IMPERIALISM IN CHINA:

IMPERIALISM IN CHINA: NINETEENTH CENTURY AND BEFOREIMPERIALISM IN CHINA: NINETEENTH CENTURY AND BEFORE   COURSE DESCRIPTION:   course provides an interpretive account of the Western imperialism in China in the Nineteenth century. The course will concentrate on the political, economic and social impacts of imperialism on China and China’s responses to the Western challenge. While chronological, we will follow a thematic approach. Major themes include China’s early contact with the West, Britain’s opium trade and opium wars with China, the establishment of the treaty systems in China by the Western imperialist powers, the confrontations between the Chinese and the western missionaries, the powers’ division of spheres of influence in China, and the change of western image of China in the nineteenth century. is an introductory course open to all students; no prior knowledge of Chinese history is required or expected. Class meetings are scheduled for four hours each week. The general pattern will be lectures, group-discussion and film/video/library research. The course will have discussion sessions once a week, following the lecture topics and reading materials. REQUIRED READINGS: Odd Arne Westad, Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750, New York: Basic Books, 2012. James L. Hevia, English Lessons: Pedagogy of Imperialism in Nineteenth-Century China, Durham NC: Duke University Press, 2003. LEARNING OUTCOMES:Students who successfully complete the course will:1. Understand and be able to explain the major issues relating to the development of the Western imperialism in China in the nineteenth century2. Be informed about various debates and interpretations concerning the history of interaction between China and the Western powers.3. Have your own viewpoint regarding these debates and interpretations.4. Gain experience in critical thinking and historical analysis.5. Nurture skills of group discussion and of getting your point across to others. 6. Have explored areas and problems in the history of China’s relations with the West that are of particular interest to you. EVALUATION: Lecture attendance and class participation (assignments and discussions): 20%Mid-term exam (October 12): 25%Term paper: (November 9) 25%Final exam, as scheduled by the College: 30% Note: The grade category of A-, A, A+ is defined as “Excellent Performance” – to earn a grade in this category students must demonstrate a level of performance deemed to be excellent in each and every area (all 4) above. Inconsistent or irregular attendance will impact your final grade. GUIDELINES FOR ESSAY WRITING AND GRADING - You are required to submit a research essay of 4 pages (1000-1500 words, double spacing printed). This essay should treat some important issue in China’s relations with the West during the late imperial period 15th century –1900. In addition, a one-page outline and bibliography sheet should be attached to the essay. A good research essay involves the bringing together of facts and ideas using precise and meaningful language and a formalized structure. -  Clear understanding of the relevant issues in an assigned topic and the ability to see their relationship to the course content. - Argument: First, remember that when writing a research essay you are putting forward an argument or answering a question, not just listing facts or writing a chronology of events. Consider all possibilities, identify and weigh the importance of each factor, and come to your own conclusion. The resulting thesis or argument is the centrepiece around which you marshal and organize the evidence and ideas for your essay. A clear statement of the argument should appear near the end of the introduction of the essay, eg. “This paper will attempt to demonstrate that....” or “This paper argues that.....” - Planning: Formulate a concise title for your essay that crystallizes its purpose and approach. Then construct a plan that will enable you to proceed. Identify relevant sources, prepare notes and formulate an outline for the essay. Don't worry if you find that your ideas, argument or even your essay title require modification along the way: this is a natural and expected component of the research process. -  Full, critical engagement with the issues presented in primary and secondary source materials. Engagement is demonstrated by the effort to understand and internalize the issues through serious questioning and examination of the evidence. -  Quotations are not introduced and “left hanging”; rather, the ideas in them are examined critically and are integrated into the larger argument. Mastery of paraphrasing techniques is evident (with appropriate documentation). Plagiarism is a serious academic offence which can result in failure or suspension from the college. Avoiding plagiarism requires that you acknowledge, by means of citation, the words and ideas of others. Use quotations sparingly to highlight or illustrate a specific focus or point. Otherwise, use your own words. Develop your own ideas rather than paraphrasing those of others. On occasions when you do need to refer to the ideas of others, even if you choose not to use a direct quotation, you must provide a citation. Your essay must conform to accepted standards of academic style. References should follow a consistent and accepted format, as should the bibliography of sources which you must include at the end of the paper. For further details you may consult a style guide. -  Careful grounding of assumptions in a socio-historical context. Broad statements about a subject are particularized and sketchy generalizations avoided. -  Evidence of skill in analyzing, comparing and contrasting, integrating and synthesizing to express significant ideas in an original way. The writer is able to move back and forth between the concrete particulars of a question and its abstract significance in order to give full expression to her/his findings. Based on the above, the general criteria for letter grades will reflect the following: Besides the content, here’s what I will be looking for in your paper: 1. Does the introduction outline the basics of the argument?2. Does the paper progress in a logical and coherent manner?3. Do paragraphs have main ideas followed by explanation and supported with discussion and information?4. Are terms defined clearly and accurately?5. Are all borrowed ideas clearly referenced? An A essay: demonstrates the above skills and qualities to a high degree; is correctly written with few or no errors in grammar, spelling, diction, punctuation; uses a recognized scholarly form of documentation; shows knowledge of the conventions appropriate to the type of essay (argument, description, narrative, analysis, etc.); is written in a way that facilitates the reader’s engagement with the issues under discussion. A B essay: demonstrates some of the qualities listed above; is for the most part correctly and coherently written, but contains some errors in writing and scholarly form that obstruct the reader’s easy comprehension of the essay; is less sophisticated in its articulation of the core issues posed by the source materials; does not explain the issues as fully as a reader might require in order to understand them. A C essay: shows only intermittent evidence of the qualities and skills listed above; contains numerous errors in writing and documentation; may begin with a thesis or focus but is not able to sustain it consistently or coherently; requires substantial effort on the part of the reader to understand it. A D essay: lacks focus or argument; has not dealt with the assigned topic; contains a number of major writing errors (e.g. incomplete sentence, persistent misuse of words, unidiomatic phrases, paragraph fragments, etc.); lacks awareness of the conventions of essay writing or the uses of documentation; consistently fails to respond to the reader’s needs for clarity. COURSE POLICIES 1. Failure to submit the paper by the due date will result in 2% loss of the paper’s value for each day beyond the deadline. No paper will be accepted one week after the due date. Extensions are granted only in cases of personal or family conflicts, and not because of academic workload or conflicts. Students must retain a copy of the paper (in case of loss). Papers without footnotes and bibliography are NOT acceptable. You are required to use Chicago Style for citation of sources.2. Classroom discussion is an important part of this course. Students will be expected to share their ideas and opinions.3. Academic dishonesty like cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. It is the student's responsibility to read and understand the student disciplines in Langara. LECTURE SCHEDULE WEEK 1Introduction: organization of the course; themes; sources and data WEEK 2       Chinese world order since ancient times WEEK 3China’s early contacts with the world WEEK 4      China and the West       Discussion: John Fairbank’s article, “Tributary Trade and China’s Relations with the       West” WEEK 5The Jesuit missions in China WEEK 6China’s impacts on the West WEEK 7       Traders and diplomats  WEEK 8Wars with the West; treaty ports WEEK 9The Taiping rebellion and the Self-Strengthening Movement WEEK 10 Scramble for China; spheres of influence WEEK 11 Chinese responses and nationalism WEEK 12Chinese migration to the West WEEK 13 Evolution of Western perceptions of China