Time Schedule:
Susan H. Whiting
SISEA 449
Seattle Campus
Post-1949 government and politics, with emphasis on problems of political change in modern China. Offered: jointly with POL S 442.
Class description
Is China the next capitalist wonderland or the next evil empire? Following the U.S. media, it’s easy to get confused. This course will help you get beneath media rhetoric about the Middle Kingdom by taking a closer look at the Chinese polity, society, and economy. We will address a number of important issues, including 1) the roots of the revolution that led to the establishment of the People’s Republic, 2) the human and institutional legacies of a planned economy and Leninist political system, 3) the nature of the transition to a more market-oriented economy, 4) the potential for democratization in a more open polity, 5) the impact of the reforms on the global environment, population growth, labor conditions, and gender relations, and, last but certainly not least, 6) Chinese nationalism, China-Taiwan relations, and US-China relations at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
