ANTH 318: Peoples of the WorldChina

Winter 2015
M,W 2:00 3:20 (Waldo Hall, Room 201)
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: 3 Credits of Social Science
Instructor:
Dr. Bryan Tilt
Office: Waldo 209
Office Hours: W, 3:30 4:30, or by appointment
Bryan.Tilt@oregonstate.edu
737-3896
Course Description:
The Chinese people represent nearly one-quarter of the worlds population and
have exerted a powerful influence on the modern world. They have also experienced
dramatic social change in recent years as China opens up to the outside world. This
course explores, from both historical and contemporary perspectives, the society and
culture of the Chinese people. Through course readings, lectures, films and discussions,
we will trace changes in the areas of kinship and descent, marriage and family, economic
systems, gender relations, rural development, religion, education, the environment, and
national identity. We will get a sense of the broad and dramatic changes in peoples lives
as China has moved from a traditional society, to a socialist revolutionary society, and
finally to the rising consumer society of today. Our primary focus will be on the Chinese
mainland (rather than Taiwan, Hong Kong, or the Chinese diaspora).
The course is meant to include a lot of student discussion, so it is essential that
you keep up with the readings. Readings should be completed before the lecture for
which they are listed. The core readings consist of two recent books on Chinese society,
supplemented by a reading packet with articles by anthropologists, sociologists,
economists, and other experts on China.
Course Outcomes and Skills:
Upon completing this course, students should:

Describe changes in Chinese culture and society during the twentieth century by
articulating these changes in exams.
Demonstrate a basic grasp of Chinese geography and ecology by identifying
major Chinese cities, landmarks and ecological features.
Develop an intellectual framework for discussing social change, from an
anthropological perspective, with other students by participating in class
discussions.
Synthesize knowledge and research skills gained in the course by producing two
academic essays on key issues related to modern China.

Demonstrate familiarity with current events in Chinese society by giving a short

media presentation.

Texts:
1. Wasserstrom, Jeffrey. 2010. China in the Twenty-first Century: What Everyone
Needs to Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2. Tilt, Bryan. 2010. The Struggle for Sustainability in Rural China: Environmental
Values and Civil Society. New York: Columbia University Press.
3. Zhang, Li. 2010. In Search of Paradise. Middle-Class Living in a Chinese
Metropolis. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
4. Additional journal articles or book chapters: In addition to the above texts, we
will read a few selected journal articles and book chapters. These are posted as
pdf files under each unit in Course Documents.
Course Requirements and Grading:
Requirements and graded items for the course are as follows:
Item
History and Geography Quiz
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Essays (Two Essays, 50 Points Each)
Media Presentation
Class Participation
Total

Points
25
50
50
100
25
25
275

Grade Breakdown:
Percentage
100-95
94-90
89-86
85-83
82-80
79-76
75-73
72-70
69-66
65-63
62-60
59-0

Letter
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
2

History and Geography Quiz: As a first step in learning about China, you will
be asked to familiarize yourself with Chinese geography and major historical events. The
quiz will require you to identify provinces and major geographical features, along with
some basic aspects of Chinese history.
Midterm Exam: The midterm exam will be held in class, and will involve the
definition of key terms, short answer questions, and 1 or 2 essay questions that ask you to
synthesize and think critically about course materials.
Final Exam: The final exam will also be held in class. It will be similar in format
to the midterm exam, and will be comprehensive (i.e. it will cover material from the
entire quarter).
Essays: You will be asked to compose two short essays (each with a maximum
length of five pages). For each essay, I will provide you with a question or set of
questions. Your essays should make detailed use of course materials, including lectures,
films, readings and class discussions. A more detailed description of the expectations for
these essays will be given in class.
Media Presentation: China is a big and important country that is in the media
constantly. In order to help us stay on top of current events related to China, I would like
to begin each class session with a brief (under two minutes) presentation by three
students. Each student will tell the class about a recent media story he/she has found
particularly interesting. There are many Web-based news services that you can use, some
of which include: The New York Times, CNN, BBC News, National Public Radio, The
Economist, The China Daily, The Guardian, The International Herald Tribune, Xinhua
News, China Dialog, etc. When it is your turn, Id like you to 1) hand in a one-paragraph
summary of the story and its relevance to the topics of this course; and 2) share the main
points of the story with the class.
Class Participation: You should plan on attending class regularly and
participating in activities and discussions. Thoroughly reading the assigned books and
articles will help you to make insightful comments and ask good questions.
Students with Disabilities:
Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Services
for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Students with accommodations approved through
SSD are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or
during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they
are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through SSD
should contact SSD immediately at 737-4098.
Expectations for Student Conduct:

