Admission requirements
In addition to students enrolled in the MA Asian Studies (60EC, 120EC, ResMA), the course welcomes Master’s students in other fields who are interested in thematically defined work at the intersection of the humanities and social science.
Description
In China, starting in the 1980s, up to three hundred million people have moved from the countryside to the cities, to escape rural poverty by working in construction, on the assemby line, in the service industry, and so on. These “New Workers” are the foot soldiers of China’s economic rise. Hard-working, low-earning, often deprived of basic civil rights, they live precarious lives. Notably, they have been increasingly visible in the cultural realm, both as authors/creators and as protagonists in literature and art, including music, digital video, documentary filmmaking, and the visual arts. This raises questions that invite an interdisciplinary approach at the intersection of the humanities and social science. Is New Worker culture literature and art that happens to be about precarious labor, or is it labor activism that happens to take the form of literature and art? What is its social and political significance? Who are its various audiences (think government officials, professional authors/creators, media consumers, labor activists, etc.), and how to they relate to it? Is New Worker culture something typically Chinese? Can it be translated, in the broadest sense of the word? What does it tell us about the politics of culture in China today?
The course will draw on primary source material and scholarship that is freely available in the university library or elsewhere.
Course objectives
KNOWLEDGE
Familiarity with the broad contours of cultural production in the People’s republic of China
In-depth understanding of China’s “New Worker” culture, including comparative perspectives on workers’ cultures in other places
INSIGHT
The ability to relate the subject matter to critical area studies as an approach to knowledge
Awareness of methodological, ethical, and practical issues in research
SKILLS
Graduate-level research skills for identifying, evaluating, and organizing primary source material and scholarly literature, and for formulating research questions [#RESEARCH]
Presenting in oral and written forms [#PRESENTING]
Critical reflection on your learning trajectory [#REFLECTION]
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Attendance is compulsory for all sessions. Students must prepare well and contribute to in-class discussion. If a student cannot attend because of illness or misadventure, they should promptly inform the convener. Extra assignments may be set to make up for missed class time, at the convener’s discretion. Absence without notification may result in lower grades or exclusion from assessment components and a failing grade for the course.
Assessment method
Assessment and Weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Two response papers | 10% |
| Research presentation and setting a reading/viewing assignment | 20% |
| Term paper | 40% |
| Self-assessment | 20% |
The course grade is the weighted average of the component grades. In order to pass the course, both this average and the term paper grade must be minimally 5.50 oiut of 10.
All categories of assessment must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years.
Resit
A re-sit for the term paper will be offered only if the weighted average and the term paper grade are lower than 5.49 out of 10. In case of a re-sit, the instructor may assign a (new) topic. The instructor will set the deadline after consultation with the student. No re-sits will be offered for other course components.
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, this will be arranged.
Reading list
A reading list will be provided prior to the course.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr
Remarks
Scientific Integrity
Students should familiarize themselves with the notion of scientific integrity (aka academic integrity) and the ways in which this plays out in their own work. A good place to start is this page. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students may not substantially reuse texts they have previously submitted in this or other courses. Minor overlap with previous work is allowed as long as it is duly noted in citation. For information on plagiarism (in the context of academic writing at large), see clips 4-5-6 in this series of video clips.