I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 2/8/13)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change or
renew existing gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
II. Mathematics
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III. Language
VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * IX: American & European
if requesting
IV: Expressive Arts
X: Indigenous & Global
more than one
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
education
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies w/ lab  w/out lab 
group
x
designation)
*Courses proposed for this designation must be standing requirements of
majors that qualify for exceptions to the modern and classical language
requirement
Dept/Program Modern and Classical Languages and
Course #
CHIN 211H
Literatures
Course Title
Chinese Culture and Civilization
Prerequisite
None
Credits 3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Tim Bradstock 243-2602
9-13
timothy.bradstock@mso.umt.edu
Profs. Ametsbichler and Montauban
(co-chairs)
Dean
Dean Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Renew x
Change
Remove
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
Description of change
IV. Description and purpose of the general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
Instructor
Phone / Email
Program Chair
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to Chinese civilization
and culture from ancient times to the present. No previous knowledge of China is expected. We
investigate a wide range of topics and areas, including the land and its peoples, society and
economy, governance and political institutions, literature, philosophies and spiritual beliefs, as
well as the history of China’s relations with other peoples and nations. The course also closely
examines China’s economic revival and evolution in recent decades, exploring the impact of
these changes upon Chinese society and the world at large and projecting how China’s rise (or
more correctly, return) to superpower status will affect students’ lives in the coming decades.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
Employing both a thematic and chronological
approach, this course teaches students how to
present ideas and information relating to
traditional and contemporary China, with a
view to understanding the causes, development,
and consequences of historical events. It
teaches students to evaluate Chinese written
sources and analyze human behavior, ideas, and
institutions within their historical and cultural
contexts. The course focuses not only on China
itself but also on its relations with other nations
and ethnicities on its periphery since early
times.
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
See below
Upon successful completion of this course,
students will:
 Be familiar with the salient features of
China’s physical environment (including
location, size, resources, climate, etc.)
and its human geography, recognizing
the role of these elements in China’s
evolution as a civilization and in its
relations with its neighbors
 Possess a solid foundational knowledge
of the principal historical developments
from early times to the present; be
familiar with the basic elements of
China’s social structure, economy,
governance, and institutions, modern and
pre-modern. Be able to identify key
continuities and contrasts between China
now and then, where these realms are
concerned.
 Have read, analyzed, discussed, and
written about selected major literary and
philosophical contributions from China’s
ancient and modern written traditions.
 Understand the core values and
principles of China’s main religions and
belief systems, including Confucianism,
Legalism, Buddhism, and Daoism, be
aware of how these ideas and values
have shaped (and been shaped by)
China’s historical development.
 Be knowledgeable about progress China
has made in the post-Mao reform era,
plus new challenges and China’s
responses. The implications of these
developments for China, its neighbors,
and the world will also be understood.
 Be conversant with current trends in
China’s international relations,
particularly with respect to the U.SChina relationship; understand the
legacy of the past in shaping China’s
contemporary relations with other
nations and peoples.
 Be more able to interact in a culturally
sensitive and constructive fashion with
Chinese people in social and professional
contexts.
VII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry
at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one
pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
Not applicable.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
See below
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.
The University of Montana
Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
CHIN 211H
Credits: 3
Spring 2014
MWF 10-11
Chinese Culture and Civilization: Course Syllabus
Instructor: Tim Bradstock, Professor of Chinese & Section Coordinator for Chinese
Office: LA 319 Phone and Email: 243-2602 timothy.bradstock@mso.umt.edu
Office Hours: M&F 12-1, Tue&Thu 11-1; no appointment needed. Also available at
other times by prior arrangement.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to Chinese
civilization and culture from ancient times to the present. There are no prerequisites; the
course is designed for students with little prior knowledge of China. We investigate a
wide range of topics and areas, including the land and its peoples, society and economy,
governance and political institutions, literature, philosophies, and spiritual beliefs, as well
as China’s relations with other peoples and nations. We also trace and analyze major
historical events and trends since early times, with particular emphasis on the last two
hundred years. As we move forward in time in the course, we will be looking for
continuities and discontinuities, and try to determine the ways in which China’s past has
shaped the China we see today. The course looks closely at the post-Mao economic
revolution, exploring the nature and impact of these changes upon Chinese society and
the world. One of our concerns will be with determining the impact of China’s recent
rise (or more correctly, return) to superpower status on students’ lives today and in the
future.
