Core 7 - Intercultural Studies I - China - Term 101
Download a PDF version of the Core 7 China - Syllabus and Reading/Lecture Schedule
Core 7 Faculty
- Fred Berger - Communication
- Charles Kerlin - English
- Linda McFarland - Business Administration
- April Toadvine - English
- Karen Venditti - Education
- Jody Taylor Watkins - Anthropology (Director of Core 7)
- Peter Watkins - Political Science
- William White - History
Guest Lecturers
- Maia Hawthorne - English
- Bob Jansen '06 C.PP.S.
- Donald Mitchell - Philosophy (Purdue University)
- Michael Nichols '00 - Philosophy (Ripon College)
- Rachel Pulver '97 - Physical Therapist
Core 7 Required Texts*
- Chin, Pa. Family. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, 1972. Print.
ISBN: 0-88133-373-5 - Gifford, Rob. China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power. New York: Random House, 2008. Print.
ISBN: 0812975243 - Jicai, Feng. Ten Years of Madness: Oral Histories of China's Cultural Revolution. San Francisco: China Books & Periodicals, Inc., 1996. Print.
ISBN: 0-8351-2584-X - Qi, Shouhua. The Pearl Jacket and Other Stories: Flash Fiction from Contemporary China. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press, 2008. Print.
ISBN: 978-1-933330-62-4 - Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
ISBN: 978-0-06-067440-3
*Please note that The Everyday Writer by Andrea A. Lunsford is our required writing text. This source is on sale in the bookstore. Your Core 7 instructor may make arrangements with you to use a particular edition of the text.
Collegial Agreements
- You are required to attend all lectures.
- You are required to write a minimum of 15 typed pages during the semester, to include the following:
- a research-based role play paper. An assignment prompt, checklist and rubric are included below and on pp. iv-vii of the Syllabus.
- You will be held responsible for reading and lecture material through exams, quizzes, writing assignments and/or discussion.
- You will have a mandatory graded final exam or other project that requires your meeting during finals week. Further information will be forthcoming from your instructor.
See Core 7 Films and Common Writing Assignment & Rubric
Lecture, Reading and Film Schedule
Please note that there are two Friday lectures on August 27 and September 10. Most sections of Core 7 meet twice a week, thus the general division of readings per week into two discussion classes. However, for sections meeting once a week, please check with your instructor to obtain reading assignment deadlines. It is generally advisable that you complete readings listed under "First Discussion Class" by the time of the lecture on Monday.
Welcome to Core 7 China
Part I: Shaping the Cultural Mindset - Religious and Secular FoundationsWeek One: August 23 - August 27
- August 23 lecture - Our Personal China – Jody Taylor Watkins, Fred Berger, Charles Kerlin, Linda McFarland
- For your 2nd discussion class: Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 98-121; Family, pp. 8-44
- August 27 lecture - Pa Chin's Irritant: Confucius and His Worldview – Peter Watkins
Week Two: August 30 – September 3
- August 30 lecture - Pa Chin's Critique of the Traditional Chinese Family – Jody Taylor Watkins
- Monday, August 30 - Film showing of "Joy Luck Club" in the Courtney, 6:30
- For your 1st discussion class: Family, pp. 44-113
- For your 2nd discussion class: Family, pp. 113-140; "Style" pp. 318-22 from The Pearl Jacket
Week Three: September 6 – September 10
- Sept. 6, No classes, Labor Day
- For your 1st discussion class: Family, pp. 140-217
- For your 2nd discussion class: Family, pp. 218-256; "Nightclub-tique" pp. 63-4 and "Happy Family" pp. 95-6 from The Pearl Jacket
- September 10 lecture - A Modern Glimpse at Changes to the Family – China's One-Child Policy: Who Wins and Who Loses? – Karen Venditti and Video "China's Lost Girls"
Week Four: September 13 – September 17
- September 13 lecture - The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path – Donald Mitchell
- For your 1st discussion class: Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 58-96
- For your 2nd discussion class: Family, pp. 256-329
Week Five: September 20 – September 24
- September 20 lecture - Finding Our Way: Understanding Taoism – Michael Nichols
- Wednesday, Sept. 22 - Film showing of "The Last Emperor," in the Courtney, 6:30
- For your 1st discussion class: Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 122-143
- For your 2nd discussion class: "Gift of a Bright Moon" pp. 279-80 and "Gold Washer" pp. 292-4 from The Pearl Jacket
Week Six: September 27 – October 1
- September 27 lecture - Apocalypse Mao: Fingerprints at the Scene of the Crime – Peter Watkins
- For your 1st discussion class: Ten Years of Madness, pp. 5-15, 33-59, 101-126
- For your 2nd discussion class: Ten Years of Madness, pp. 17-31, 127-141, 171-179, 227-234; "American Apple" pp. 197-9 from The Pearl Jacket
Week Seven: October 4 – October 8
- October 4 lecture - Deng Xiaoping and Chinese Capitalism – William White
