Seminar Series

CCS 501 and 502: Interdisciplinary Seminars in Chinese Studies

The Center for Chinese Studies is offering an exciting teaching initiative - a two semester interdisciplinary seminar in Chinese Studies. These courses are mandatory for students in the CCS MA program, but are open to all UM graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Students need permission to enroll in these courses and should contact Maryellen Bartolome for more information.

CCS 501 - Fall 2008

Social and Scientific Studies of Historical and Contemporary China
Crosslisted with: ASIAN 501/HISTORY 549/POLISCI 501/SOC 527

Instructors:

James Lee, History

Erik Mueggler, Anthropology

Day/Time:

Thursdays, 3-6pm

Course Description: CCS 501 introduces advanced undergraduate and graduate students to current issues in social scientific studies of China, emphasizing different methodological approaches drawn from multiple disciplines. The course differentiates between 'objectivities' - stratification, demographic and economic behavior - and 'subjectivities' - gender, ethnicity, personality, identity - and the use of social scientific methods to advance our understanding of all these topics. Each class will discuss one or more disciplinary approaches to a common subject through class discussion of exemplary studies of China as well as the existing state of the field in general

CCS 502 - Winter 2008

Humanistic Studies of Historical and Contemporary China
Crosslisted with: ASIAN502/ANTHRCUL 502/HISTORY 548/HISTART 504/POLISCI 502

Instructors:

Joseph Lam, Musicology

Shuen-fu Lin, Asian Languages & Cultures

Day/Time:

tba

Course Description: CCS 502 will focus on humanistic approaches in Chinese Studies. The course will discuss how knowledge is produced in the field and how different disciplines shape the field in different ways. It will examine the present state of research in selected areas of scholarly inquiry primarily language, literature, history, music, and art history as we interrogate such seemingly commonsense notions as "civilization", "culture", "tradition", "modernity", and, above all, "Chineseness". We will investigate new ways of asking questions about text and context, narrative, gender, subjectivity, identity, and paradigms of knowledge. Our goals are to develop good reading skills, stimulate critical thinking, and inspire imaginative approaches to humanistic problems.