HIST 2986

Democracy and Discourse in Twentieth Century China

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

Chinese political culture has long been characterized by authoritarianism, from the time of the old imperial order up until the present Communist era. Yet the twentieth century in China witnessed a profound engagement with notions of democracy that was evident in the realms of both political discourse and political practice. This course will explore the many fascinating forms that this engagement took, from attempts to transform the Qing dynasty into a constitutional monarchy and Sun Yatsen's establishment of a short-lived republic, to May Fourth and Nationalist era debates on democracy, to movements for democratic change under Communist rule, such as the Democracy Wall Movement and the Tiananmen Square protests. The aim will be to reflect on how democracy as a political concept has been understood and used in a Chinese context and the nature of its relationship with Chinese culture.

When Offered Fall.

Breadth Requirement (GB)
Distribution Category (HA-AS)

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