.
Map Quiz 5%: This quiz will test your knowledge of China’s geography. A study sheet will be provided prior to the quiz.
Interview Project 30%: Students will formulate their own question or set of questions and conduct a series of interviews in the local community. Students will then write a short (1500 word) report of their findings.
Keeping Current: As this class is about contemporary China, it is important that students keep abreast of ongoing stories, themes, and events. The following websites are HIGHLY recommended and I will assume that students are checking them regularly and will refer to stories posted their from time to time. (See Additional Resources below.)
Deadline Extensions must be requested in advance, and will be granted only in exceptional cases.
If you are not granted an extension in advance, your grade will be lowered by one step for every 24 hour period after the due date. Homework assignments lose one step (check plus becomes check, etc.) for every 24-hour period late with a maximum of three days. Homework overdue by more than 72 hours will not be accepted for credit.
Academic Integrity All students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty. Cheating or plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in substantial penalty to your course grade as well as lead to further administrative sanctions. If you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism, check with me before you submit your work.
content:
June 16 Course Introduction: What is Modern China?
- David Bandurski, “What were China’s top stories of 2010?” China Media Project,
December, 2010
- Evan Osnos, “Top 10 China Myths of 2010” The New Yorker, December 8, 2010
June 21 “The ‘Dao’ that can be spoken of is not the real ‘Dao,’
- Wasserstrom, pp. 1-18
- Mitter, pp. 1-16
- “Confucius” in John E. Wills, Jr. Mountain of Fame: Portraits in Chinese History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994. pp. 11-32
- Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. Patricia Buckley Ebrey, ed. (New York: The Free
Press, 1993)
1. “Confucian Teachings,” pp. 17-26
2. “Daoist Teachings,” pp. 27-31
3. “Legalist Teachings,” pp. 32-37
- Sam Crane, “The Impossibility of a Confucian Society,” The Useless Tree, November
21, 2010
- Ian Johnson, “The Rise of the Tao,” The New York Times, November 5, 2010
June 23 Legacies of Empire and Imperialism
- Wasserstrom, pp. 19-36
- Mitter, pp. 17-39
- Peter Hays Gries, China’s New Nationalism, pp. 43-53
- William A. Callahan, Pessoptimist Nation, pp. 31-59
- Orville Schell, “China’s Agony of Defeat,” Newsweek, July 26, 2008
- “China Seeks to Stop Paris Sale of Bronzes,” New York Times, February 17, 2009
- “Chinese Reactions to Auction of Stolen Bronze Relics,” ChinaSmack February 26,
2009
- “Chinese Bidder of Looted Sculpture Refuses to Pay,” China Daily, March 2, 2009
- Yuan Weishi, “Modernization and History Textbooks,” China Youth Daily, January 11,
2006
June 27 Making China Modern
- Wasserstrom, pp. 36-66
- Mitter, pp. 40-73
- Lu Xun, “My Old Home” in Lu Xun: The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China. Tr. By Julia Lovell, pp. 70-78
- Julia Lovell, “China’s Conscience,” Guardian, June 12, 2010
- Xu Jilin“Historical Memories of May Fourth: Patriotism, but of what kind?” China
Heritage Quarterly, March, 2009
- Dinah Gardner, “What if Mao had Lost?,” Al-Jazeera, October 1, 2009
- Liao Yiwu, The Corpsewalker, pp. 28-39, 111-145
June 30 “Like the Morning Sun”
Film: “Morning Sun”
- John Pomfret, Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of New China, (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2007), pp. 17-59
- Zi Zhongyun, “Only a Nation that Can Reflect on its Past Can Have a Bright Future”
- Liao Yiwu, The Corpsewalker, pp. 193-207
July 5 “China: Candid”
- Wasserstrom, pp. 67-80
- Mitter, pp. 74-101
- “A Hero for the Times: A Winner in the Economic Reforms,” “Chairman Mao’s Ark: One of the Floating Population,” “The Non-Dissident: A Party Man Betrayed,” “Looking Ahead: The Founders of a Private Orphanage,” “The Computer Bug: The Software Pirate,” “Little Sweetie: A Thoroughly Modern Mistress,” “Generating Income: The Reeducation of an English Professor,” “Mastering New China: A Capitalist with the Party’s Characteristics,” “Down to Earth: Reflections of a Former Red Guard,” in Sang Ye, China Candid: The People on the People’s Republic. Geramie R. Barmé and Miriam Lang, eds. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006), pp. 13-58, 87-107, 157-
165, 206-211, 235-243, 252-271
- Film: China from the Inside - Power and the People
July 7 Film: Young and Restless in China
July 12 “Grass. Mud. Horse. This blog has been river-crabbed!”
