The Modern Chinese Nation: An Idea and Its Limits

How did the Chinese empire become a nation-state? This course introduces the history of Chinese societies from 1850, when a massive civil war destabilized the country and sent a new wave of migrants across the globe. We will explore how local and regional society was affected by the spread of new conceptions of the Chinese nation, new kinds of government, and cultural and technological innovations. Coursework addresses the construction of race, ethnicity, and religion as well as gender and sexuality; the effects of war and catastrophe; different formulations of revolution and self-strengthening; and more.