Advanced Search

SPRING QUARTER 2006 CHINESE 231 Traditional Chinese Culture Professor Marjorie K.M. Chan Dept. of E. Asian Lang. & Lit. The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio U.S.A.

A Brief History of Chinese Civilization. By Conrad Schirokauer and Miranda Brown. 2006. Second edition. (Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.) ISBN: 0-534-64305-1. Paperback. Required. (Note: Please be sure to buy the new, second edition.) Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization. Edited by Paul S. Ropp. 1990. (Berkeley: U. of California Press.) ISBN: 0-520-06441-0. Paperback. Required.

Main Library Reserve:   Reserve in Main Library has a copy of the two textbooks (first editions only). Check online at OSU Libraries <library.osu.edu>. Under Quicklinks, select either "Reserves by Course" or "Reserves by Professor". Additional references and other materials for the course will be placed on reserve as needed during the quarter. (Note: Reserved materials for a given course are listed online for the current quarter only.)

Lecture Outlines:   Outlines will be prepared and made available during the quarter.

This is a survey course taught in English that covers Chinese institutions, philosophical trends, religion, art, literature, family/marriage, and science and technology prior to the 20th century.

The course will be conducted through lectures combined with class/group discussions of assigned readings, films, etc. A mailing list for the class will also be used for dissemination of information and student-initiated discussions concerning topics brought up in class. Course work consists of assigned readings, pop quizzes, in-class reaction papers and other in-class written assignments (individual and group assignments), a mid-term examiantion, and a final project.

This course is designed to introduce undergraduate students to important elements of Chinese cultural traditions. The approach is interdisciplinary and comparative. The course includes history, language, art, literature, drama, philosophy/religion, family/marriage, and science/technology/medicine. Films (including videos) and other multimedia materials (on VCDs and DVDs, on the Web, etc.) are used in conjunction with lectures and class discussions to enable students to gain a better understanding of traditional (i.e., pre-modern) Chinese culture, with respect to both elite and popular culture.

Students are expected at the end of the course to have acquired a basic knowledge of the cultural history of China that spans from prehistoric times to the mid-19th century. Students should be able to identify important elements of China's cultural heritage that have contributed to world civilization, and should also be able to discourse, in rudimentary to relatively sophisticated terms, on such topics as traditional China's social, philosophical, and religious foundations, as well its achievements in the sciences, medicine, literature, and the visual and performing arts in elite as well as popular culture (e.g., Peking opera (Beijing opera) and other regional forms, puppetry, story-telling, etc.).

1. Read and reflect on all assigned readings prior to class lectures and discussion.
2. Participate actively in class discussions and other class activities.
3. Submit assignments on time.
4. Attend class regularly and punctually.*   As a student in this traditional Chinese culture course, do heed the wisdom of the Mother of Mencius!
5. For an absence due to medical reasons, inform the instructor before class (email or leave a telelphone message). Upon returning to class, submit a note from your physician specifying your name, the date(s) of your absence, and the medical reason(s). The note must also include your physician's name (printed name and signature) and his/her contact information. As the note will be retained for the records, be sure to have multiple copies for other instructors.
6. In emailing the instructor, include "C231" and your name in the subject heading to ensure that your email is not automatically trashed.

   * Note: Students who are unable to attend a full class period (e.g., arriving late or departing early) are expected to inform the instructor in advance.

DISABILITY SERVICES
Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue (Tel: 292.3307. TDD: 292.0901).

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Students are advised to adhere to The Ohio State University's Code of Student Conduct, with particular reference here to "Academic misconduct." The University's policies on academic misconduct will be enforced in accordance with Faculty Rule 3335-5-54. Academic misconduct is defined as "[a]ny activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the university, or subvert the educational process." (See section 3335-23-04 Prohibited conduct.) Relevant examples of academic misconduct include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Violation of course rules as contained in the course syllabus or other information provided to the student; violation of program regulations as established by departmental committees and made available to students;

• Submitting plagiarized work for an academic requirement.
  Plagiarism is the representation of another's work or ideas as one's own; it includes the unacknowledged word-for-word use and/or paraphrasing of another person's work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person's ideas.
  [Note: OSU's Center for the Study of Teaching and Writing (CSTW) provides a web page on plagiarism, giving a definition of plagiarism, together with a set of Basic Citation Rules and Examples, including use of direct quotes versus paraphrasing, etc.]

• Knowingly providing or receiving information during examinations such as course examinations and candidacy examinations; or the possession and/or use of unauthorized materials during those examinations;

• Submitting substantially the same work to satisfy requirements for one course that has been submitted in satisfaction of requirements for another course, without permission of the instructor of the course for which the work is being submitted.

