Study Guide

Objective

After completion of the course the student is able to
- describe the central role of media in Chinese politics, economy and society
- explain how media-control machine of the Party function
- explicate culturally subtle tactics how netizens attempt to voice their sarcasm and even politically dissent voices within the most efficient online control machine of the world
- dissect means and content of the ongoing “Corona-virus media-war” (propaganda) both within China and globally
- identify how China is conducting global corona disinformation campaign / war.

Content

The Chinese Society – China and Media course offers students insight into the important role of media, social media, emerging new ways of interacting in daily life and the role of censorship in the Chinese society. The course illustrates how media and social media in particular are changing society, reflect social and popular issues, and how the partisan voices are circumventing the censorship machine, and how innovative interplay of language and expressions are utilized in this cat and mouse game with netizens’ desire to express sensitive issues. We will also focus on the world-shaking Corona virus media discussion and how Beijing is carrying out both domestic and global media and information war on the virus.

The internet, online wholesaling, games and social media in general have become an inseparable part of Chinese people’s daily life. This revolutionary development has been paralleled with the rise of global media giants; companies such as Baidu, Tencent and Alibaba and number of other Chinese high-tech companies and restricting Western internet companies, such as Google and YouTube, to operate in China. The course also introduces these global leading companies, their role, strategies and intriguing relationship with the Party and its censorship machine in China.

Materials

The study material of the course consists of lecture teaching, online videos, articles, book chapters and documentaries that will be delivered to students during the course.

Teaching methods

Teaching is self-study course based on reading material that will be published on Moodle. There is also a possibility for students to meet on weekly basis with the lecturer. The meeting will take place in classroom.

Further information

A degree student attending the Lapland University of Applied Sciences can register free of charge for LUC studies offered by the University of Lapland, if the studies can be linked to their own degree. Enrollment takes place through the Applicant’s Desktop of the University of Lapland: https://hakeutuminen-lay.peppi4.lapit.csc.fi/web/hakijan-tyopoyta/. From the left hand menu, first select "Study selection" and then "LUC studies YO”, and you will see the entire offering. Choose the study unit in question and register.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Fail (0): Student doesn’t understand or grasp central cultural, institutional or polito-economic concepts or processes of the given course. In addition, in answering the essay questions the student fails to illustrate elementary China-related societal trajectories or knowledge. Understanding of China and the course topic remains incompetent.

Sufficient (1): Well, the student illustrates minimal understanding of the course content. However, the answers may contain misunderstandings and direct mistakes that hinders formulation of more comprehensive knowledge of the given topic. Essay answers illustrate that the student has some knowledge of certain areas, but lack a comprehensive basic knowledge of the course subject and key concepts.

Satisfactory (2): More or less ok. The student illustrates moderate knowledge of the given subject. Essay answers illustrate that the student has grasped basic knowledge of the course content, but still contain some misinterpretations and/or mistakes. The answers can be too limited or too long, illogical and lack focus. The structure of the answers may be blurred.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good (3): Good. Answers expose that the student has internalized the course content and central concepts. Essay answers expose that the student tackles the given question in a structured manner, illustrate comprehension of the subject, and expose analytical skills. However, the answers still contain certain misinterpretations / mistakes.

Very good (4): Commendable. Answers illustrate that the student has a commendable understanding and knowledge of the given subject and key concepts. Essay answers are clear, well-structured and key concepts well defined. The interpretation of the course material is presented in coherent and discussive manner.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent (5): Excellent. Answers expose that the student has deep understanding and knowledge of the course subject. In essays the student is able not only to define the concepts and societal trajectories correctly, but more over the argumentation of essays are reflective and reasoning logical. Essay answers are structured in coherent and logical fashion.