Understanding Modern China: History, Culture, and Politics

What are the most significant historical events, cultural changes and political forces that underlie China’s impressive re-emergence as a global power? This seminar will seek to identify and examine crucial turning points, domestic and external, in the most recent two centuries of China’s long history, political transformations and cultural richness. Following an opening half hour lecture by the instructor, the remainder of most class sessions will be devoted to discussing the assigned readings for each session. Likewise we will be discussing short analytic papers and short oral presentations contributed each week by each seminar participant. No prior knowledge of China expected or necessary.