- Mitter, 118-138
- Wasserstrom, 80-102
- “Things Seen and Unseen,” China in 2008, pp. 226-237
- James Fallows, “The Connection has been reset,” Postcards from Tomorrow Square
- Fang Ning, “China Must Not Have a Western Multi-Party System,” The People’s Daily, (February 9, 2009)
-Sun Liping (孙立平): “The Biggest Threat to China is not Social Turmoil but Social Decay”, China Digital Times, March 2009
- Yu Jianrong: Rigid Stability: an Explanatory Framework for China’s Social Situation, May 9, 2009
- Ai Weiwei (艾未未) on Citizenship and Freedom, China Digital Times, December 17,
2009
- SCIO Internet News Work Training Session, China Digital Times, December, 2009
- Zhao Qiang, “Loss of Control Over Public Opinion: A Catalyst for the Breakdown of the Soviet Union” Seeking Truth (Qiushi), November 1, 2010
- Rebecca MacKinnon, “China’s Internet White Paper: Networked Authoritarianism in Action,” RConversation, June 15, 2010
- Liao Yiwu, The Corpsewalker, pp. 146-159, 230-241
- Jane Macartney, “One Billion Souls to Save,” London Times, March 28, 2009
- Film: China From the Inside – Freedom and Justice
July 14 “My Friends, What do you want from us?”
Wasserstrom, pp. 103-115
- “Tibet” in China in 2008, pp. 37-56
- “Who are the Uyghurs?” in Oasis Identities: Uyghur Nationalism along China’s Silk Road, Justin Rudelson, ed., pp. 17-37
- Zachary Mexico, “The Uighur Jimi Hendrix,” in China Underground, pp. 95-113
- “Nationalism and the Torch” in China in 2008, pp. 68-78
- Peter Hays Gries, China’s New Nationalism, pp. 1-29
- Evan Osnos, “Angry Youth: The New Generation’s Neocon Nationalists,” The New Yorker, July 28, 2008
- Wang Xiaodong, It’s Up to the West to Face Why China is Unhappy (China Digital Times)
- “My Friends, What do you want from us?” China Digital Times July 19 “To Get Rich is Glorious”
- Mitter, pp. 102-117
- “China’s Challenge to the Global Economic Order,” in China’s Rise: Challenges and Opportunities, Nicholas Lardy, et. al. (CSIS, 2009), pp. 9-32
- Leslie T. Chang, Factory Girls, (2009) pp. 97-119
- Philip Pan, “The Rich Lady” in Out of Mao’s Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of New China. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2008), pp. 147-174 July 21 “Country Driving”
- Richard McGregor, “Five Myths about the Communist Party,” Foreign Policy, January/February 2011
- David Shambaugh, The Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation, (2010), pp. 1-11,
- Philip Pan, “The Party Boss” in Out of Mao’s Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of New China. (2008), 175-198
- Richard McGregor, The Party, (2010), “The Red Machine: The Party and the State,” pp. ix-34.
- Peter Hessler, Country Driving, (2010), pp. 225-276
July 28 Panda Huggers and Dragon Slayers: Visions of China in the 21st Century
- Mitter, 139-141
- Wasserstrom, 116-135
- Susan Shirk, China: A Fragile Superpower (Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. 1-12, 255-269
- Jeffrey Wasserstrom, “Getting Real about China,” The Nation, October 10, 2007
- David Shambaugh, The Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation, (2010), pp. 161-183
- Mark Leonard, “The New Intelligentsia” Prospect, March 28, 2008
- Jim Mann, The China Fantasy, (2008), pp. 1-27
- Russell Leigh Moses, “Four Political Trends to watch in 2010” Wall Street Journal China Real Time Report, December 2010
- Qian Gang, “How the next 10 years will decide China’s future,” China Media Project, October 29, 2009
- Zhang Xiaoying, “What the West can Learn from China,” The Guardian, October 25, 2010
- Geramie Barmé, “China’s Promise,” The China Beat, January 20, 2010
Required readings:
Rana Mitter, Modern China: A Very Short Introduction, (Oxford University Press, 2008)
Jeffrey Wasserstrom, China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know, (Oxford University Press, 2010)
Other Resources:
As this class is about contemporary China, it is important that students keep abreast of ongoing stories, themes, and events. The following websites are HIGHLY recommended and I will assume that students are checking them regularly and will refer to stories posted their from time to time. You may need a VPN to access some of these sites.
