Admission requirements
In addition to students from the MA Asian Studies (Research), the course welcomes ResearchMaster’s students in other fields who are interested in thematically defined work at the intersection of the humanities and social science.
Students of other (regular) MA programmes are kindly referred to the regular MA version of this course.
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. Hard-working, low-earning, often deprived of basic civil rights, these “New Workers” live precarious lives as the foot soldiers of China’s economic rise. Notably, this demographic has 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. New Worker culture raises fascinating questions that invite a thematic, interdisciplinary approach at the intersection of the humanities and social science. Is New Worker culture a type of literature and art that happens to be about migrant labor, or is it labor activism that happens to take the form of literature and art? What is its social and political significance? How do government officials, media professionals, and “professional” authors/creators and critics relate to it? Is it 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?
Course objectives
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’ culture in other places
Reflection on the above points within a critical area studies framework
Development of graduate-level academic skills such as reading and listening critically and analytically, formulating research questions; identifying, organizing, and evaluating source material and academic literature; oral and written presentation; awareness of theoretical, methodological, ethical, and practical issues in research
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 position papers | 20% |
| Presentation | 20% |
| Term paper | 40% |
| Self-assessment | 20% |
In order to pass the course, students need a pass mark (“voldoende”, i.e. “5.50” or higher) for the term paper and for the course as a whole.
The research paper is written in two stages: a first version, on which the convener will offer feedback, and a final version. Feedback on the first version is conditional on this being handed in before the deadline. The grade will be determined on the basis of the final version only. (The paper deadline mentioned in uSis is for administrative purposes only. The actual date will be communicated by the convener.)
All categories of assessment must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years.
Resit
.
Only if the total weighted average is 5.49 or lower and this is the result of a paper graded 5.49 or lower, a re-sit of the paper is possible (40%). In that case the convener of the course may decide to assign a (new) topic. The deadline for this version will be determined by the course convener, after consultation with the student.
A re-sit for other course components is not possible.
Inspection and feedback
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
A reading list will be provided prior to the course.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Vrieshof
Remarks
The university is committed to supporting and accommodating students with disabilities as stated in the university protocol (especially pages 3-5). Students should contact Fenestra Disability Centre at least four weeks before the start of their courses to ensure that all necessary academic accommodations can be made in time conform the abovementioned protocol.