The usual class format will be lectures, but time will be set aside during each
session for general discussion and questions. Some of our meetings will be devoted
entirely to discussion and analysis of the assigned readings. I expect everyone to
participate and contribute, asking and answering questions and offering comments and
observations as we proceed. Do not hang back; the success of this course will in part
depend upon everyone becoming actively involved.
Besides our textbook, we will read and discuss numerous primary materials that
have been specially chosen for the rare and illuminating insights they provide into key
aspects of modern and traditional China. Some of these will be distributed to you; others
will be placed on Reserve at the Mansfield Library. Some will be quite short, perhaps just
a page or two long, but you will be expected to read them thoroughly and reflect upon
what you have read. With all the readings, be sure to make notes and highlight important
portions as you go along. Jot down ideas and questions as they occur to you. Taking an
active part in your learning in this way will be very helpful in preparing you for the midterm and the final exam and enabling you to get the maximum benefit from this course.
Attendance:
Attendance is taken at the start of every class, and it is in your best interests to be present
each time. Anyone absent five times will receive a failing grade for the course. Classes
begin at exactly ten minutes past the hour — I take a dim view of lateness, so please
make sure you are always on time. If before this class you have another class at some
distant part of the campus, making punctuality a problem, let me know. Unexcused late
arrivals may be counted as absences, especially if they become a pattern.
Written Requirements:
1. Five two-page response papers, based upon course readings: primary sources only,
not the textbook (20%). These will be announced periodically; there will be far more than
five topics, but you only need to select five. At least two must be turned in during the first
half of the semester, i.e. by the end of Week Seven., and at least two during the second
half of the course. No more than two may be done in the last four weeks of classes. All
must be turned in before exam week.
2. Three four-page essays on assigned topics. Grades for these will depend on quality of
ideas and written expression. (30%)
3. Mid-term exam (20%); in-class, and occupying the entire period.
4. Final exam (30%), covering the entire semester’s work.
Additional Points To Note:
1. If you are a student with a disability and wish to be granted reasonable
accommodations for this course, please contact your instructor privately to discuss the
specific accommodations you request. I may ask that you provide a letter from Disability
Services (located in Lommasson 154) verifying your rights in this regard. For more
information visit the DSS website at www.umt.edu/dss
2. University regulations strictly forbid giving exams prior to finals week, and no early
exams will be given under any circumstances. Please remember this when making any
travel plans, plane reservations, etc.
3. Auditors: Anyone auditing the class must formally enroll as an auditor.
4. You need to select the traditional grading option (giving you a letter grade) if you are
planning to have this course count toward fulfillment of the Chinese Minor and/or
General Education requirements. For both, you need the grade of C minus or better.
5. This course uses pluses and minuses in its grading. The lowest credit-receiving grade
is D minus, the highest possible final course grade is a straight A, not A+.
Expected Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
 Be conversant with the salient features of China’s physical environment
(including location, size, resources, climate, etc.) and its human geography,
recognizing the role played by these factors in China’s evolution as a nation and
as a civilization.
 Possess a solid foundational knowledge of the principal historical developments
in China from early times to the present day; be familiar with the basic elements
in China’s social structure, governance, and institutions, modern and pre-modern.
Be able to identify key continuities and contrasts between now and then where
these realms are concerned.
 Have read, analyzed, discussed and written about selected major literary and
philosophical contributions from China’s ancient and modern written traditions;
be aware of ways in which contemporary literary activity reflects and shapes
societal changes occurring in China today.
 Understand the core values and principles of China’s main religions and belief
systems, including Confucianism, Legalism, Buddhism, and Daoism; be aware of
how these ideas and values have shaped (and been shaped by) China’s historical
development.
 Be equipped to discuss intelligently the state of China’s economy, society, and
governance today; be aware of China’s successes and challenges as a developing
nation and their implications, both for China and for the world as a whole. Be
conversant with the progress China has made in the post-Mao reform era, plus
new challenges and China’s responses.
 Be conversant with current trends in China’s international relations, particularly
with respect to the U.S.-China relationship; understand the legacy of the past in
shaping China’s contemporary relations with other nations.
 Be better positioned to interact in a culturally sensitive and constructive fashion
with Chinese people in social and professional contexts.
Course Textbooks: Patricia B. Ebrey ed. Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook.
W.Scott Morton and Charlton M. Lewis, China: Its History and Culture (4th Edition).
Both are required and are available for purchase at the UC Bookstore
Additional required readings will be placed on Reserve (both electronic and traditional)
at the Mansfield Library, and various short photocopied items will be distributed to you
periodically.
Course Outline and Readings
A limited number of extra readings will be added to those listed below; subtractions from
the list may also be made. Items for which no source is indicated are mainly in Ebrey.