China Digital Times – Must-read source for China news/translations. Blocked.
China Beat – More academic, with contributions from many authors on a wide range of topics.
China Dialogue – bilingual site focusing on environmental and development issues in China
China Geeks – run by recent college graduates, does translations of interesting/important pieces from the Chinese media and Internet
China Law Blog – follows legal and business trends in the PRC
China Media Project – tracking news stories, journalism, and censorship in China. Based at Hong Kong University.
ChinaSmack – The “Jerry Springer” to ChinaGeeks “PBS.” Always entertaining.
Danwei – Tracks Chinese media and culture. Very influential. Blocked.
EastSouthWestNorth Tracks and translates the Chinese media and Internet.
Forbes China Tracker – Business, politics, and news from Forbes commentators
New Yorker Blog: Letter from China – Written by Evan Osnos. Thoughtful and timely commentary on China
Sinica Podcast --Also available on iTunes, this weekly roundup of Chinese news and views is required listening.
Sinocism – Smart commentary and links from a veteran China watcher.
Wall Street Journal China Real Time Report – Good journalist blog on Chinese current events
Brief Biography of Instructor:
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.
The dramatic changes in China over the past thirty years, far from being an aberration, are a continuation of a dynamic past. This course provides the student with the broadest possible overview of Chinese history, politics, and society to prepare the student for future courses, travels, and time in Beijing. The class will explore a range of issues, both contemporary and historical, in order to seek a means to grapple with China’s past, present, and future. In this course, students will:
1. Develop a basic understanding of Chinese history
2. Be introduced to the core issues affecting China today
3. Be exposed to a broad range of opinions on historical and contemporary issues in China.
None
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate a deeper understanding of China’s recent history.
• Make connections between current events/trends and the past, thus developing a more nuanced perspective on contemporary conditions in China.
Lecture, discussion, oral and written assignments
Your grade will be assessed as follows:
All assignments must be completed in order to receive a passing grade.
Grades are assigned according to the following point system:
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D 63-66
D+ 67-69
F 62 or below
Grading criteria:
C work means adequate and satisfactory completion of assignments. It indicates you were able to recall the basic subject matter of the course, apply that knowledge in discussions and written assignments, and express your ideas and arguments in an intelligible but otherwise undistinguished manner.
B work is good. It means you recall more than just the basic facts and that you can apply that knowledge in a way that makes connections with your own ideas and observations. You express your ideas and arguments with great clarity and concision.
A work is excellent. It means that you have an absolute mastery of the subject matter. You can apply your knowledge in critical and original ways, and express your ideas in a very clear and persuasive manner while drawing on a variety of sources to support your arguments.
Class Participation & Attendance 15%. Woody Allen once said 90% of success in life is just showing up. Well, the sentiment is right even if the percentage is a bit off. 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 (see above).
Preparation is essential to participation. There is A LOT of reading in this class (some days as much as 100 or more pages) and it must be done before the session begins. Homework assignments and the occasional pop quiz will no doubt contribute to your motivation to plow through it, but I also feel that to truly get something out of this course and to promote an atmosphere of lively discussion and debate in the class, it is imperative that you have done the day’s reading and carefully considered the information in the overall context of that day’s class and the course in general.
Reading Questions/Class Responses 50%: These are short assignments to get you thinking about the readings and site visits for that week. Your total answers need not be extensive (500-750 words total) but should show careful thought and consideration of the readings and the questions asked. Questions will be sent out following each class and are due by email (to jjenne@iesabroad.org) by the start of the next class.
Map Quiz 5%: This quiz will test your knowledge of China’s geography. A study sheet will be provided prior to the quiz.
Interview Project 30%: Students will formulate their own question or set of questions and conduct a series of interviews in the local community. Students will then write a short (1500 word) report of their findings.
Keeping Current: As this class is about contemporary China, it is important that students keep abreast of ongoing stories, themes, and events. The following websites are HIGHLY recommended and I will assume that students are checking them regularly and will refer to stories posted their from time to time. (See Additional Resources below.)
Deadline Extensions must be requested in advance, and will be granted only in exceptional cases.
If you are not granted an extension in advance, your grade will be lowered by one step for every 24 hour period after the due date. Homework assignments lose one step (check plus becomes check, etc.) for every 24-hour period late with a maximum of three days. Homework overdue by more than 72 hours will not be accepted for credit.
Academic Integrity All students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty. Cheating or plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in substantial penalty to your course grade as well as lead to further administrative sanctions. If you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism, check with me before you submit your work.
June 16 Course Introduction: What is Modern China?
