75721 - History of Modern and Contemporary China (1) (LM)

Course contents

The course aims at analyzing, from a critical perspective, Chinese political, institutional, economic and social History, since the late XIXth century up to the beginning of this century.

Starting with the crisis of the late XIXth century, the diverse attempts to turn China into a modern Nation-State will be outlined: from the introduction of West-inspired institutional and legal patterns, to the implementation of alternative forms of representation and social emancipation, critical of the "imperialist" West.

The dimension of the war (warlords, Japanese invasion, revolutionary war) will be presented as the background of the decenniums preceeding the founding of the People's Republic of China - as well as the Cold War as the background of its first decades. The most significant and historiographically important passages wil be illustrated  - as well as China's recent emergence as a world Power.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for students attending the lectures:

The exam will be based substantially on the notes taken during the course. The reference bibliography (useful also to prepare, besides works suggested during the course, the initial, outside notes, topic) is:

 -M. Sabattini-P. Santangelo, Storia della Cina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, any edition including the following chapters: Chapters VIII (from: "La crisi e la fine dell'Impero"), IX, X

-W. C. Kirby, "When Did China Become China? Thoughts on the Twentieth Century", in J. A. Fogel (ed.), The Teleology of the Modern Nation-State: Japan and China, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005 (Chapter IV)

-F. Solieri, Cina 1948-1950. Il Partito Comunista Cinese e il passaggio dalla guerra civile alla costruzione dello Stato, Milano, FrancoAngeli, any edition (Chapters I and VI)

-G. Samarani, La Cina Contemporanea (or, in the former editions: La Cina del Novecento), Torino, Einaudi, any edition, (Chapters XI, XIII-XV)

-"The United Nations of China: A Vision of the World Order" (PDF)-European Council on Foreign Relations, April 2018, on-line.

 

During the lectures, further reading suggestions, as well as historiographic deepenings, will be provided.

 

Bibliography for students not attending the lectures:

-M. Sabattini-P. Santangelo, Storia della Cina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, any edition including the following chapters: Chapters VIII (from: "La crisi e la fine dell'Impero"), IX, X

-W. C. Kirby, "When Did China Become China? Thoughts on the Twentieth Century", in J. A. Fogel (ed.), The Teleology of the Modern Nation-State: Japan and China, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005 (Chapter IV)

-F. Solieri, Cina 1948-1950. Il Partito Comunista Cinese e il passaggio dalla guerra civile alla costruzione dello Stato, Milano, FrancoAngeli, any edition (Chapters I and VI)

-G. Samarani, La Cina Contemporanea (or, in the former editions: La Cina del Novecento), Torino, Einaudi, any edition, (Chapters III, IV, V, VI, XI, XIII-XV)

-"The United Nations of China: A Vision of the World Order" (PDF)-European Council on Foreign Relations, April 2018, on-line.

                               _____________________

Suggested readings:

in case the students, both attending the lectures and not, would like to deepen some topics, the following texts are recommended:

for the dynastic period: M. Sabattini-P. Santangelo, Storia della Cina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, any edition;

for Chinese History since the XXth century to nowadays: G. Samarani, La Cina Contemporanea (or, in the former editions: La Cina del Novecento), Torino, Einaudi, any edition;

with particular regard to the period since the first Sino-Japanese War to 1949: P. Zarrow, China in War and Revolution 1895-1949, Routledge, New York, any edition.

 

 

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures; students' active participation will be encouraged.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

Oral exam, meant to assess the general level of competence in the discipline and the critical and methodological skills the student acquired. The assessment will consider the student's:

- general knowledge and understanding of the covered topics

- competence in contextualizing the events, both in cronogical and geopolitical terms

- competence and critical familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his/her ability to use it effectively

- ability to summarize and analise themes and concepts.

Top marks will be awarded to students displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures combined with a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.

Average marks will be awarded to students able to summarize satisfactorily the program, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in its understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with the lack of a good terminology.

This 6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course "Modern and Contemporary History of East Asia (C.I.)(LM)". If the student has the Integrated Course (12 CFU) in his/her study plan, the final grade will result fron the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts ("History of Modern and Contemporary China (I)(LM)" and "History of Eastern Asia (I)(LM)").

Teaching tools

Digital tools; projection of visual material.

Office hours

See the website of Flavia Solieri