History of Modern China

This course serves as a survey of modern Chinese history. It will guide the students to explore the drastic social, cultural and political transitions that took place in China in the past one and half centuries, which led to the country?s current condition. Lectures and discussions will center on the introduction of general social context of different historical periods, significant incidents and events, key historical figures, as well as landmark literary texts and cultural artifacts. While generally following a chronological order, the course content will also be arranged in such a way as to address the various themes of social changes that have significant implications in the contemporary era ? the reconstruction of national and ethnic identities of modern time, China?s international relationships, religions and secret societies, the transformation of gender role and family relationship, changes in economic policies, as well as trends in literatures and popular cultures. Through the study of an array of texts that include historical documents, literary works, documentary and feature films, the course will provide the opportunities for the students to acquire and exercise analytical skills to critically examine materials from a wide range of sources, perspectives and media forms.