| Course Description: |
Focusing on the material and social contexts that have shaped perceptions of cultural groups in China, both past and present, this course explores issues of ethnic identification and minority status, civilizing projects and autonomous movements, and notions of race, ethnicity, and nation. Drawing on case studies from the Himalayan plateau, the Central Asian steppes, Taiwan, and diaspora communities, students examine how ecology and livelihood, social organization and exchange, religion and ritual, political authority, colonialism, imperialism, and the global economy have influenced constructions of identity. Discussion concludes with a look at resurgent popular nationalisms in recent years, and the potential volatility of competing ethnonationalisms in China’s future.
Requirements and Evaluation: Regular attendance is expected; students are granted two unexcused absences without penalty. Required readings and any other assignments should be completed before class-time, and questions prepared in advance for discussion. Final grades will be calculated on the following basis:
- Class Participation (20%)
- Paper (30%)
- Midterm Exam (25%)
- Final Exam (25%).
Grades for all exams, as well as answer keys, will be posted on the bulletin board outside SBS N-514. Grades will NOT be disclosed by telephone or email.
| Assigned Readings: |
Assigned Readings will be placed on reserve in the main (Melville) library. A limited selection of recommended materials will also be placed on reserve in the Chinese library (SBS Building, N-504). The following texts have been ordered through "Stony Books" (across from the Stony Brook LIRR station):
| Brown, Melissa
|
1996 Negotiating Ethnicities in China and Taiwan. Berkeley: University of California, Institute of East Asian Studies, Center for Chinese Studies. [1-55729-048-2] |
| Dikotter, Frank
|
1992 The Discourse of Race in Modern China. Stanford: Stanford University Press. [0-8047-1994-2] |
| Goldstein, Melvyn and Cynthia Beall
|
1990 Nomads of Western Tibet: The Survival of a Way of Life. Berkeley: University of California, 1990 [0-520-07211-1] |
| Harrell, Stevan
|
1995 Cultural Encounters on China’s Ethnic Frontiers. Seattle: University of Washington Press. [0-295-97380-3] |
| Mackerras, Colin
|
1994 China’s Minorities: Integration and Modernization in the Twentieth Century. Oxford University Press. [0-19-585988-X] |
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may affect your ability to carry out assigned course work, you are urged to contact the staff at the Disabled Student Services (DSS) office, Humanities 133 (2-6748/TDD). DSS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability are confidential.
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