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Professor Marjorie Chan's Syllabus

Chinese 231: Traditional Chinese Culture (Autumn Quarter 1995)

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Marjorie Chan
366 Cunz Hall
Tel: 292-3619 (Office) | 292-5816 (Dept)
Office Hours: F 1:00-2:00 p.m., or by appt.

TA: Jonathan Noble
467 Cunz Hall
Tel: 292-0676 (Office) | 292-5816 (Dept)
Office Hours: W 2:30-3:30, or by appt.

CLASSROOM 312 Hagerty Hall
& TIMES: MTWR: 1:30-2:18 p.m.
F: Home reading assignment


TEXTBOOKS::

Textbooks are available at SBX (1806 N. High Street. 291-9528)
. China to 1850: A Short History (by Charles Hucker) 1978.
. Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives (Paul Ropp, ed.) 1990.
. Course Packet is available at Cop-Ez (Neil & 11th. 292-4576)
(Note: Daily lecture outlines are included in the Course Packet.)


PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

This survey course is designed to introduce students to important elements of Chinese cultural traditions. The approach is interdisciplinary and comparative. The course includes elements of history, language, literature, art, philosophy/religion, and science/medicine. Films (and videos) are used in conjunction with lectures and class discussions to provide students with a better understanding of the basics of traditional (i.e., pre-modern) Chinese culture.


GRADING:

Twenty percent of the grades will be based on attendance and class participation. The remaining 80% has three main options as follows:

Option 1: 4 quizzes (4 x 20% = 80%)
Option 2: 3 quizzes plus 1 take-home assignment (4 x 20% = 80%)
Option 3: 4 quizzes plus 1 take-home assignment, and be allowed to drop
the lowest score (4 x 20% = 80%)

The quizzes will consist of one or more of the following types of questions: multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and short-answer questions. Each quizz will test materials covered since the previous quiz, and will be based on films, class lectures, class discussions, as well as reading assignments. Short answer questions will test your ability to analyze and synthesize the ideas presented in the course. There will be no make-ups for the quizzes, and there will be no final examination. Details concerning the take-home assignment (circa 5 double-spaced typed pages) will be given later in the quarter. Students who are interested in including an oral presentation of their take-home assignment will have an opportunity to do so on the last two days of class.

Final grades are not placed on the bell curve, but will be based on your earned percentage for the course: A (95%), A- (90%), B+ (85%), B (80%), etc.

If you have any questions, please see us. Have a nice quarter!


DAILY SCHEDULE

WEEK 1 GEOGRAPHY
Sep 20 W Introduction to the Course
Sep 21 R Film & Discussion: "China: A Portrait of the Land" (1967)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.1-6 (Outline #1)
Sep 22 F Home Reading Assignment: Hucker, pp.6-11


WEEK 2 THE PEOPLE, LANGUAGE, AND WRITING SYSTEM
Sep 25 M Lecture: The People
. Reading: Hucker, pp.6-8 (Outline #2)
Sep 26 T Lecture: The Chinese Language
. Reading: Hucker, pp.8-11
Sep 27 W Lecture: The Chinese Writing System
. Reading: Hucker, pp.9-11 (Outline #3)
Sep 28 R Film & Discussion
. Reading: Hucker, pp.25-31 (Outline #4)
Sep 29 F Home Reading Assignment: Hucker, pp.31-48, Ropp, Ch.2 (Keightley)


WEEK 3 EARLY CHINESE CIVILIZATION AND CONFUCIANISM
Oct 2 M Lecture: Early Civilization in China, Pt. I
. Reading: Ropp, Ch. 2(Keightley) (Outline #5)
Oct 3 T Lecture: Early Civilization in China, Pt. II
Oct 4 W Film & Discussion: "The Making of a Civilization" (W. Chou dynasty,
Spring and Autumn period, and Confucius)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.31-42 "Confucius" in Course Packet
Oct 5 R Class Reading & Discussion: "Confucius"
. Reading: "Selections from the Analects (of Confucius)", in Course Packet
Quiz 1 (Materials covered from Weeks 1-3)
Oct 6 F Home Reading Assignment: "Taoism" chapter in Course Packet


