FSHIS 201 Students and Social Protest in Modern China
Fall 2008
Professor: Guo Wu
MWF 9:00-9:50
Office hours: M W F 10:00-11:00
TTH: 1:30-3:00
Phone: 814-332-4307
Email: gwu@allegheny.edu
This course examines Chinese student movements from the 1900s to the 1980s and its impact on
society. Among the topics to be considered will be the students’ role in China’s transition from an
old civilization to modernity, Chinese political culture, state-society relations, partisan politics and
students, and the strategies employed by the students. Upon completing this course, students will
understand the significance of student activism in modern China, have an idea about the
scholarship and learn how to use primary sources, and the multiple interpretations of historical
events.
Required Reading:
Timothy B. Weston, The Power of Position: Beijing University, Intellectuals, and Chinese Political
Culture, 1898-1929 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004)
Vera Schwarcz, The Chinese Enlightenment: Intellectuals and the Legacy of the May Fourth
Movement of 1919 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986 )
Liang Heng and Judith Shapiro, Son of the Revolution (Vintage, 1984)
Gao Yuan, Born Red: A Chronicle of the Cultural Revolution (Stanford: Stanford University Press,
1987)
Han Minzhu, Cries for Democracy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1990)
Craig Calhoun, Neither Gods Nor Emperors: Students and the Struggle for Democracy in China
(Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997)
Books on Library Course Reserve:
Chow Tse-tsung, The May Fourth Movement: Intellectual Revolution in China (Stanford: Stanford
University Press, 1960)
Andrew J. Nathan and Perry Link, The Tiananmen Papers (New York: Public Affairs, c2001)
Todd Gitlin, The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage (Toronto ; New York : Bantam Books,1987)
Kenneth Keniston, Young Radicals; Notes on Committed Youth (New York, Harcourt, Brace &
World,1968)
Course Requirements:
Goals: The object of the course is to enable you to develop your skills in both oral and written
communication, as well as to grasp the skill of analyzing primary sources in historical studies.
Class attendance is required and participation is essential. You will be graded on the frequency
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and quality of your contribution to discussions and debates. There will be no examinations in this
course. Instead, you are required to write 2 reading responses, 1 analytical paper and one final
project which will be a research paper based on primary sources.
Class Participation: Attendance is an essential part of class participation, which will be counted
towards your final grade. All absences should have official memo or legitimate excuse. Over three
times of unauthorized absences will automatically lead to deduction of your grade. Students should
come to class prepared to discuss the readings and issues, and feel free to pose questions and
answer questions in class.
"Research Practices Survey" One of your required assignments for the semester will be taking a
20-minute web- based survey about research methods and practices. These surveys should help
the faculty understand how students implement the research skills cultivated in sections of FS201,
among other courses. You will need to take this survey twice, once at the beginning of the
semester and once at the end.
Week 1 August 29: Introduction
Part 1 Age of Nationalism
Week 2 September 1,3,5
Read: Weston, The Power of Position 1-77
Discussion: Late Qing/ Early Republican Student Activism
Week 3 September 8,10,12
Read: Weston, The Power of Position 78-181
Discussion: The Old Culture and the New
Week 4 September 15,17,19
Read: Weston, The Power of Position 182-253
Discussion: The May Fourth Movement and After
Week 5 September 22,24,26
Read: Schwarcz, The Chinese Enlightenment 1-144
Discussion: Document Analysis and Oral Presentation
Reading Response due on 9/26
Week 6 September 29-October 1,3
Read: Schwarcz, The Chinese Enlightenment 145-302
Discussion: Chinese Students and Revolution
Part 2 Age of Revolution
Week 7 October 6,8,10
Read: Gao, Born Red 1--143
Discussion: Students Experience in PRC
Reading Response due on 11/10
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Week 8 October 15,17
Read: Gao, Born Red 143—353
Discussion: Mao and the Red Guards
Week 9 October 20,22,24
Read: Liang and Shapiro, Son of the Revolution chapter1-10
Film: Morning Sun
Week 10 October 27,29,31
Read: Liang and Shapiro, Son of the Revolution chapter 11-21
Discussion: Cultural Revolution Image Analysis and Presentation
Part 3 Cry for Democracy
Week 11 November 3,5,7
Read: Calhoun, Neither Gods Nor Emperors Introduction and Part One
Discussion: Student Culture in the 1980s
Analytical Paper due on 11/17
Week 12 November 10,12, 14
Read: Calhoun, Neither Gods Nor Emperors Part Two and Conclusion
Discussion: 1989 Student Movement
Week 13 November 17,19,21
Read: Han, Cries for Democracy 1-128
Film: The Gate of Heavenly Peace Part 1
Discussion: Student Ideology
Week 14 November 24
Read: Han, Cries for Democracy 131-252
Film: The Gate of Heavenly Peace Part 2
Discussion: Student Strategy and government response
Week 15 December 1,3, 5
Read: Han, Cries for Democracy 281-385
Discussion: What does the film and documentary tell us
Student and the Society
Week 16 December 8,10
Presentation of Final Project
December 13
Collection of Final Project by 12:00pm
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