1
GEOGRAPHY 3822
GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA
Fall 2011
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3822_f11/
Meeting Time: TR 12:30-1:45
Meeting Place: ATLAS 100
Instructor: Tim Oakes
Office: Guggenheim 201c
Phone: 303-492-5887
Office Hours: Thursdays 10:00 – 12:00
E-Mail: [email protected]
TA: Jennifer Dinaburg
Office: Guggenheim 314
Office Hours: TR 2:00-3:00
E-Mail: [email protected]
Course objectives
This course aims to provide an introduction to China’s diverse human geography. After
taking this course, you should be able to:
• account for China’s regional geography in terms of both environmental and
cultural diversity
• articulate geography’s role in different interpretations of the origins of Chinese
civilization and explanations for Chinese civilization’s remarkable historical
durability
• understand the various ways the Chinese state produces different spaces in order
to facilitate governance and social order in contemporary China
• and understand the different ways Chinese people create their own social spaces
as they go about their daily lives in contemporary China
Ultimately, our most significant objective with this course is to demonstrate the
usefulness of geography as a tool in dispelling many common myths about contemporary
China. While we do introduce some environmental and physical geography features
important to a basic Chinese geographical literacy, our focus is on the human and
cultural geographies of China. Please see the “Key Concepts and Themes” section of
this syllabus below for more information on the ideas around which this course is
organized.
Required texts
All readings are accessible via either Chinook or on e-reserve at http://libraries.colorado.edu/.
The password for e-reserve readings is ‘renwendili’ (that’s pinyin for ‘human geography’ in
Chinese).
Exams, assignments, late policies, requirements and expectations
Grade components
• There will be two non-cumulative exams and one final exam. Exams typically consist of
multiple-choice, definition, short-answer, and essay questions. The final exam is mostly
non-cumulative, but includes essay questions that ask you to recall material from the
entire semester.
• Two map quizzes on China’s provinces, key cities, and geographical features.
• News commentaries: Three news commentaries are due during the semester. A news
commentary includes a reprint of a news item (with full citation) and your own one
2
paragraph commentary on that news item. Your commentary should explicitly link the
news item with themes and topics discussed in class, and include your own view of why
the news is significant or important from a geographical perspective.
• Answers to three sets of reading questions. Reading questions for most of the readings
will be posted on the course web site one week prior to the date on which a particular
reading is discussed in class. You are required to write brief answers to and turn in any
three of these reading questions during the semester. Answers should be printed out and
turned in at the beginning of the class for which the relevant reading was due. You must
be present in class to submit your reading question answers. Because you are free to
choose which reading questions to turn in, no late answers will be accepted for any
reason.
• Two essays. See below for questions and guidelines.
The fine print…
• Missed exams, assignments, and late course work: See department and university policy
statements at the end of this syllabus. Exams missed with a valid excuse will be made up
at a later date with a different essay exam. A valid excuse must be approved prior to the
missed exam unless a medical emergency prevents you from coming to class on the day
of the exam. There will be no make-up for the final exam. The map quizzes may be
made up outside of class if missed with a valid excuse (again, approved prior to the quiz).
Late reading questions will not be accepted. Essays will be deducted one full grade for
each day they’re late. If you experience a temporary medical condition or injury that will
impact your ability to meet deadlines, attend class regularly, or take exams, please see
either the professor or TA as early as possible to work out a plan for completing the
course. If you anticipate missing exams, classes, or assignments due to religious
observances, you must inform the professor in writing no later than September 15th so
that alternative arrangements may be made.
• Attendance is required but does not figure into your grade. Lecture notes or ppt files will
not be posted.
• Use of laptops during class is allowed in the front third of the classroom only. This
policy will be enforced. Anyone caught using a laptop in the back of the class will be
sent to China on a one-way ticket with a suitcase full of the complete works of Liu
Xiaobo.
• Phones must be turned off. Anyone caught with a ringing phone in class will be sent to
China on a one-way ticket with a suitcase full of Falun Gong brochures.
• Late arrivals are tolerated; early departures are not. Anyone departing class early will be
forced to join a busload of tourists from China on a weeklong excursion through Florida’s
Disney and Harry Potter theme parks.
• Please refer to more fine print on the last page of the syllabus: Geography Department
Code of Conduct, Policy on Academic Honesty, Policy on Persons with Disabilities, etc.
etc.
Deadlines and Grading
News Commentaries
Reading Questions
Map Quizzes
Exams
Essays
Final Exam
3x 2.5% =
3x 2.5% =
2x 2.5% =
2x 15% =
2x 15% =
7.5%
7.5%
5%
30%
30%
20%
Due 9/27, 11/3, and 12/8
Due on the assigned reading day
9/8 and 10/11
9/29 and 11/8
Due 10/18 and 11/29
12/13
3
Outline of topics
Date
Topic
Introduction
Reading
8/23
Course syllabus
Course introduction, basic terms,
concepts, and language
Environment
8/25
China’s Population & History
8/30
9/1
China’s Environment I
China’s Environment II
http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/timeline.htm
Veeck, G. et al. 2011. Ancient roots and binding traditions.
