REVOLUTION IN CHINA – Draft Syllabus!
Douglas HowlandHIST 378-001 (***)
Office: Holton Hall 330Fall Semester 2017
Phone: 229-4361 (History Dept. Office)Online Course
E-mail:
This course concerns the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and its development in the decades since. We will begin with the major issues and movements that surround the introduction and elaboration of “socialism” in China, the political and economic campaigns launched by the Chinese Communist Party under the leadership of Mao Zedong, and the reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. We will also look at the recent development of “socialism with Chinese characteristics”—which some analysts call a variation of capitalism—and China’s accomplishments, problems, and position in the world.
As in any history course, much of our work here will include the reading and analysis of texts, and the interpreting of texts as an exercise in writing, with an emphasis on essay form and the adequate use of evidence to support our interpretations. Because this is an undergraduate class, our primary goals are to develop a familiarity with trends in Chinese history, to develop some familiarity with the historiography of the Chinese Communist revolution and the People’s Republic of China, and to develop our skills of analyzing primary and secondary sources.
Required Readings:
(1) Cheek, Timothy. Living with Reform: China since 1989. Nova Scotia: Fernwood;
London: Zed Books, 2006.
(2) Cheek, Timothy, ed. Mao Zedong and China’s Revolutions: A Brief History with
Documents. Boston: Bedford, 2002.
(3) Gao, Mobo.Gao Village: Rural Life in Modern China. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i
Press, 1999.
(4) Meisner, Maurice. Mao’s China and After: A History of the People’s Republic. 3d. ed.
N.Y.: Free Press, 1999).
These are available for purchase at the UWM Bookstore in the Union, but you may find cheaper copies from an online source. They are also on reserve at the Golda Meir Library. ***And the 4-part series on DVD. Additional readings for the course are available at the D2L website for the course.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. D2L. Many of the course materials, including lectures, readings, and films will be accessible through the course D2L website. You must have access to a reliable computer and a high-speed internet connection to take this online course (a broadband connection such as Roadrunner or DSL, or a campus network connection to the web). If you do not have this at home, you can use computers on campus or in public libraries. You will upload your papers to the “Dropbox” on the D2L website, and exams will also take place over D2L. You can access D2L by going to the UWM homepage ( and in the quick links at the top of the page select D2L and then click “go.” This takes you to the login screen where you will be asked to provide your Panther ID and password (these are the same as your UWM email username and password). As an alternative, go to the login page with the direct address for D2L: (d2l.uwm.edu). On the login page, notice the “For Students” link that offers several help files for dealing with various aspects of D2L. These help documents are indeed very helpful, so keep them in mind if you ever get stuck. If you need further assistance, contact the Information Management and Technology (IMT) Help Desk (open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week). You can visit the Help Desk in person at Bolton 225, call 414-229-4040 (toll free at 1-877-381-3459), or send an email to . Keep in mind that the personnel at the Help Desk are more knowledgeable about computers than the professor, so please turn to them for technical advice.
Note that in a standard history course, I would meet with you in a room two times a week, where I would present lectures and ask questions, and you would take quizzes and exams. This class is different in that we will never meet together in the same room or any place other than the “virtual space” of the internet. The portal to that space is the course website on D2L. An online course means that you have a greater responsibility to take charge of your own learning: It is up to you to make sure that you devote adequate time to read, analyze, and understand the course materials. An online class also means that you will be doing a lot of reading, because almost all of the content (except films) will be delivered via written text.
NOTE: a computer glitch, a lost file, or any other technical problem is not an excuse for turning work in late or not at all.
2. READINGS. Because the readings are the centerpiece of the course, and because they will inform your writing, quizzes, and discussions, you must do the readings promptly in preparation for the week’s work. Readings for the week are to be completed by Monday of the week. By “read,” I mean critically read: this means more than a cursory examination of words on the page. You should be reading for the author’s argument, for a sense of context for the pages read, for an awareness of how one reading relates to our other readings, and for the ability to share your reactions with your colleagues. Many of the course readings will require that you reread them multiple times.
