HI2F4-15 Modern China in Eight Events
Introductory description
Being one of the oldest civilizations, China has a long, rich, and diverse history. In chronological frameworks, this module offers ten weeks of feasting on its most recent past: the history of modern China, which in actuality is still in the grip of its dynastic past, despite countless reforms, revolutions and modernization that started in mid-nineteenth century and were modelled on the West. This chronological approach shows how China changed over time. Leaning history through a series of major events allows us to connect dots into a comprehensible narrative and to conduct macro as well as micro analysis. This module can be taken together with 'Modern China in Eight Themes' in Spring Term.
Module aims
During the term, students will examine eight major historical events that will build a chronological framework for understanding the history of modern China. The eight events chosen—for instance, the First Opium War (1839-1842) and the 1911 Revolution—are signposts that will help students navigate the historical landscape.The lectures and seminars pose questions through which students can explore modern Chinese history. As a survey course, this module provides a foundational understanding of China that is a module on its own and can be a starting point for further studies on historical China or contemporary China. This course is open to all students without prerequisites and assumes no prior knowledge of Chinese language or Chinese history.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
The eight events that we will examine in the Autumn Term, along with other major events, profoundly shaped modern Chinese history. Sometimes the event itself made a difference to people’s life, such as the establishment in 1644 of the Qing dynasty as a new regime that brought about transformation of the country’s socio-political structures. At other times, an event’s symbolic meaning is the main focus of the history. The First Opium War, for instance, is central to the Century of Humiliation narrative that galvanized generations of Chinese people. The eight events have been chosen to help you better grasp the outline of modern Chinese history, while other events that we do not focus on are as important in a different context.
- Introduction
- The Qing’s Conquering of the Ming, 1644
- The First Opium War, 1839
- The Taiping Rebellion, 1850
- Reform Movements, 1861
- The 1911 Revolution, 1911
- The Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937
- The Communist Revolution, 1949
- The Cultural Revolution, 1966
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of historical and theoretical interpretations of modern China.
- Communicate ideas and findings, adapting to a range of situations, audiences and degrees of complexity.
- Generate ideas through the analysis of a broad range of primary source material for the study of modern China, including electronic resources.
- Analyse and evaluate the contributions made by existing scholarship.
- Act with limited supervision and direction within defined guidelines, accepting responsibility for achieving deadlines.
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Specific reading list for the module
Subject specific skills
See learning outcomes.
Transferable skills
See learning outcomes.
Study time
| Type | Required | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (47%) | |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (47%) | 1 session of 2 hours |
| Tutorials | 1 session of 1 hour (5%) | |
| Total | 19 hours |
Private study description
History modules require students to undertake extensive independent research and reading to prepare for seminars and assessments. As a rough guide, students will be expected to read and prepare to comment on three substantial texts (articles or book chapters) for each seminar taking approximately 3 hours. Each assessment requires independent research, reading around 6-10 texts and writing and presenting the outcomes of this preparation in an essay, review, presentation or other related task.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Seminar contribution | 10% | No | |
Reassessment component |
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| 1000 word reflection | Yes (extension) | ||
Assessment component |
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| 1500 word essay | 40% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
|||
Assessment component |
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| 3000 word essay | 50% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
- written feedback on essay\r\n- student/tutor dialogues in one-to-one tutorials\r\n
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 2 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-V1V5 Undergraduate History and Philosophy
This module is Option list B for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
- Year 2 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology