Readings in Chinese History: Cultural Revolution in Twentieth Century China

China's Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was one of the most cataclysmic social upheavals of the 20th-century, yet it remains among the least understood. In this seminar we will investigate when, why, and how "culture" became so important to Chinese revolutionaries. The first part of the course will focus on how and why early 20th-century Chinese intellectuals self-consciously linked "culture" to their anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist agendas. The second part of the course will consider ideas and dynamics of the Cultural Revolution. The final part of the course will examine ways in which China's Cultural Revolution influenced social movements in other parts of the world during the 1960s and 1970s. 3 hrs. sem.