Admission requirements
This is an introductory-level course. No previous knowledge of social sciences or of China is required.
Description
This course gives a basic overview of the major political, economic, and social issues relevant to the study of modern China (including the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China on Taiwan, and the SAR Hong Kong). The course is structured thematically rather than historically. It introduces various social science concepts as well as the major theories on how politics, economic development, and social processes work in China. This will also include a discussion of what ‘modern’ means, and what ‘China’ is. The course then covers core issues in contemporary China Studies, such as the relation between the Chinese Communist Party and the state, the rapid changes that the economy has undergone, the crucial challenges that people today face as they go about their everyday lives, the complex relation between the mainland and other Chinese-speaking territories, and the PRC’s foreign policies. The central questions throughout the module will be how China has changed over the past decades, how political, economic, and social issues are related to one another, and how we might make sense of recent developments in the PRC under Xi Jinping’s rule.
As an introductory course for first-year students, the module will also dedicate time to crucial academic skills, like asking a research question, finding relevant literature, analyzing that literature, and writing up the findings as an academic paper, all the in context of contemporary Chinese Studies.
Course objectives
Participants in this course will acquire the following:
An understanding of basic social science concepts, and the ability to critically assess those concepts in light of the Chinese context.
An understanding of the broad issues and changes that shape the societies and characterize the political and economic systems of the PRC, the ROC, and the SAR Hong Kong.
Knowledge of the mechanisms used to steer China’s development.
The necessary academic skill (asking research questions, researching literature, communicating findings and arguments) for conducting elementary-level undergraduate studies.
The course will provide the necessary background knowledge for the pursuit of intermediate BA2 courses on Chinese politics, economics, and international relations. Completion of this course will be a pre-requisite for taking such higher-level courses.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures & tutorials
Assessment method
Assessment
In order to pass this course, the following will be required of the participants:
An open-book written examination with brief essay questions (40% of final mark).
Essay paper (60% of final mark).
Late submissions will be subject to grade deduction.
In addition to these graded components, participants will also be required to submit a research question and complete a library tutorial; these requirements are mandatory for all participants and will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. Failed or late attempts will lead to a grade deduction of the final essay grade (1 grade point per failed or missed component).
Regular, punctual attendance, thorough preparation of reading material, and continuous participation in plenary and tutorial discussions are also expected.
Weighing
See above.
Resit
Both graded components will have resit options. Only failed attempts may be re-written, and only a previous submission for the first attempt qualifies students for the resit. First attempts that received a passing mark (5.5 or higher) cannot be improved through further revision.
Grading of the resit will incorporate part of the grade for the first attempt. The grade for each component after a resit will be calculated as follows:
25% of the first attempt, plus
75% of the second attempt.
Inspection and feedback
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, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
There is no mandatory textbook for this course. All required readings will be announced on Brightspace and will be available through the digital library. Students interested in getting a head-start may find the following introductory books useful (in alphabetical order):
Hong-Fincher, Leta (2016), Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China. London: ZedBooks.
Joseph, William A. (ed.) (2014), Politics in China: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Naughton, Barry J. (2018), The Chinese Economy: Adaptation and Growth (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Pieke, Frank (2016), Knowing China: A Twenty-First Century Guide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (for Dutch version, see below).
Shirky, Clay (2015), Little Rice: Smartphones, Xiaomi, and the Chinese Dream. New York: Columbia Global Reports.
For Dutch-speakers, the following additional readings might be of interest:
Pieke, Frank (2016), China, een Gids voor de 21e Eeuw. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Chong, Woei-Lin & Ngo, Tak-Wing (eds.) (2008), China in Verandering: Balans en Toekomst van de Hervormingen, Almere: Parthen.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Studeren à la carte
Not available.
Contractonderwijs
Registration Contractonderwijs
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: De Vrieshof
Remarks
None.