If you have a questionabout the course or any of the course material—readings, discussion questions, or something regarding the exams or essays—I ask you to post that question to our “Questions” discussion forum instead of emailing it to me. In that way, all of the students can benefit from seeing the question and my answer. If you have a question about something, I am confident that someone else in the class has the same question.
3. DISCUSSIONS. You will be asked to participate in four online discussions during the semester. The dates for these discussions and projects are listed in the schedule below. You will be divided randomly into groups and asked to respond both to specific questions that I prepare and to your classmates’ responses. You will be graded on your thoughtfulness, clarity, and the degree to which you are able to integrate class readings and materials. In order to receive the maximum grade, you must cite specific readings (and films). See the additional handout on “D2L Discussion Guidelines” on the “Content” page of our course website. (30% of your final grade)
4. FORMAL ESSAYS.There will be two short essay assignments during the course. Like the weekly assignments, these may include interpretive pieces, which ask you to interpret primary sources, and historiographical pieces, which ask you to examine secondary sources. That is to say, these essays will ask you to synthesize themes and common points in a set of documents so as to describe some general issue(s) or point(s) in common. Or they may ask you to “condense” an argument, as when I ask you to tell me the thesis (the main point) of some author’s work.(30% of your final grade)
Keep in mind that in grading writing, I consider four factors: the quality of your thesis (major point); the quality of your argument (a structure of paragraphs, each of which makes a point); the accuracy and quality of your evidence; and the quality of your writing (grammar, punctuation, and diction). Thus an excellent essay (for the grade of A) will include the following: (1) a clearly stated theme or issue at the beginning, in an introductory sentence or paragraph (often this introduction will contain your thesis); (2) a clearly developed argument in a series of paragraphs, each of which specifies the issue of the paragraph and the point of the paragraph, and expresses the relation of the paragraph to the other paragraphs in the essay; (3) evidence gathered from the readings, either quoted or paraphrased (and footnoted), which supports the points of your paragraphs and the thesis of your essay; (4) a concluding statement that “wraps up,” so to speak, your essay, in a final sentence or paragraph (sometimes this conclusion will contain your thesis); (5) flawless footnotes and punctuation, and no grammatical or typing errors, or minimal grammatical or typing errors; and (6) adherence to my specifications for the submission of writing as described below. A good (grade-B) essay will be missing one or two of these six qualities; an average (grade-C) essay will be missing a few of these qualities; but average essays generally err with qualities (2) and (3). A poor (grade-D) essay will be missing several of these qualities; and an unacceptable (grade-F) essay will be missing many of these qualities. (20% of your final grade)
5. MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAM. There will be both a midterm and a final exam during the course. The purpose of the exams is to test your skills with reading primary sources, and/or to synthesize and integrate your analyses of the course materials. Specific guidelines will be given in due course out of consideration for student preparation. (2 x 20% of your final grade = 40%)
* * *
FORM: The "Chicago style" is our guide to all matters of format (e.g., footnotes or endnotes, and bibliography); purchase or refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (13th edition) or Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (6th edition). Both can be found in the reference room in the library.
All writing that is submitted in this course must be typed (or run on a printer) in standard 10-point (pica) or 12-point (elite) type. Anything in smaller fonts will receive no credit. (N. B. You are looking at elite type--nothing smaller than this.) I do not accept written assignments by fax or by e-mail.
Let it be known that in the event of plagiarismor other forms of academic dishonesty in this course, my policy is to fail the offending student(s). If you are unsure as to the nature of plagiarism, consult your current student handbook. Allowing someone to copy your work is as reprehensible as copying yourself: both parties will fail the course.
University Policies:
Students with disabilities.Verification of disability, class standards, the policy on the
use of alternate materials and test accommodations can be found at the following:
http://
Religious observances. Policies regarding accommodations for absences due to
religious observance are found at the following:
Students called to active military duty. Accommodations for absences due to call-up of
reserves to active military duty should be noted.
Incompletes. The conditions for awarding an incomplete to graduate and undergraduate
students can be found at the following:
Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment).Definitions of discrimination.