NOTE: Students are strongly advised to heed the Ten Suggestions for Preserving Academic Integrity and to abide by the Eight Cardinal Rules of Academic Integrity, provided by OSU's Committee on Academic Misconduct. Instructors who suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct in a course is obligated by University Rules to report suspicions of academic misconduct to the Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM). If the Committee determines that that a student has violated the University's Code of Student Conduct -- that is, committed academic misconduct -- the sanctions for the misconduct could include a failing grade in the course and suspension or dismissal from the University.

Grading is as follows:

	Attendance, pop quizzes, and class participation:	20%
	In-class reaction papers (3 x 10%):	30%
	Mid-Term Examination:	20%
	Final Project (all phases):	30%
		------
	Total:	100%

Twenty percent (20%) of the grade will be based on attendance, pop quizzes, and class participation, the latter including in-class group assignments. Thirty percent (30%) will be based on three reaction papers written in class (10% each). Twenty percent (20%) will be based on a mid-term examination. And the last thirty percent (30%) will be based on the final project.

Pop quizzes will consist of short answers of single sentences to short paragraphs, and will be based on class lectures, class discussions, reading assignments, as well as films and other multimedia materials presented in class. Paragraph-length answers test students' ability to analyze and synthesize the ideas presented in the course. The three in-class reaction papers will consist of individual students' reactions to documentaries, films and/or readings that are presented during that class period. The mid-term examination is an open-book, essay-style examination that tests the students' understanding, application, and critical analysis of the topics, concepts, and issues covered in the course up to the date of the mid-term examination. There will be no make-ups for pop quizzes and other in-class assignments, including the reaction papers and mid-term examination. In the case of reaction papers and the mid-term examination, other arrangements will be made only in those cases of absences that are due to medical reasons and are verifiable with physician-signed notes (see Student Responsibilities above).

The final project involves group collaborations (3 or more students) and will consist of: (1) a one- to two-page project proposal due in Week 6, (2) an oral presentation in class during the last two weeks of class, and (3) an individually-written paper that is due on the first day of Examination Week. The written paper (about 8-10 double-spaced pages) details the individual's responsibilities in the project, resources used, the nature of the individual's contributions to the final project, what s/he has learned in the process of working on the project, major findings and critical analyses, etc. An e-portfolio for the group's final project (including all phases and all collaborative work and individual final papers for the project) is to be submitted on CD ROM. Details concerning the final project will be presented later in the quarter.

There is no final examination in this course.

To minimize potential for plagiarism in subsequent offerings of Chinese 231, all written work submitted for the course (viz., pop quizzes, reaction papers, mid-term examination, final projects, etc.) will be kept on file by the instructor and will not be returned to the students. Grades will be posted from time to time during the quarter and can be obtained online through logging into carmen.osu.edu and selecting this course. (Chinese 231 is activated in Carmen as of 4 April 2006.)

Final grades are not placed on the bell curve, but will be based on the individual student's earned percentage for the course:

A   (93%)       B+ (88%)       C+ (78%)       D+ (68%)       E   (below 60%) A- (90%)     B   (83%)     C   (73%)     D   (60%)                   B- (80%)     C- (70%)

1. Schirokauer, Conrad and Miranda Brown. 2006. A Brief History of Chinese Civilization. Second edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.

2. Ropp, Paul S. (ed.). 1990. Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization. Berkeley: University of California Press.
   Chapters selected:
   
   
   1. Chapter 2: Keightley, David N. "Early civilization in China: reflections on how it became Chinese." Pp. 15-54.

   2. Chapter 4: Turner, Karen G.. "Sage kings and laws in the Chinese and Greek tradition." Pp. 86-111.

   3. Chapter 7: Sivin, Nathan. "Science and medicine in Chinese history." Pp. 164-196.

   4. Chapter 8: Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. "Women, marriage, and the family in Chinese history." Pp. 197-223.

   5. Chapter 11: Sullivan, Michael. "Chinese art and its impact on the West." Pp. 263-293.

   6. Chapter 12: Owen, Stephen. "Poetry in the Chinese tradition." Pp. 294-308.

   7. Chapter 13: Ropp, Paul S. "The distinctive art of Chinese fiction." Pp. 309-334.

WEB RESOURCES

1. OSU's Office of Information Technology (OIT):
   • Student Computer Centers
     Information for students using OSU's computing lab facilities.

   • OSU's Software to Go
     OSU site-licensed software that are freely-downloaded by OSU faculty, staff, and students, including updated DAT files for computer virus detection.
     

