This course is intended to introduce students to major issues in Chinese history from ancient times to the Chinese Revolution of 1911, with a specific focus on issues relating to race and ethnicity. In this connection, we investigate three problems:
- China is often seen as a racially, ethnically, and culturally homogenous society, but what is China and (Han) Chinese?
- To what extent was the direction of Chinese civilization driven by contact with ethnic, religious, and cultural others? What role did ethnic, religious, and cultural conflict play in producing Chinese identity?
- How did China transition from a multi-ethnic empire to a modern nation state? To what extent was the creation of modern China a product of racial and ethnic strife?
Readings and lectures will give equal weight to political and social developments, as well as to intellectual, religious, and cultural forces. Course assignments will not only include reading primary and secondary literature (entirely in English), but also require students to analyze visual sources. There are no books or coursepacks for this class; all readings will be available through CTools.
Assignments:
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Active attendance and participation in section (Note: more than 5 unexcused absences will result in an automatic failure of the course); 20% of total grade.
- One creative project; 20% of total grade.
- 3 short papers (3-5 pages); 60% of total grade.