Others will be distributed to you, or are available on Reserve.
Week One: Introduction. Impressions, general themes, major issues relating to China, traditional
and contemporary. M&L Intro and Ch. 1. The origins of Chinese Civilization.
Week Two: The origins of Chinese Civilization cont’d: from Neolithic times through the Xia and
Shang periods down to the Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1100 B.C.) Readings: M&L Ch 2-3, plus
Ebrey selections from Shi Jing (The Book of Odes) and excerpt from Zuozhuan (The Zuo
Chronicles): The Battle Between Jin and Chu.
Week Three: Feudalism and its Decline during the The Eastern Zhou-Warring States periods
(ca. 700-200 B.C.) The emergence of the “Hundred Schools” of philosophy, including
Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. Readings: M&L Ch 4, plus: excerpts from the Confucian
Analects, Zhuangzi, and Han Feizi, and Jia Yi’s Daoist poem/tract “The Owl.”
Week Four: (A) The creation of a bureaucratic empire during the Qin and Han dynasties (ca.
250 B.C – A.D. 220). Buddhism and Alien Rule during the Age of Division (ca. 200-600).
Readings: M&L Ch. 5-6, plus: The Biography of assassin Jing Ke; Imperial Historian Sima
Qian’s essay on China’s Neighbors; Sima Xiangru’s Prose-poem “Shanglin Park.”
And: Proverbs about Heaven (selections); Local Cults; The Perfect Truth Sect; Tales of Ghosts
and Demons; Buddhist Doctrines; Book of Rewards and Punishments
Week Five: A Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty (618-907)
Readings: M&L Ch. 7. Plus “The Story of Ying-Ying,” selected poems by Tang poets Li Bo, Du
Fu, Wang Wei, and Bo Juyi; excerpt from the Tang Legal Code.
Week Six: The Song Dynasty. Readings: M&L Ch 8. Plus excerpt from Jacques Gernet on life
in the capital; Popular fiction: “Fifteen Strings of Cash”; Zhu Xi’s Essay on Ancestral Rites; Miu
Lineage’s Family Instructions; Women’s Virtues and Vices; Women and Problems They Create;
Widows Loyal Unto Death.
Week Seven: The Domestic Scene and External Challenges During Late Imperial China.
Readings: M&L Ch. 12; plus excerpt from novel “The Scholars, ” The Emperor’s Decree to the
Outer Barbarians, The Qianlong Emperor’s Letter to Queen Victoria, Feng Guifen’s essay on
Self-Strengthening.
Week Eight: In Search of a New China: Reform and Revolution, ca. 1900-1949. Readings:
M&L Ch. 13; plus “The Spirit of May 4,” Lu Xun’s “My Old Home,”; excerpt from Ba Jin novel
“The Family,” short story “Spring Silkworms,” and chapter from Edgar Snow’s “Red Star Over
China.”
Week Nine: The Communist Revolution and the People’s Republic of China: ca. 1949-65.
Readings: M&L Ch. 14. Plus socialist literature: “A New Young Man At The Organization
Center, ” “My First Superior,” and “Seven Matches.”
Week Ten: The Cultural Revolution and Its Aftermath: 1966-78.
Readings: M&L Ch. 15, plus: essay on model citizen Lei Feng, political reports and speeches;
Cultural Revolution eyewitness accounts; short story “Maple” (“scar” literature sample).
Week Eleven: GAIGE KAIFANG (“Reform and Opening Up.”) Deng Xiaoping and the
Reform Era: 1978-Mid-Nineties. Readings: M&L Ch. 16; plus stories “Kite Streamers,” “Black
Walls,” and “The Destination.” Excerpt from Schell’s “To Get Rich Is Glorious.”
Weeks Twelve through Fourteen: Progress and its Price: Society, Economy, Culture and
International Relations in early- 21st Century China. Readings: M&L Ch. 17 and 18. The
readings in this segment will be augmented by contemporary material, TBA, including fiction,
essays, magazine articles, and reports from Chinese and international news sources. Topics will
include: the rise of the market economy; population mobility and urban growth; family, marriage,
sexuality and the One-Child policy; changes and continuities in the status of women;
environmental issues; international relations and China’s growing role on the World Stage; SinoAmerican relations – current status and prospects; tensions among Chinese tradition, Western
influences, and Marxism-Leninism-Maoism in the reformulation of Chinese culture.
Retrospective: China in 1914 and in 2014. Looking ahead: Whither China? China and YOU in the
year 2024.