- David Bandurski, “What were China’s top stories of 2010?” China Media Project,
December, 2010
- Evan Osnos, “Top 10 China Myths of 2010” The New Yorker, December 8, 2010
June 21 “The ‘Dao’ that can be spoken of is not the real ‘Dao,’
- Wasserstrom, pp. 1-18
- Mitter, pp. 1-16
- “Confucius” in John E. Wills, Jr. Mountain of Fame: Portraits in Chinese History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994. pp. 11-32
- Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. Patricia Buckley Ebrey, ed. (New York: The Free
Press, 1993)
1. “Confucian Teachings,” pp. 17-26
2. “Daoist Teachings,” pp. 27-31
3. “Legalist Teachings,” pp. 32-37
- Sam Crane, “The Impossibility of a Confucian Society,” The Useless Tree, November
21, 2010
- Ian Johnson, “The Rise of the Tao,” The New York Times, November 5, 2010
June 23 Legacies of Empire and Imperialism
- Wasserstrom, pp. 19-36
- Mitter, pp. 17-39
- Peter Hays Gries, China’s New Nationalism, pp. 43-53
- William A. Callahan, Pessoptimist Nation, pp. 31-59
- Orville Schell, “China’s Agony of Defeat,” Newsweek, July 26, 2008
- “China Seeks to Stop Paris Sale of Bronzes,” New York Times, February 17, 2009
- “Chinese Reactions to Auction of Stolen Bronze Relics,” ChinaSmack February 26,
2009
- “Chinese Bidder of Looted Sculpture Refuses to Pay,” China Daily, March 2, 2009
- Yuan Weishi, “Modernization and History Textbooks,” China Youth Daily, January 11,
2006
June 27 Making China Modern
- Wasserstrom, pp. 36-66
- Mitter, pp. 40-73
- Lu Xun, “My Old Home” in Lu Xun: The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China. Tr. By Julia Lovell, pp. 70-78
- Julia Lovell, “China’s Conscience,” Guardian, June 12, 2010
- Xu Jilin“Historical Memories of May Fourth: Patriotism, but of what kind?” China
Heritage Quarterly, March, 2009
- Dinah Gardner, “What if Mao had Lost?,” Al-Jazeera, October 1, 2009
- Liao Yiwu, The Corpsewalker, pp. 28-39, 111-145
June 30 “Like the Morning Sun”
Film: “Morning Sun”
- John Pomfret, Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of New China, (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2007), pp. 17-59
- Zi Zhongyun, “Only a Nation that Can Reflect on its Past Can Have a Bright Future”
- Liao Yiwu, The Corpsewalker, pp. 193-207
July 5 “China: Candid”
- Wasserstrom, pp. 67-80
- Mitter, pp. 74-101
- “A Hero for the Times: A Winner in the Economic Reforms,” “Chairman Mao’s Ark: One of the Floating Population,” “The Non-Dissident: A Party Man Betrayed,” “Looking Ahead: The Founders of a Private Orphanage,” “The Computer Bug: The Software Pirate,” “Little Sweetie: A Thoroughly Modern Mistress,” “Generating Income: The Reeducation of an English Professor,” “Mastering New China: A Capitalist with the Party’s Characteristics,” “Down to Earth: Reflections of a Former Red Guard,” in Sang Ye, China Candid: The People on the People’s Republic. Geramie R. Barmé and Miriam Lang, eds. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006), pp. 13-58, 87-107, 157-
165, 206-211, 235-243, 252-271
- Film: China from the Inside - Power and the People
July 7 Film: Young and Restless in China
July 12 “Grass. Mud. Horse. This blog has been river-crabbed!”
- Mitter, 118-138
- Wasserstrom, 80-102
- “Things Seen and Unseen,” China in 2008, pp. 226-237
- James Fallows, “The Connection has been reset,” Postcards from Tomorrow Square
- Fang Ning, “China Must Not Have a Western Multi-Party System,” The People’s Daily, (February 9, 2009)
-Sun Liping (孙立平): “The Biggest Threat to China is not Social Turmoil but Social Decay”, China Digital Times, March 2009
- Yu Jianrong: Rigid Stability: an Explanatory Framework for China’s Social Situation, May 9, 2009
- Ai Weiwei (艾未未) on Citizenship and Freedom, China Digital Times, December 17,
2009
- SCIO Internet News Work Training Session, China Digital Times, December, 2009
- Zhao Qiang, “Loss of Control Over Public Opinion: A Catalyst for the Breakdown of the Soviet Union” Seeking Truth (Qiushi), November 1, 2010
- Rebecca MacKinnon, “China’s Internet White Paper: Networked Authoritarianism in Action,” RConversation, June 15, 2010
- Liao Yiwu, The Corpsewalker, pp. 146-159, 230-241
- Jane Macartney, “One Billion Souls to Save,” London Times, March 28, 2009
- Film: China From the Inside – Freedom and Justice
July 14 “My Friends, What do you want from us?”
