Western Literature of Chinese History (481-0-3)
Topic
20th Century China Field Seminar
Instructors
Peter J Carroll
847/491-2753
Harris Hall - Room 216
Meeting Info
Harris Hall room 101: Mon 5:30PM - 8:20PM
Overview of class
This field seminar examines classic and new scholarship on the growth of the CCP and the history of the PRC, from its founding to recent times. We will pay particular attention to the flurry of new work that reconsiders the 1950s and Cultural Revolution, as well as emerging scholarship on the post-Mao reform era, which has now irrevocably passed into "history." Major themes will include modulations in the conception and structure of the Chinese state and its relationship with society, the transformation of the gender system, the growth of scientism in state and society, and China's shifting role in world affairs.
Learning Objectives
1. Students will gain an understanding of the general pattern of late 20th and early 21st century Chinese history and knowledge of key particular events, concepts, and debates. 2. The course provides opportunities for students to improve their capacity to discuss and analyze key events and course themes in speech and writing. 3. Students will pome familiar with classic and recent historiography on the CCP and the PRC. 4. Students will consider how a complex understanding of recent Chinese history might alter their received sense of World history and modernity, as well as the histories of China, Taiwan, Japan, the USA, and other countries. 5. The course will underscore the resonance of the past (recent, modern, early modern, and ancient) on late 20th and early 21st century Chinese society, culture, and politics.
Evaluation Method
book reviews, bibliographic essay, participation