- For your 1st discussion class: "Deng Xiaoping: A Political Wizard Who Put China on the Capitalist Road," "In China's Economy, the State's Hand Grows Heavier," and "Top of the Class: The Rise of Asia's Universities" in Syllabus
- For your 2nd discussion class: "Request for the Purchase of a Kettle" pp. 178-80 and "Oh, Isn't This General Manager Gao?" pp. 206-9 from The Pearl Jacket
Part II: Contemporary Issues in China
Week Eight: October 11 – October 15
- October 11 lecture - China's "Haves" and "Have Nots" – Linda McFarland
- Tuesday October 12 - Film showing of "Forever" in the Courtney, 6:30
- For your 1st discussion class: China Road, pp. xiii-40; "Straw Ring" pp. 80-3 from The Pearl Jacket
- For your 2nd discussion class: China Road, pp. 41-75; "The Lottery" pp. 168-71 from The Pearl Jacket
- Friday, October 15- midterm break, no classes
Week Nine: October 18 – October 22
- October 18 lecture - Google's China Challenge: Freedom of Expression in China – April Toadvine
- For your 1st discussion class: China Road, pp. 76-111; "Theme" p. 230 from The Pearl Jacket
- For your 2nd discussion class: China Road, pp. 112-152; "The Female Visitor" pp. 145-7 from The Pearl Jacket
Week Ten: October 25 – October 29
- October 25 lecture - China Takes the World Stage – video "China Inside Out: New World Power, Old World Politics"
- Monday, October 25 - Film showing of "Still Life" in the Courtney, 6:30
- For your 1st discussion class: China Road, pp. 153- 193; "The Next Empire?" from Syllabus
- For your 2nd discussion class: China Road, pp. 194-226; "Autumn" p. 244-7 from The Pearl Jacket
Week Eleven: November 1 – November 5
- November 1 lecture - China's Health and Environmental Issues – Fred Berger
- For your 1st discussion class: China Road, pp. 227-272
- For your 2nd discussion class: China Road, pp. 273-296
Part III: Chinese Culture
Week Twelve: November 8 – November 12
- November 8 lecture - An Introduction to Chinese Short Stories – Charles Kerlin
- For your 1st discussion class: "Two Unforgettable Impressions" pp. 231-3 and "Explosion in the Living Room" pp. 235-6 from The Pearl Jacket
- For your 2nd discussion class: "Girl in the Red Skirt" pp. 27-29, "Feelings" pp. 56-59, and "Little-Hand Chen" pp. 289-92 from The Pearl Jacket
Week Thirteen: November 15 – November 19
- November 15 lecture - "Holidays and Festivals" – Susan Chattin
- For your 1st discussion class: "2nd Ld: China set to shorten a 'Golden Week' and make traditional festivals legal holidays" and "Majority support China's plan to increase holidays, despite loss of golden week" from Syllabus; "Ching Ming a bow to rationality and tradition;" "Spring Festival a financial burden for some;" "Don't lose holidays to consumerism;" "The joy of restraint;" "Yes, Spring Festival is truly golden" available from the Newsbank database (see p. iii of the Syllabus for instructions on accessing Newsbank)
- For your 2nd discussion class: "Façade" pp. 73-4, "Money Order" pp. 85-7, and "Soy Sauce" pp. 88-90 from The Pearl Jacket
Week of November 22 – No Classes, Thanksgiving Break
Week Fourteen: November 29 – December 3
- November 29 lecture - The Wuxia: China's Counter-Cultural Heroes – Maia Hawthorne
- For your 1st discussion class: "White Tigers" from Syllabus
- For your 2nd discussion class: "One Move Game" p. 300-3 from The Pearl Jacket
- Wednesday, December 1 - Film showing of "Iron Monkey" in the Courtney, 6:30
Week Fifteen: December 6 – December 10
- December 6 lecture - Everyday Applications of Eastern Spirituality: T'ai Chi and Meditation – Rachel Pulver and Bob Jansen, C.PP.S.
- For your 1st discussion class*: "The Health Benefits of Tai Chi", "Thich Nhat Hanh on The Practice of Mindfulness", and "The Mindful Society" in Syllabus
*Bob Jansen also recommends an online book Mindfulness in Plain English by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana for those interested in pursuing the subject of mindfulness meditation in more detail. It is not required reading in Core 7, but may be accessed at www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html
Core 7 Internet Sources
- The Everyday Writer Online - Several links for help with research and writing. This is the official "style guide" for the Core Curriculum.
- Library of Congress - Country Studies - contains a great deal of demographics information about countries throughout the world. See especially China.
- Buddhism - from About.com, is a site with many resources about Buddhism.
- U.S. Department of State - Organized in categories.
- U.S. Agency for International Development - U.S. trade statistics with China, and Taiwan are available at this site.
- U.S. Central Intelligence Agency - This site contains publications of the CIA, including World Fact Book, available in Publications.
- CNN.com - News from around the world, updated every few hours. Be sure to check out the link for Asia/Pacific. Be sure to also check on this CNN Special Report on Visions of China.
- Inside China Today
- Chinese Art - some interesting pieces of Chinese art.
- Chinese History and Philosophy Page - a rather interesting site with a number of good links to pages that might be helpful for research.
- WWW Virtual Library: Asian Studies
