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UNDERSTANDING CHINESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY THROUGH FILM.

Module code: CN213
Credits: 5
Semester: 1
Department: CHINESE
International:
Coordinator: Dr Hongling Liang (CHINESE)

	Overview
	This module is intended to offer much more than a survey course on the history of modern China. The central idea is to use a selection of films from the internationally acclaimed �new Chinese cinema� as a way to help students better understand the history, culture, politics, society and economy of China in different decades of the twentieth century. Each film will be placed in historical context, considering both the aesthetic form and the socio-political content of the films and each film will also be used as a starting point to engage a larger topic. The fundamental question of the continuity between the cultural tradition and socio-economic organization of the past and the elements of change and �modernity� in the present will accompany us during the course. This theme will be developed in the context of the different historical periods.

Overview

This module is intended to offer much more than a survey course on the history of modern China. The central idea is to use a selection of films from the internationally acclaimed �new Chinese cinema� as a way to help students better understand the history, culture, politics, society and economy of China in different decades of the twentieth century.
Each film will be placed in historical context, considering both the aesthetic form and the socio-political content of the films and each film will also be used as a starting point to engage a larger topic. The fundamental question of the continuity between the cultural tradition and socio-economic organization of the past and the elements of change and �modernity� in the present will accompany us during the course. This theme will be developed in the context of the different historical periods.

	Learning Outcomes
	On successful completion of the module, students should be able to: Express their knowledge and appreciation of the evolution of pre-modern and modern Chinese political ideals, institutions, personalities, and civic practices Demonstrate an understanding of the struggles and conflicts within China and how these conflicts continue to influence daily life Articulate their understanding of the complex relationships between the working poor, middle class society, and the elite, as well as the role of Chinese government in the evolution of those complex social relationships Demonstrate a keen sensitivity to the diverse geography and environment of China, in particular how different physical environments shaped and continue to shape various societies, cultures, and economies within the region Demonstrate their understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural institutions and organizations that Chinese people have created as a result of forging a nation-state.

Learning Outcomes

Teaching & Learning methods

Assessment

	Additional Reading
	Robert E. Gamer, Understanding Contemporary China, Boulder, London: Lynne Rienner, 2003 Perry E. Link, Richard P. Madsen, Paul G. Pickowicz (eds.) Popular China, Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. Michael Dutton, Streetlife China, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1999 Susan Hayward, Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts, Routledge, 2000

	Timetable
	This timetable is not currently available, please contact the Chinese Department.

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Courses / Module

UNDERSTANDING CHINESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY THROUGH FILM.