The emphasis is on the consequences of the economic changes that have been sweeping China in recent years. Issues discussed include the development of the market, labor and productivity, investment priorities, agricultural production, the development of infrastructure, resource availability and environmental concerns, and international economic ties. The course examines how China attempted to cope with the impact of the arrival of Westerners, from the McCartney mission of 1793 through the Revolution of 1911. Having lost faith in the ancient practices and beliefs of their ancestors, Chinese intellectuals desperately sought new Ways for the nation and for individuals. The issues examined animate intellectual debate in China today.
Primary emphasis is on works from the post-Mao period to the present.
Short stories receive the most thorough analysis, with some attention given to poetry and reportage. Works are read in English translation. Students will become familiar with these works and the ideas they expound, which form the foundation of a Chinese classical education and provide the philosophical and literary basis for Chinese culture. Students accepted into the internship program enroll in this academic tutorial which is designed to help interns understand and integrate into a Chinese work environment through discussion and analysis of their experiences. An appropriate departmental designation will be assigned to the course based on the field of the internship.