This seminar begins with the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, marking the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) first significant victory under Mao's leadership after years of the Chinese Civil War. The course examines the CCP's consolidation of power, the establishment of a Soviet-style socialist economy, and the ensuing political and economic challenges—such as industrial depression, rural famines, and the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution—that characterized Maoist China. The final session will reflect on the transformations of the post-Mao reform era, addressing both the continuities and discontinuities of Mao's legacy.
Drawing on recent historiography, students will engage with primary sources and novel methodologies to analyze propaganda, political violence, censorship, and everyday life in Mao's China. Through discussions and debates on political, social, and gender history, students will deepen their understanding of a period whose legacy still influences contemporary Chinese society. By the end of the course, students will have developed a critical understanding of Maoist China, achieved proficiency in analyzing primary sources, and gained enhanced skills in writing and presentation.
Yuqing QIU
Séminaire
English
Spring 2024-2025
Critical analysis of a piece of primary source (55%)
Group presentation on a chosen topic (30%)
Class participation (15%)
Manning, Kimberley Ens, and Felix Wemheuer. 2014. Eating Bitterness: New Perspectives on China's Great Leap Forward and Famine. Vancouver: UBC Press. (Chapter 4-6).
Wemheuer, Felix. 2019. A Social History of Maoist China: Conflict and Change,1949-1976. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 1-2).
MacFarquhar, Roderick, Fairbank, John King. 2008. The Emergence of Revolutionary China 1949-1965. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 6 and Chapter 11).