Core 7          Term 081           

Core 7 Faculty

Fred Berger, Communication 
Maia Hawthorne, English 
Charles Kerlin, English
Michael Oakes, Economics and Finance
Chad Pulver, Psychology
April Toadvine, English
Jody Taylor Watkins, Anthropology and Director of Core 7
Peter Watkins, Political Science

GUEST LECTURERS
  • Rachel Pulver (Physical Therapist)
  • Donald Mitchell (Purdue University)
 Required Readings
  • Chin, Pa. Family. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, 1972.
  • Gifford, Rob. China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power. New York: Random House, 2008.
  • Jicai, Feng. Ten Years of Madness: Oral Histories of China's Cultural Revolution. San Francisco: China Books & Periodicals, Inc., 2001.
  • Lunsford, Andrea A. The Everyday Writer. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005.
  • National Geographic Society. Special Issue: China, Inside the Dragon. National Geographic. May 2008.
  • Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1994.
  • Yan, Mo. Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh. New York: Arcade Publishing, 2003..

 

Collegial Agreements
1. You are required to attend all lectures.

2. 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 on pp. iv-vii of this Syllabus.

3. You will be held responsible for reading and lecture material through exams, quizzes, writing assignments or discussion.

4. In addition, 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

                                                        
                                                                    

China: Public and Personal

Week One: August 18 - 22

August 18 lecture                  The Personal China - Jody Taylor Watkins, Maia Hawthorne, Michael Oakes and Charles Kerlin

      For your first discussion class: "Gilded Age, Gilded Cage," National Geographic - pp. 78 - 95

      For your second discussion class: "China's Olympic Nightmare"; "China's Inside Games" from Syllabus

August 22 lecture                 The Public China - Fred Berger, Charles Kerlin, Michael Oakes

Shaping The Cultural Mindset: Religious & Secular Foundations

Week Two – Aug 25 – August 29

August 25 lecture               Confucianism and Family - Michael Oakes

        For your first discussion class: Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 99-121; Family, pp. 8 - 44

        For your second discussion class: Family, pp. 44 - 81

Week Three – Sept 1 – 5

 No classes, Labor Day 9/1  

       For your first discussion class: Family, pp. 82-165

        For your second discussion class: Family, pp. 165-217

September 5 lecture        The Traditional Family: Critique and Legacy - Jody Taylor Watkins

         Tuesday, September 2 Film showing of "Raise the Red Lantern," 6:30 pm, Courtney Auditorium

Week Four – Sept 8 – 12

September 8 lecture        Buddhism lecture - Donald Mitchell

        For your first discussion class: Family, pp. 218-268; Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 59-97

        For your second discussion class: Family, pp. 269-329

Week Five – Sept 15 – 19

September 15 lecture         Taoism lecture - Donald Mitchell

        For your first discussion class: Illustrated World's Religions, pp. 123-143

       Thursday September 18 Film showing of "The Last Emperor," 6:30 pm, Courtney Auditorium

Week Six – Sept 22 – 26

September 22 lecture          Maoism - Peter Watkins

         For your first discussion class: Ten Years of Madness - pp. 5-15, 33-59, 101-126

         For your second discussion class: Ten Years of Madness - pp. 17-31, 127-141, 171-179, 227-234; "Mao Now," National Geographic - 100-101

Week Seven – Sept 29- Oct 3

September 29 lecture         Deng's Reforms - Chad Pulver

         For your first discussion class: "Deng Xiaoping: A Political Wizard Who Put China on the Capitalist Road" from Syllabus

                      Monday, September 29 Film showing of "To Live," 6:30 pm, Courtney Auditorium

Contemporary Issues in China

Week Eight – Oct 6-10

October 6 lecture           China's "Haves" - Michael Oakes

         For your first discussion class: China Road - pp. xiii-40 "Car Crazy," National Geographic - pp. 142-143

         For your second discussion class: China Road - pp. 41-75

                 Wednesday, Oct. 8 Film showing of "Shower" at 6:30 in the Courtney Auditorium

Week Nine – Oct 13 – 17

October 13 lecture         China's "Have-Nots" - Peter Watkins

          For your first discussion class: China Road - pp. 76-111

         For your second discussion class: China Road - pp. 112-152

Week Ten – Oct 20 - 24

October 20 lecture          China's Ethnic, Religious and National Minorities - Jody Taylor Watkins

         For your first discussion class: China Road - pp. 153- 193; "Beyond the Han," National Geographic - pp. 126-127

        For your second discussion class: China Road - pp. 194-226

Week Eleven – Oct 27 - 31

October 27 lecture           China's Health and Environmental Issues - Fred Berger

         For your first discussion class: China Road - pp. 227-272; "Bitter Waters," National Geographic - pp. 146-169

         For your second discussion class: China Road - pp. 273-296

Chinese Culture

Week Twelve – Nov 3 - 7

November 3 lecture        Holidays and Festivals - Maia Hawthorne

For your first discussion class: Available on the Newsbank database and on library reserves (see instructions for accessing Newsbank on p. ii of this Syllabus): "2nd Ld: China set to shorten a 'Golden Week' and make traditional festivals legal holidays"; "Majority support China's plan to increase holidays, despite loss of golden week"; "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"

          For your second discussion class: "Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh" from Shifu; "A Seat" from Syllabus

Week Thirteen – Nov 10 - 14

November 10 lecture        Artistic Freedom - April Toadvine

For your first discussion class: "Man and Beast," "Soaring," and "Iron Child" from Shifu;; "Promotion Report" from Syllabus (appears after "White Tigers")
"Cutting Off Dissent," National Geographic - pp. 128-129

For your second discussion class: "The Cure" and "Love Story" from Shifu

Week Fourteen – Nov 17 – 21

November 17 lecture          Wuxia and Its Presence Across Genres Today - Maia Hawthorne

For your first discussion class: "White Tigers" from Syllabus

For your second discussion class: "Shen Garden" and "Abandoned Child" from Shifu; "Purchase Request for a Kettle" from Syllabus

               Monday, November 17 Showing of a wuxia film, 6:30 pm, Courtney Auditorium

Week of 11/20, No classes - Thanksgiving break4, No classes - Thanksgiving break  

Week Fifteen – Dec 1 - 5

December 1 lecture               Everyday Applications of Eastern Spirituality - Rachel Pulver

For your first discussion class: "Learning From China;" "A Movement Toward T'ai Chi;" "For Some Chinese, Success in Life is a Name Change Away;" "The Feng Shui Kingdom," all from Syllabus
Core Seven Links 

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Background graphic courtesy Pambytes
Page posted August 12, 2008
Questions of comments email timm@saintjoe.edu
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