| CODE | CHN2018 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Chinese Cultures and Diasporas | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Chinese culture is often considered to be monolithic and historically unchanging. This study-unit aims to provide the student with a nuanced and thorough understanding of various cultures that fall under the umbrella of the Chinese civilization from an historical and transnational perspective. Topics include traditional beliefs/myths, customs, philosophies, festivals, geography, and language as they pertain to the migration and influence of Chinese peoples around the world and throughout history. Issues surrounding political and economic influence from the time of the tributary system to current-day international treaties will also be discussed. Students will form a deeper understanding of the far-reaching Chinese cultural sphere and be able to discuss its importance and implications within current global affairs through a historical and cultural lens. Study-unit Aims: - Introduce students to an array of Chinese cultural traditions, ranging from foundational myths to important seasonal festivals linked to familial and societal values; - Present students with the various ways the above customs have been carried across the world throughout time thereby adding to the social fabric of other countries, such as Japan and Korea, Vietnam and other areas of Southeast Asia, and west into Central Asia; - Help students place these cultural influences into their specific historical and political contexts in order to better understand the cultural forces continuously at play in the region in the present day. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify and discuss different cultural phenomena and customs present in China and extending throughout Asia; - Establish the multitude of meanings in the term “Chinese culture” and dissect various parallels and divergences of experience within Chinese communities all over the world. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to - Critically examine the larger meaning of Chinese culture through the frameworks of migration, diaspora studies, transculturation, and the political and economic contexts of cultural contact zones; - Read and draw on theoretical and empirical scholarship pertaining to the issues of Chinese traditions, cultures, and diasporas. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts: - Kuhn, Philip A., Chinese Among Others: Emigration in Modern Times. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008. - Wang, Cangbai. Museum Representations of Chinese Diasporas: Migration Histories and the Cultural Heritage of the Homeland. London: Routledge, 2020. Further recommended reading, handouts, and updated editions of the main texts will be given in class. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Nan Hu |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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