FemRevolutionaries20thC. China

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

What is a "female revolutionary," and how is she utilized to either solidify or challenge state control? There are a number of Chinese women who have been lionized (or demonized) as "revolutionaries" in 20th century history, and their lives and legacies form a crucial lens through which to view the evolution of even the concept of "China" itself. Accordingly, this course will examine women such as Qiu Jin, Li Zhen, Zhao Yiman, Kawashima Yoshiko, Ding Ling, and Jiang Qing and how they are remembered today to better understand the sociocultural construct of womanhood and how it is utilized in nationalist discourse today, both in China and globally.