Modern Chinese History

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The first half of this course will survey chronologically the various eras of modern Chinese history, ranging from the late-Qing to Xi Jinping era. The second half will build on the first half by focusing on the historical developments that have taken place in modern China in the areas of economic development; historical and dialectical materialism; crime and capital punishment; women, gender and sexuality; health and environment; international relations; and non-mainstream perspectives. Many questions will be raised in class discussion, such as: ''What were the major causes of the collapse of the Qing Dynasty?'', ''What was the May 4thMovement and how did it shape modern Chinese?'', ''What were the social and political forces that culminated in civil war?'', ''What was the nature and significance of China's nascent 20th century nationalism?'', ''What are the major political movement in modern China and how did they shape the contemporary Chinese history?'', and ''Despite all the changes in China over the last century, how does the past continue to influence the present?''