HIST 389 - Constructing China from Beyond

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as ASIA 389) This course examines China from the perspective of its engagement with the non-Chinese world, in both the pre-modern and modern period. Roughly in chronological order, the course will cover China’s interactions with others in three geographical scales: the frontier regimes in Inner Asia, the land and maritime neighbors in East and Southeast Asia, and regional/global powers in a broader scope. The main questions of inquiry include (but are not limited to): how does one draw a boundary around the subject called “China” in terms of geography, ethnicity, nation, culture, and civilization? To what extent has China’s views of the external world shifted in the modern period? Was/is there a general Chinese mode in dealing with outsiders? Though mainly a study of history, the course also introduces works from other disciplines like sociology and international relations. Many important issues in contemporary China studies, such as domestic challenges in ethnic frontier areas and diplomatic disputes with other countries, are no doubt embedded in our concerns from the very beginning. Mr. Song.

One 2-hour period.