WEEK 4 TAOISM AND LEGALISM
Oct 9 M Film: "Hundred Schools to One" (475-221 B.C.), and Lecture on Taoism
. Reading: Hucker, pp.42-48; "Taoism" (Introduction and "Selections from the Lao Tzu or (Tao-te Ching)"; "Skepticism and Mysticism of Chuang Tzu" and "Selections from the Chuang Tzu" in Course Packet (Outline #6)
Oct 10 T Lecture: Class reading and discussion of excerpts from the Tao-te Ching
and the Chuang Tzu
Oct 11 W Lecture: Legalism and the Ch'in Dynasty
. Reading: Hucker, pp.47-48, 51-54
Oct 12 R Lecture: Sage Kings and Laws
. Reading: Ropp, Ch.4 (Turner) (Outline #7)
Oct 13 F Home Reading Assignment: Hucker, pp.55-77


WEEK 5 THE FIRST EMPIRES AND BUDDHISM IN CHINA
Oct 16 M Film & Discussion: "The First Empires" (Ch'in and Han dynasties,
221 B.C.-A.D. 220)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.55-77 (Outline #8)
Oct 17 T Film & Discussion: "The Great Cultural Mix" (Era of Division, A.D.220-581)
Reading: Hucker, pp.77-85
Oct 18 W Film & Discussion: "Buddhism in China"
. Reading: reread Hucker, pp.81-84 (Outline #9)
Oct 19 R Quiz 2
Oct 20 F Home Reading Assignment: Hucker, pp.86-101


WEEK 6 FROM THE GOLDEN AGE TO THE MONGOL CONQUEST
Oct 23 M Film & Discussion: "The Golden Age" (Sui and T'ang dynasties, 581-907)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.86-101
Oct 24 T Film & Discussion: "Heavenly Khan" (T'ang dynasty, 618-907)
Oct 25 W Film & Discussion: "The Age of Maturity" (Sung dynasty, 960-1279)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.102-122 (Outline #10)
Oct 26 R Film & Discussion: "China Under the Mongols" (Yuan dynasty, 1264-1368)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.122-133
Oct 27 F Home Reading Assignment: Hucker, pp.133-144


WEEK 7 COMING OF THE WEST
Oct 30 M Film & Discussion: "The Restoration" (Ming dynasty, 1368-1644)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.133-144
Oct 31 T Film & Discussion: "The Manchu Rule" (Ch'ing dynasty, 1644-1911)
. Reading: Hucker, pp.144-157; also read Hucker, pp.11-24,
and study Outline #11 on your own.
Nov 1 W Film & Discussion: "The Coming of the West" (Late Ch'ing dynasty)
Nov 2 R Quiz 3
Nov 3 F Home Reading Assignment: Ropp, Ch. 7 (Sivin)


WEEK 8 SCIENCE AND ART
Nov 6 M Video & Discussion: "Understanding"
Nov 7 T Lecture: Science and Medicine in Chinese History
. Reading: Ropp, Ch.7 (Sivin) (Outline #12)
Nov 8 W Film & Discussion: "Masterpieces of Chinese Art"
Nov 9 R Lecture: Chinese Art
. Reading: Ropp, Ch.11 (Sullivan) (Outline #13)
Nov 10 F Veterans' Day -- no class
Home Reading Assignment: Ropp, Ch. 12 (Owen)


WEEK 9 POETRY AND FICTION
Nov 13 M Lecture & Discussion: Poetry in the Chinese Tradition
. Reading: Ropp, Ch.12 (Owen) (Outline #14)
Nov 14 T Class Reading & Discussion: Poems
Nov 15 W Lecture: The Distinctive Art of Chinese Fiction
. Reading: Rop, Ch.13 (Ropp) (Outline#15)
Nov 16 R Class Reading & Discussion: Fiction
Nov 17 F Home Reading Assignment: Ropp, Ch.8 (Ebrey)


WEEK 10 WOMEN, MARRIAGE, AND FAMILY
Nov 20 M Lecture: Women, Marriage, and the Family
. Reading: Ropp, Ch.8 (Ebrey) (Outline #16)
Nov 21 T Video & Discussion: "Small Happiness: Women of a Chinese Village"
(Excerpt)
Nov 22 W Quiz 4
Nov 23 R Thanksgiving Day -- no class
Nov 24 F Columbus Day observed -- no class


WEEK 11 CHINA'S ENDURING HERITAGE IN REVIEW, AND
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Nov 27 M Film & Review: "The Enduring Heritage"
(Chinese civilization through 1911)
Nov 28 T Video & Discussion: "Chinese New Year"
Nov 29 W Student presentations
Nov 30 R Student presentations
Dec 1 F DUE by Friday, 1 December 1995, 1:30 p.m.: Take-home Assignment

ENJOY YOUR BREAK!


NOTE: Content, format, and readings for the course change from year to year. This syllabus serves only as a guide to the instructor's future offering of Chinese 231.
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