Harassment, abuse of power, and the reporting requirements of discriminatory conduct
are found at the following:
Academic misconduct. Policies for addressing students cheating on exams or plagiarism can be found at the following:
Complaint procedures. Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic
unit or department in which the complaint occurs. If the complaint allegedly violates a
specific university policy, it may be directed to the head of the department or academic
unit in which the complaint occurred or to the appropriate university office responsible
for enforcing the policy.
Grade appeal procedures. Procedures for student grade appeal appear at the following:
Final examination policy.Policies regarding final examinations can be found at the
following:
Schedule of Topics and Readings
Week 1 (Tuesday9/5 –Friday 9/8):
Introductions – the Geography of China
Read carefully Week 1 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: **Hucker, “Introduction”
The End of the Imperial State: National and Cultural Revolution
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong and China’s Revolutions, 3-36; Meisner, Mao’s China
and After, 3-30
N.B. Readings/films marked with a double asterisk (**) are in D2L ”Content.”
Week 2 (Monday 9/11 – Friday 9/15):
a. Marxist Theory: History, Economics, Revolution
Read carefully Week 2 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong, 41-53, 197-204
b. Mao Zedong’s Theory of “Peasant Revolution”
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong, 54-75, 183-192
Film: “China Through Mao’s Eyes” -1a
Week 3 (Monday 9/18 – Friday 9/22):
The Yan’an Phase of the Communist Revolution
Read carefully Week 3 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong, 76-112, 193-197; ** Wm. Hinton, Fanshen;
Meisner, Mao’s China and After, 31-54
FILM: China Through Mao’s Eyes, part 1
Group Discussion #1
Week 4 (Monday 9/25 – Friday 9/29):
The People’s Republic of China: A New Order
Read carefully Week 4 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong, 125-127; ** Lawrance, China Since 1919; and
Meisner, Mao’s China and After, 55-152; Gao, Gao Village, 1-24
Film: “China Through Mao’s Eyes” – 2a
FILM: China Through Mao’s Eyes, part 2
Week 5(Monday 10/2 – Friday 10/6):
The Hundred Flowers and Anti-Rightist Campaigns, and the Great Leap Forward
Read carefully Week 5 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong, 127-159, 160-166, 204-209; Meisner, Mao’s China and
After, 155-190, 191-241; Gao, Gao Village, 122-141
Group Discussion #2
Week 6(Monday 10/9 – Friday 10/13):
Reaction and Alternative Strategies: The 1960s
Read carefully Week 6 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Meisner, Mao’s China and After, 245-288
Essay #1 Due
Week 7(Monday 10/16 – Friday 10/20):
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
Read carefully Week 7 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong, 169-179, 210-215; **Lawrance, “Cultural Revolution”;
Gao, Gao Village, 72-121, 142-170; Meisner, Mao’s China and After, 291-375
FILM: China Through Mao’s Eyes, part 3
Week 8 (Monday 10/23 – Friday 10/27):
Mao’s Death and Legacy: Political Struggle
Read carefully Week 8 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Cheek, Mao Zedong, 216-225; Meisner, Mao’s China and After, 376-426
FILM: China Through Mao’s Eyes, part 4
Midterm exam
Week 9 (Monday 10/30 – Friday 11/3):
Deng Xiaoping and the “Reform Era”
Read carefully Week 9 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Meisner, Mao’s China and After, 427-448; Gao, Gao Village, 171-199
** “Deng’s ‘Modernization’ and Its Critics” (487-496)
<Film: “China From the Inside” – 1>
Week 10 (Monday 11/6 – Friday 11/10):
The “Four Modernizations” and the “Movement for Democracy”
Read carefully Week 10 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Meisner, Mao’s China and After, 483-513; Cheek, Living with Reform, 1-53
** “Deng’s ‘Modernization’ and Its Critics” (496-507, 512-526)
Group Discussion #3
Week 11 (Monday 11/13 – Friday 11/17):
The Development of “Chinese Capitalism” (“New Socialism”)
Read carefully Week 11 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: ** “Deng’s ‘Modernization’ and Its Critics” (507-512); Meisner, Mao’s China
and After, 449-482, 514-548; Cheek, Living with Reform, 54-73; **Pomerantz, “Nightwork in Chengdu”
Essay #2 Due
Week 12 (Monday 11/20 – Tuesday11/21):
Social Problems: (1) The Peasants
Read carefully Week 12 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Gao, Gao Village, 25-71, 223-264
**WEB Documentary, “Rebellion in *** ”
**22-26 November – Thanksgiving Recess**
Week 13 (Monday 11/27 – Friday 12/1):
Social Problems: (2) The Homeless Proletariat
Read carefully Week 13 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Gao, Gao Village, 200-222
(3) Urban dwellers, Women and the Family
Readings: Cheek, Living With Reform, 74-121; **Rosen “Youth & the State”;
**Sheng Yun, “Little Emperors”
Week 14 (Monday 12/4 – Friday 12/8):
(4) Minority Nationalities
Read carefully Week 14 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: **Bulag, “Alter/native Mongol Identity”
Group Discussion #4
Week 15(Monday 12/11 – Thursday 12/14):
China’s International Presence… and Recent Developments
Read carefully Week 15 “Lecture Notes”