2. Online Resources for Compositions, Citations, and Documenting of Electronic Sources
   • OSU's Center for the Study of Teaching and Writing (CSTW): The Writing Center
     Excellent resources, "handouts", tutorials, etc., to assist undergraduate students -- and those for whom English is a second (or third) foreign language -- in their research and writing. The CSTW also provides a web page concerning plagiarism, its definition together with some basic citation rules and examples concerning direct quotes versus paraphrasing, etc.

   • OSU Libraries: Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide
     Suggestion:   Follow the scientific style of citation recommended for natural sciences and social sciences.

   • Dartmouth Writing Program and Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement.
     Extensive online resources to assist students in writing academic papers, using and acknowledging sources, etc.
     NOTE: How to cite a web page -- include three pieces of information:   title, URL, and date of access.   For example:
     Marjorie Chan's Chinese 231: Traditional Chinese Culture <http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/chan9/c231.htm> [Accessed <DATE>].

   • Harvard University: The Writing Center

   • Purdue University's Online Writing Lab: Resources for Documenting Electronic Sources

3. Library and Library-Related Resources at OSU:
   
   • OSU Libraries' net.TUTOR
     OSU Libraries' set of online tutorials, such as developing research skills in using Web resources and other resources on the Internet.

   • OSU Libraries' On-Line Catalog (OSCAR) and other Library Catalogs

   • OSU Libraries: The Gateway to Information

4. Resources on China and East Asia at OSU:
   
   • Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures
     Visit DEALL for information on its faculty, course offerings, graduate and undergraduate programs, etc.

   • East Asian Studies Center
     Established in 1969, the EASC coordinates and supports research and instructional activities as well as assists in the development of relevant degree programs in East Asian Studies. It is also designated as a vehicle to transmit faculty expertise and university resources to the civic, educational, and business communities in our region.

   • Institute for Chinese Studies
     The ICS serves as an intellectual and communication center for scholarly research, general education, and public programming for Ohio State faculty and students who have or wish to develop expertise on China.

   • Chinese Culture Club
     The CCC's mission is to promote the study of Chinese language and culture throughout OSU and the surrounding community. Events include guest speakers, performers, film-showings, etc.

5. Marjorie Chan's ChinaLinks
   ChinaLinks.osu.edu -- homepage with Table of Contents to 4 satellite pages and their contents:
   
   1. ChinaLinks1: General Resources for Chinese Studies: search engines, publishers, etc., including a section of links on Traditional Chinese Culture.
   2. ChinaLinks2: Chinese Language Software & AV Programs: downloadable CJK fonts and decoders, IPA and Pinyin fonts, RealPlayer, etc.
   3. ChinaLinks3: Chinese Language and Linguistics: Chinese dialectology (including links to websites with Chinese dialect sound files), Chinese linguistics associations and journals (with tables of content/indices), conferences, etc.
   4. ChinaLinks4: General Linguistics and Internet Resources: general references (including link to the searchable, on-line Oxford English Dictionary and other dictionaries and references), web-authoring tools, etc.
   5. Word Lists and Online Glossaries/Dictionaries (my links (now part of my ChinaLinks.osu.edu site) to online and downloadable Chinese word lists, frequency lists, dictionaries, etc.)

[ Gen. Info | Txtbks | Desc. | Content | Obj. | Stud. Resp. | Grading | Sched. | Rdgs | Web ]

[ MC's Home | DEALL Home ]
[ The Ohio State University ]

(There were 9,217 hits altogether between 06.06.96 and 01.31.07. Of these, 141 were from 06.06.96 to 12.17.97, 2,449 from 12.17.97 to 02.14.02, 2,002 from 02.14.02 to 09.16.03, 1,935 from 09.16.03 to 03.21.05, 1,301 from 03.21.05 to 03.19.06, and 1,389 from 03.19.06 to 01.31.07.)

The Chinese 231 logo is from an album leaf, "On a Mountain Path," by renown Southern Song dynasty painter, Ma Yuan (ca. 1160 - ca. 1225). See Figure 6.7 in Schirokauer and Brown (2006:158). The Ma Yuan painting, the two textbook covers, and Tang-dynasty figurine of a lady on horseback playing polo (Schirokauer and Brown, p. 113) are images scanned for this course syllabus.
Copyright © 1995-200x Marjorie K.M. Chan. All rights reserved on course syllabus and other online materials developed for the course.

Created 6 June 1996. Most recent major revision: 19 March 2006 (for Spring Quarter 2006). Last update: 30 January 2007 (for archival purposes). URL:   http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/chan9/c231_s06.htm