CORE087 Is China a Superpower? Politics and Society in Contemporary China

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Bc. Denisa Hilbertová, M.A. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Dušan Vávra, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Bc. Denisa Hilbertová, M.A.
Department of Chinese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Bc. Denisa Hilbertová, M.A.
Supplier department: Department of Chinese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Tue 10:00–11:40 C33, except Mon 18. 11. to Sun 24. 11.
Prerequisites
TYP_STUDIA(BM) && FORMA(P) && !(PROGRAM(B-CS_) || OBOR(FBCSpV))
The course is open to full-time Bachelor's and five-year Master's students, with the exception of the Chinese Studies program.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 95/100, only registered: 12/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
Course objectives
With the beginning of the 21st century, the People's Republic of China has crossed the imaginary threshold it has been striving for throughout the last century to become a major global power. A confident, economically prosperous country with vast ambitions. China's transformation over the past half century has been rapid and unprecedented, with global impact. There is no doubt that China will be a driving force in the world economy and international relations in the decades to come. It is therefore essential to understand its political and social functioning and, above all, its objectives.
Learning outcomes
The course will be divided into three thematic areas - the internal politics of the PRC and the functioning of the Communist Party of China, contemporary social problems of Chinese society and the international ambitions of the Chinese government. The domestic politics section will focus on current Chinese politics. Attention will be paid primarily to contemporary developments during President Xi Jinping's terms, the internal mechanisms of the Chinese Communist Party, its actual impact on the functioning of the Chinese state, and the tools it uses to control the population. In the second course section, the course will look at China's social problems, which are a combination of Chinese socialism, traditions and customs, and rapid economic development. The section will present the flip side of the People's Republic of China's economic progress. The last section focusing of international relations, the intention is to provide a probe into the PRC's territorial claims and disputed territories. Currently, the most risky area is the South China Sea region and the issue of Taiwan, where the PRC is not shy about making war threats. Equally crucial is the spread of PRC influence around the world in Africa, Latin America and even Europe through a range of instruments and projects.
Syllabus
  • 1) Socialism with Chinese Characteristics 2) Forever with Xi Jinping? 3) The Chinese Communist Party and the control of the state apparatus 4) Politics of fear or nationalism? Communist Party recruitment and population control 5) Environmental pollution - development at the cost of death 6) The demographic ticking bomb - the one-child policy 7) Love, marriage, gaokao and work 8) Migrant workers and the abandoned countryside 9) Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang - what is happening there? 10) Small island - big problem. Taiwan 11) The Chinese army and the South China Sea. The place where the third world war will break out? 12) China's ambitions in the world
Teaching methods
Lectures and audio-visual materials
Assessment methods
Open book online exam - multiple - choice test
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2024/CORE087