This course is for students interested in China.  It is the prequel to the core course People in History: Foundations of Chinese Studies B (ASIA1067).  The course focuses on key historical, social, and cultural topics essential to understanding modern China and the influence and legacy of traditional society.  The course is structured around themes such as diversity within unity, history and its usages, aspects of Chinese thought, cultural and religious beliefs and practices, literary and artistic traditions.  The course assumes no background knowledge of China or the Chinese language.

This is a core course for a major in Chinese Studies (or alternatively for a China-rich concentration of latter-year courses) and may also be taken by students from other Faculties.  Once you have successfully completed this course and its sequel, People in History: Foundations of Chinese Studies B (ASIA1067), you will be well prepared to undertake the study of Chinese history, culture, and society at the intermediate and then the advanced levels.  You will also be in a better position to identify topics that are of interest to you in that vast world called Chinese Studies.

Understand key concepts about Chinese culture and thought.

Acquire a different cultural perspective from which to view oneself, one’s culture and one’s society.

Integrate theoretical knowledge with empirical example.

Learn to engage with the ideas and perspectives of other learners.

Learn to think critically.

Learn analytic skills for developing and defending an argument.

Develop skills in synthesising and contextualizing new information.

Develop skills to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a variety of sources.

Develop the ability to work in co-operative groups on key issues in Chinese Studies and to communicate findings to other course members.

One tutorial précis (min 500 words; 15%)

Tutorial Participation (10%)

Major Essay (Min 2,000 words; 40%)

Final Examination (35%)

The first and second forms of assessment listed above is designed to develop learning outcomes 2, 4, and 9; the essay is designed to develop learning outcomes 1-3 and 5-8; the final examination is designed to consolidate learning outcome

Two lectures and one tutorial per week.

Paul S. Ropp, ed., Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization (Berkeley, Los Angeles & Oxford: University of California Press, 1990)

N/A