Chinese Culture and History (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Objective

After completion of the course the student is able to
- describe the birth and evolution of endogenous Chinese schools of thought: Confucianism, Legalism, Daoism, School of Military
- explain the key concepts in Confucian, Legalist and Daoist thinking
- depict the role and impact of Buddhism in Chinese thinking and society
- outline dynastic cycles
- explicate the impact of imperialist Western powers had on the last Chinese Qing-dynasty.

Execution methods

Teaching profile: HYBRID 1.

Accomplishment methods

It is required to attend and pass all online quiz-exams and written paper.

Content

This course is designed to introduce a critical and pluralist view on history and culture (idea history) of China. Students will gain an understanding of various forces of continuity and discontinuity of ideas and institutions, religious values and culture in China, role of trade and warfare in Chinese dynastic history, and eventual radicalization of late Imperial and early Republican Chinese society. The course provides a good understanding of forces that have shaped Chinese history and culture over two millennia and the eventual collapse and continuous struggle for modernizing China.

Materials

Study material of the course will be delivered to registered students through Moodle. The material constists of book chapters, academic articles and video documentaries.

Teaching methods

Teaching will be contact teaching

Exam schedules

Exam date (incl second exam) will be decided together with students during the first lecture.

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.