Topics in Global China Studies

(4 Credits)

【Authenticity and Shanzhais(山寨)】 This course uses “fake markets” and “counterfeit” goods in Shanghai as a starting point for studying the concepts of originality and authenticity. Students in the course will learn about and challenge the western concepts of forgery, counterfeiting, and even history by analyzing Chinese alternatives such as shanzhai (山寨). We will examine the tension between several dominant ways of thinking about history and culture, and how these ways of thinking inform and are informed by political and economic trends. No prerequisite. Fulfillment: GCS Chinese History, Society, and Culture