Wasserstrom, pp. 103-115
- “Tibet” in China in 2008, pp. 37-56
- “Who are the Uyghurs?” in Oasis Identities: Uyghur Nationalism along China’s Silk Road, Justin Rudelson, ed., pp. 17-37
- Zachary Mexico, “The Uighur Jimi Hendrix,” in China Underground, pp. 95-113
- “Nationalism and the Torch” in China in 2008, pp. 68-78
- Peter Hays Gries, China’s New Nationalism, pp. 1-29
- Evan Osnos, “Angry Youth: The New Generation’s Neocon Nationalists,” The New Yorker, July 28, 2008
- Wang Xiaodong, It’s Up to the West to Face Why China is Unhappy (China Digital Times)
- “My Friends, What do you want from us?” China Digital Times July 19 “To Get Rich is Glorious”
- Mitter, pp. 102-117
- “China’s Challenge to the Global Economic Order,” in China’s Rise: Challenges and Opportunities, Nicholas Lardy, et. al. (CSIS, 2009), pp. 9-32
- Leslie T. Chang, Factory Girls, (2009) pp. 97-119
- Philip Pan, “The Rich Lady” in Out of Mao’s Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of New China. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2008), pp. 147-174 July 21 “Country Driving”
- Richard McGregor, “Five Myths about the Communist Party,” Foreign Policy, January/February 2011
- David Shambaugh, The Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation, (2010), pp. 1-11,
- Philip Pan, “The Party Boss” in Out of Mao’s Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of New China. (2008), 175-198
- Richard McGregor, The Party, (2010), “The Red Machine: The Party and the State,” pp. ix-34.
- Peter Hessler, Country Driving, (2010), pp. 225-276
July 28 Panda Huggers and Dragon Slayers: Visions of China in the 21st Century
- Mitter, 139-141
- Wasserstrom, 116-135
- Susan Shirk, China: A Fragile Superpower (Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. 1-12, 255-269
- Jeffrey Wasserstrom, “Getting Real about China,” The Nation, October 10, 2007
- David Shambaugh, The Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation, (2010), pp. 161-183
- Mark Leonard, “The New Intelligentsia” Prospect, March 28, 2008
- Jim Mann, The China Fantasy, (2008), pp. 1-27
- Russell Leigh Moses, “Four Political Trends to watch in 2010” Wall Street Journal China Real Time Report, December 2010
- Qian Gang, “How the next 10 years will decide China’s future,” China Media Project, October 29, 2009
- Zhang Xiaoying, “What the West can Learn from China,” The Guardian, October 25, 2010
- Geramie Barmé, “China’s Promise,” The China Beat, January 20, 2010
Rana Mitter, Modern China: A Very Short Introduction, (Oxford University Press, 2008)
Jeffrey Wasserstrom, China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know, (Oxford University Press, 2010)
As this class is about contemporary China, it is important that students keep abreast of ongoing stories, themes, and events. The following websites are HIGHLY recommended and I will assume that students are checking them regularly and will refer to stories posted their from time to time. You may need a VPN to access some of these sites.
China Digital Times – Must-read source for China news/translations. Blocked.
China Beat – More academic, with contributions from many authors on a wide range of topics.
China Dialogue – bilingual site focusing on environmental and development issues in China
China Geeks – run by recent college graduates, does translations of interesting/important pieces from the Chinese media and Internet
China Law Blog – follows legal and business trends in the PRC
China Media Project – tracking news stories, journalism, and censorship in China. Based at Hong Kong University.
ChinaSmack – The “Jerry Springer” to ChinaGeeks “PBS.” Always entertaining.
Danwei – Tracks Chinese media and culture. Very influential. Blocked.
EastSouthWestNorth Tracks and translates the Chinese media and Internet.
Forbes China Tracker – Business, politics, and news from Forbes commentators
New Yorker Blog: Letter from China – Written by Evan Osnos. Thoughtful and timely commentary on China
Sinica Podcast --Also available on iTunes, this weekly roundup of Chinese news and views is required listening.
Sinocism – Smart commentary and links from a veteran China watcher.
Wall Street Journal China Real Time Report – Good journalist blog on Chinese current events
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.