UGEA2230C Introduction to Transformation in Chinese History

From a historical perspective, the course explores the origin and evolution characteristics of Chinese culture. Its contents analyse and describe the historical traditions and changes in Chinese politics, economy, society, religion, culture and education, as well as the relationship between Chinese tradition and modernization.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students can learn the evolution process and development characteristics of the different Chinese dynasties as well as the different interpretations of historians. This will strengthen their abilities to understand, appreciate and evaluate Chinese history and cultures.
2. The course requirements enable students to learn basic research skills such as data collection, verification and analysis in writing research reports. Students can apply such skills to their field of study, lives and careers.
3. The demonstration and critique of multi-dimensional interpretations of history will enhance students’ critical thinking ability. Using an objective analytical approach, they will be able to solve problems in life and in their future work.

Recent Interactive Teaching through TV/Radio/News Media Interviews

References Used in the Course

13 Lectures

1. Historical Narrative and Multi-dimensional Interpretations of Chinese History I: Ch’ien Mu (5 Sep)
2. Multi-dimensional Interpretations of Chinese History II: Hsu Cho-yun (12 Sep)
3. From Absolute Monarchy to Constitutional Republican System I (19 Sep)
4. From Absolute Monarchy to Constitutional Republican System II (26 Sep)
5. The Chinese Economy’s Development from Rural Economy, Socialist Planned Economy to Market Capitalist Economy (3 Oct)
6. Traditions and Transformations of the Chinese Education System I (10 Oct)
7. Traditions and Transformations of the Chinese Education System II (17 Oct)
8. Christianity, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islamism and Folk Beliefs in China (24 Oct)
9. Characteristics of Traditional Chinese Social Structure and its Transformations under Urbanization (31 Oct)
10. Characteristics of Food Culture and Arts of Telling and Singing in Urban China (7 Nov)
11. Chinese Journey of Democracy from “Subjects” to “Citizens” (14 Nov)
12. Transformations in the Relations between China and the World over the Past Hundreds of Years and its Prospect (21 Nov)
13. Tradition and Modernity in China in the Eyes of Fairbank, John King and Yu Ying-shih (28 Nov)

No tutorial

• 錢穆：《國史大綱》。香港：商務印書館，1995年。
• 許倬雲：《萬古江河：中國歷史文化的轉折與開展》。上海：上海文藝出版社，2006年。
• Fairbank, J. K., and Goldman, M. China: A New History. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press, 1998. 或
  費正清著，薛絢譯：《費正清論中國：中國新史》。台北：正中書局，1994年。
• 吳晗、費孝通等：《皇權與紳權》。上海：觀察社，1948年。

Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations. Details may be found at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/.

With each assignment, students will be required to submit a signed declaration that they are aware of these policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures.

• In the case of group projects, all members of the group should be asked to sign the declaration, each of whom is responsible and liable to disciplinary actions, irrespective of whether he/she has signed the declaration and whether he/she has contributed, directly or indirectly, to the problematic contents.
• For assignments in the form of a computer-generated document that is principally text-based and submitted via VeriGuide, the statement, in the form of a receipt, will be issued by the system upon students’ uploading of the soft copy of the assignment.

Assignments without the properly signed declaration will not be graded by teachers.

Only the final version of the assignment should be submitted via VeriGuide.

The submission of a piece of work, or a part of a piece of work, for more than one purpose (e.g. to satisfy the requirements in two different courses) without declaration to this effect shall be regarded as having committed undeclared multiple submissions. It is common and acceptable to reuse a turn of phrase or a sentence or two from one’s own work; but wholesale reuse is problematic. In any case, agreement from the course teacher(s) concerned should be obtained prior to the submission of the piece of work.