Singapore Management University
Fall 2015
MW 3:30-6:45
Seminar Room
Prof. Andrew G. Walder
School of Social Science, Rm. 4050
Office Hours: Wednesday 1-3
[email protected]
(Revised 8 June 2015)
SOCG301 Special Topics in Sociology
Political Sociology and Chinese Politics
Aims of the Course: This is a course in political sociology and Chinese politics that has two aims.
The first is to introduce students to different sociological traditions in the analysis of political order
and political disorder, and in particular to the sociological analysis of rebellion and revolution. The
second is to apply these concepts to the analysis of the Chinese revolution and the subsequent course
of Chinese politics from 1949 to the upheaval of 1989. We will employ concepts from political
sociology to try to understand the unfolding of these events in China, which were frequently
tumultuous and dramatic.
Mid-term and Final exams: Both will be take-home exams, with the same format. There will be five
short identification items, each of which should be in paragraph form and no longer than 150 words.
There will also be two essay questions, requiring a maximum of 1000 (approx. 3-4 pages) each. The
exams must be submitted as two MS Word files, sent to the instructor via email
([email protected]). The mid-term exams are due September 10 at 5pm; the final exams are due
September 29 at noon. Late examinations will receive lower scores at the rate of 5 points (out of 100)
per 24 hours. The mid-term and final exams will carry equal weight for the final grade.
Accessibility and Accommodations: SMU strives to make learning experiences accessible for all. If
you experience or anticipate physical or academic barriers due to disability, please let me know
immediately. You are also welcome to contact the university's disability support team if you have
questions or concerns about academic accommodations: [email protected]. Please be aware that
the accessible tables in our seminar room should remain available for students who require them.
Readings: We will be reading most of the following book. Copies have been ordered at Booklink
and will be available on Library Reserve; other readings will be posted online.
Andrew G. Walder, China Under Mao: A Revolution Derailed (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 2015).
Portions of these documentary films will be viewed during class sessions:
China: A Century of Revolution, a three-part documentary film by Sue Williams. WGBH Boston and
Ambrica, 1997.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace, a documentary film by Carma Hinton and Richard Gordon. WGBH
Boston and Long Bow Group, 1997.
Schedule of Sessions, Readings, and Examinations.
Session 1. (August 17). POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY (1): FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL ORDER
Required reading:
Walder, “The Relevance of China’s Transformation to Contemporary Sociology.” Chinese
Sociological Review 44, 1 (Fall 2011), pp. 8-13.
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Session 2. (August 19). POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY (2): REBELLION AND REVOLUTION
Optional background reading:
Charles Tilly, From Mobilization to Revolution (Reading, Mass.: Addison Wesley, 1978).
Session 3 (August 24). THE CHINESE REVOLUTION, 1926-1949
Required reading:
Walder, China Under Mao, Chapters 1-3 (pp. 1-60).
Film Excerpt:
China: A Century of Revolution (Part 1, China in Revolution, 51 min.; 1:00-1:51).
Session 4 (August 26) THE CHINESE REVOLUTION, 1949-1956
Required reading:
Walder, China Under Mao, Chapters 4-5 (pp. 61-122).
Film Excerpt:
China: A Century of Revolution (Part 2, The Mao Years, 22 min.; 00:00-22:00)
Session 5 (August 31). THE HUNDRED FLOWERS AND ANTI-RIGHTIST CAMPAIGN, 1957
Required readings:
Walder, China Under Mao, Chapter 7 (pp. 123-151)
Session 6 (September 2). THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD, 1958-1960
Required readings:
Walder, China Under Mao, Chapter 8 (pp. 152-179)
Film Excerpt:
China: A Century of Revolution (Part 2, The Mao Years, 15 min., 22:00-37:00)
Midterm Exam Papers Due Thursday September 10 by 5pm.
Session 7 (September 7). THE RED GUARD MOVEMENT, 1966-67
Required readings:
Walder, China Under Mao, Chapters 9-10 (pp. 180-230)
Film Excerpts:
China: A Century of Revolution (Part 2, The Mao Years, (19 min.; 37:00-56:00).
Session 8 (September 9). REBELLION AND POWER SEIZURES, 1967-68
Required readings:
Walder, China Under Mao, Chapters 11-12 (pp. 231-286)
Film Excerpt:
China: A Century of Revolution (Part 2, The Mao Years, 18 min.; 56:00-1:14:00).
Session 9 (September 14). CONFLICT AND PROTEST, 1974-76
Required readings:
Walder, China Under Mao, Chapters 13-14 (pp. 287-344).
Film Excerpts:
China: A Century of Revolution (Part 3, Born Under the Red Flag, excerpts).
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Session 10 (September 16). DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS, 1978-1986
Required readings:
Brodsgaard, Kjeld Erik, “The Democracy Movement in China, 1979-1980: Opposition
Movements, Wallposter Campaigns, and Underground Journals.” Asian Survey 21
(July 1981), pp. 747-774.
David A. Kelly. “The Chinese Student Movement of December 1986 and its Intellectual
Antecedents.” Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs 17 (January 1987), pp. 127-142.
Film Excerpts:
China: A Century of Revolution (Part 3, Born Under the Red Flag, excerpts).
Session 11 (September 21). THE UPHEAVAL OF 1989
Required readings:
“Tiananmen Square 1989,” essays by Dittmer, Nathan, and Walder, in Problems of
Communism 38: 5 (Sept.-Oct. 1989): 1-40.
Film Excerpt:
The Gate of Heavenly Peace.
Session 12 (September 23). SUMMARY AND COURSE REVIEW
Film Excerpt:
The Gate of Heavenly Peace.
Final Exam Papers due Tuesday September 29 at Noon.
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