Students are expected to maintain proper academic conduct in this class. This
includes treating peers with respect and meeting the conduct expectations of Oregon State
University regarding cheating or other behaviors. To review these expectations, please
visit the following Web site: http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm
Class Schedule:
WEEK

TOPICS /
ACTIVITIES

READINGS

1
(Jan 5, Jan 7)

Chinas
geography

Wasserstrom, Jeffrey. 2010. China in the

Twenty-first Century: What Everyone Needs to
Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Ch. 13).

Foundations of
Chinese
civilization
Modern historical
context
2
(Jan 12, Jan 14

Social and
economic reforms
Jan 12: History
and Geography
Quiz

3
(Jan 19, Jan 21)

The individual
and the family

Jan 19 No class,
MLK Day

Population,
fertility and
family planning

4
(Jan 26, Jan 28)

Ethnic and
cultural diversity
in contemporary
China

Wasserstrom, Jeffrey. 2010. China in the

Twenty-first Century: What Everyone Needs to
Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Ch.
4).
Tilt, Bryan. Smallholders and the Household
Responsibility System: Adapting to
Institutional Change in Chinese Agriculture.
Human Ecology 36(2): 189-199.
Baker, Hugh D.R. 1979. Chinese Family and
Kinship. New York: Columbia University Press.
(Chapter 2, The Individual and the Family).
Yan, Yunxiang. 2003. Private Life Under
Socialism: Love, Intimacy, and Family Change
in a Chinese Village, 1949-1999. Stanford:
Stanford University Press. (Ch. 8: Birth
Control and the Making of a New Fertility
Culture).
Rossabi, M. Introduction, in M. Rosabbi, ed.,
Governing Chinas Multiethnic Frontiers.
Seattle: University of Washington Press. Pp. 118.
Gladney, Dru C. 2003. Islam in China:
4

Accommodation or Separatism? The China

Quarterly 174: 451-467.
5
(Feb 2, Feb 4)

Migration and
labor
Feb 4: Midterm
Exam

6
(Feb 9, Feb 11)

The urban
lifestyle
Feb 11: Essay 1
Due

7
(Feb 16, Feb 18)

Human rights

Zhang, Li. 2010. In Search of Paradise. MiddleClass Living in a Chinese Metropolis. Ithaca,
NY: Cornell University Press. (Introduction,
plus Ch. 1-3).

Zhang, Li. 2010. In Search of Paradise. MiddleClass Living in a Chinese Metropolis. Ithaca,
NY: Cornell University Press. (Ch. 4-7, plus
Epilogue).
Wasserstrom, Jeffrey. 2010. China in the
Twenty-first Century: What Everyone Needs to
Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Ch.
5).
Starr, John Bryan. 1997. Understanding China.
New York: Hill and Wang. (Ch. 9, Human
Rights and the Rule of Law)
Brown, Melissa J. 2004. Is Taiwan Chinese?
Berkeley: University of California Press. (Ch. 1,
Whats in a Name? Culture, Identity, and the
Taiwan Problem).

8
(Feb 23, Feb 25)

Chinas
environmental
crisis

Liu, Jianguo and Jared Diamond, 2005.

Chinas Environment in a Globalizing World:
How China and the rest of the world affect each
other. Nature 435: 1179-1186
Tilt, Bryan. 2010. The Struggle for
Sustainability in Rural China: Environmental
Values and Civil Society. New York: Columbia
University Press. (Ch. 1-4).

9
(Mar 2, Mar 4)

Sustainable
development
Mar 4: Essay 2
Due

10
(Mar 9, Mar 11)

Globalization and
its implications
for China

Tilt, Bryan. 2010. The Struggle for

Sustainability in Rural China: Environmental
Values and Civil Society. New York: Columbia
University Press. (Ch. 5-8).
Wasserstrom, Jeffrey. 2010. China in the
Twenty-first Century: What Everyone Needs to
Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Ch.
5

6).
Jahiel, Abigail. 2006. China, the WTO, and
Implications for the Environment.
Environmental Politics 15(2): 310-329.
Davies, David. 2007. Wal-Mao: The Discipline
of Corporate Culture and Studying Success at
Wal-Mart China." The China Journal 58: 1-27.
11
(No Classes)

Final Exam
(Friday, Mar 20,
7:30 am)