Readings: Cheek, Living with Reform, 122-149
**WEB Documentary, “Why is China Downsizing its Military?”
The Final Exam will be held between December 16 and 23. Instructions to follow.
Addenda A - Course Materials
1. Citations for D2L Readings:
Wm. Hinton, Fanshen: William Hinton, Fanshen: A Documentary ofRevolution in a Chinese
Village (N.Y.: Vintage, 1966), 103-127.
Lawrance, China Since 1919: Alan Lawrance, ed., China Since 1919: Revolution and Reform:
A Sourcebook (London: Routledge, 2004), 137-140.
Lawrance, “Cultural Revolution”: Alan Lawrance, ed., China Since 1919: Revolution and
Reform: A Sourcebook (London: Routledge, 2004), 183-194.
“Deng’s ‘Modernization’ and Its Critics”: Sources of Chinese Tradition, 2d. ed., vol. 2, ed.
Wm. Theodore de Bary and Richard Lufano (N.Y.: Columbia University Press, 2000),
485-526.
Rosen, “The State of Youth”: Stanley Rosen, “The State of Youth / Youth and theState in
Early 21st-century China,” in State and Society in 21st-century China, ed. Peter
Hays Gries and Stanley Rosen (N.Y.: RoutledgeCurzon, 2004), 159-179.
Bulag, “Alter/native Mongolian Identity”: UradynBulag, “Alter/native MongolianIdentity,”
inChinese Society: Change,Conflict, and Resistance, 2d. ed., ed. Elizabeth
Perry and Mark Selden (London:RoutledgeCurzon, 2003), 223-246.
2. Course Bibliography: Reserve List in Golda Meir Library:
Cheek, Timothy. Living with Reform: China since 1989. Nova Scotia: Fernwood; and
London: Zed Books, 2006. DS779.2.C4418 2006
Cheek, Timothy, [ed.] Mao Zedong and China’s Revolutions: A Brief History with
Documents. Boston: Bedford, 2002. DS778.M3 C47283 2000b
China Through Mao’s Eyes. Videorecording. 4 parts: DVD-2185, 2186, 2187, 2189.
Gao, Mobo. Gao Village: Rural Life in Modern China. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i
Press, 1999. HN740.G36 G36 1999
Gries, Peter Hays, and Stanley Rosen, eds. State and Society in 21st-Century China:
Crisis, Contention, and Legitimation. London: Routledge/Curzon, 2004. HN733.5.S74 2004
Heilmann, Sebastian, and Elizabeth J. Perry, eds. Mao’s Invisible Hand: Political Foundations
of Adaptive Governance in China. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2011.
JQ1510.M35 2011
Meisner, Maurice. Mao’s China and After: A History of the People’s Republic. 3d. ed.
N.Y.: Free Press, 1999). DS777.55.M455 1999
Perry, Elizabeth J., and Mark Selden, eds. Chinese Society: Change, Conflict, and
Resistance, 2d.ed. London: Routledge/Curzon, 2003. HN733.5.C444 2003
NB: 1st edition also on reserve: HN733.5.C444 2000
Tubilewicz, Czeslaw, ed. Critical Issues in Contemporary China. London: Routledge,
2006. HC427.95.C753 2006
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