HUMN 2014 Civil Society in Contemporary China
Credit Points 10
Legacy Code 101968
Coordinator Edmund Fung Opens in new window
Description This unit is intended to give students an understanding of the social development of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It will engage with some of the key concepts that scholars have utilised to understand social changes. In this vein, the unit will consider China's socio-political transformation from a civil society perspective. It will consider a range of stakeholders - from non-governmental organisations to trade associations - and examine the events that have contributed to the development of China's civil society.
School Humanities & Comm Arts
Discipline Sociology
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp
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Level Undergraduate Level 2 subject
Restrictions Successful completion of 40 credit points of study in currently enrolled program.
Learning Outcomes
- explain the conception of civil society and its utility in understanding China's social and political development
- critically assess the emergence of new social stakeholders in China and their impact on civil society
- assess the Chinese state's response to civil society stakeholders
- evaluate the future of China's civil society and its potential in affecting socio-political change
- use social science methods to construct future research.
Subject Content
. Conceptions of Chinese civil society
. Social changes in China since 1978
. State-society relations in China
. Key domestic social stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations
. Emergence of voluntarism
. Role of transnational actors in Chinese civil society
. Role of the state in Chinese civil society
. Future social and political developments in China
Prescribed Texts
- Hasmath, Reza and Jennifer Hsu (eds.) 2009. China in an Era of Transition: Understanding Contemporary State and Society Actors. New York and Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. [ISBN: 9780230613508]
Teaching Periods