In Veeck, G. et al. (eds.), China’s Geography:
Globalization and the Dynamics of Political, Economic, and
Social Change 2nd Edition (Lanham, MD: Rowman &
Littlefield), pp. 48-82. Available on Norlin e-reserves.
http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/geo/land.htm
Veeck, G. et al. 2011. China’s natural environments. In
Veeck, G. et al. (eds.), China’s Geography: Globalization
and the Dynamics of Political, Economic, and Social
Change 2nd Edition (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield),
pp. 16-47. Available on Norlin e-reserves
Regional China
9/6
North & South
9/8
Agriculture & Food
Map Quiz 1 – China’s
Environment
Native Place & Regional
Stereotypes
Minzu Classification & Ethnicity
9/13
9/15
9/20
The spatial approach to Chinese
history
9/22
The frontier – China from the
outside in
9/27
Discussion / Review / Clips from
“Shower”
News Commentary 1 Due
EXAM 1
9/29
Friedman, E. 2002. Symbols of southern identity: rivaling
unitary nationalism." In China Off Center: Mapping the
Margins of the Middle Kingdom. S. Blum and L. Jensen,
eds., (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press), pp. 31-44.
Available online via Chinook and on Norlin e-reserve.
Anderson, E.N. 1988. Regions and Locales. In The Food
of China (New Haven, Yale University Press), 159-186.
Available on Norlin e-reserve
http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/geo/people.htm
Blum, S. 2000. China’s many faces: ethnic, cultural, and
religious pluralism. In China Beyond the Headlines, eds. T.
Weston and L. Jensen (Lanham, MD: Rowman &
Littlefield), 69-95. Available on Norlin e-reserve.
Skinner, G. W. 1985. The structure of Chinese history.
Journal of Asian Studies 44(2): 271-292. Available online
via Chinook
Millward, J. 2011. The pipa: how a barbarian lute became
a national symbol. Danwei.com (10 June). Available
at http://www.danwei.com/the-pipa-how-a-barbarian-lutebecame-a-national-symbol/
Lawler, A. 2009. Beyond the Yellow River: how China
became China. Science 325 (21 August), pp. 930-943.
Available online via Chinook and on Norlin e-reserve.
State Space
10/4
Territorial Administration –
counties & provinces
Fitzgerald, J. 2002. The province in history. In Rethinking
China's Provinces, ed. J. Fitzgerald (London and New
York: Routledge): 11-39. Available on Norlin e-reserve.
4
10/6
Village 1 – Collectivization &
Communes
10/11
Household Registration (Hukou)
Map Quiz 2 – Cities and
Provinces
Village 2 – Rural Reforms
10/13
10/18
Village 3 – The New Socialist
Countryside
Essay 1 Due
10/20
Village 4 – Consumable Villages
10/25
City 1 – Walled Space
10/27
City 2 – Socialist Urbanization
& Industrialization
11/1
City 3 – Post-Socialist Urban
Transformations
11/3
Discussion / Review
News Commentary 2 Due
EXAM 2
Manufactured Landscapes
11/8
11/10
Howard, P. 1987. Communication, cooperation, and
conflict in the Mao era: a legacy of theory and practice. In
Breaking the Iron Rice Bowl: Prospects for Socialism in
China’s Countryside (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe), 17-44.
Available on Norlin e-reserve
Chan, KW. 2009. The Chinese Hukou System at 50.
Eurasian Geography and Economics 50(2): 197-221 –
available online via Chinook
Gao, M.B. 1999. Reforms since the late 1970s. In Gao
Village: Rural Life in Modern China (Honolulu: University
of Hawaii), pp. 171-199. Available on Norlin e-reserve.
Perry, E.J. 2011. From mass campaigns to managed
campaigns: ‘Constructing a New Socialist Countryside.’ In
Heilmann, S. and E.J. Perry (eds.), Mao’s Invisible Hand:
Political Foundations of Adaptive Governance in China
(Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press), pp. 30-61.
Available on Norlin e-reserve.
Bellocq, M. 2006. The cultural heritage industry in the
PRC: What memories are being passed on? China
Perspectives 67 (September-October), 22-32. Available on
Norlin e-reserve.
Bray, D. 2005. Walls and compounds. In Social Space and
Governance in Urban China: The danwei system from
origins to reform (Stanford: Stanford University Press), pp.
16-36. Available on Norlin e-reserve.
Naughton, B. 1995. Cities in the Chinese economic system:
changing roles and conditions for autonomy. In Urban
Spaces in Contemporary China: The Potential for
Autonomy and Community in Post-Mao China, eds. D. S.
Davis, R. Kraus, B. Naughton and E. J. Perry (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press): 61-89 – available on Norlin
e-reserve
Hsing, Y.T. 2010. The Great Urban Transformation:
Politics of Land and Property in China (Oxford: Oxford
University Press), pp. 1-19 and 33-59. Available on Norlin
e-reserve.
http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/index.html Go to
‘China’, under ‘Works’ in the left-hand links column.
Social Space
11/15
Mobility 1 – Labor Migration
11/17
Mobility 2 – Tourism and
Leisure Culture
Pun, N. 2006. Marching from the village: women’s
struggles between work and family. In Made in China:
Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace (Durham:
Duke University Press), pp. 49-75 – available on Norlin ereserve.
Klingberg, T. and T. Oakes. In Press. Producing
Exemplary Consumers: Tourism and Leisure Culture in
China’s Nation-Building Project. In L. Jensen and T.
Weston (eds.) China In and Beyond the Headlines
(Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield). Available on
Norlin e-reserve.
5
11/29
Middle Class Utopias - Gated
Suburbia
Essay 2 Due
12/1
People’s Parks – China’s Public
Space?
12/6
Sacred Space – Religious
Revival in China
12/8
Virtual Space – Behind the Great
Firewall
News Commentary 3 Due
12/13
FINAL EXAM 4:30 – 7:00 PM
Pow, C.P. 2009. Urban reform, the new middle class and
the emergence of gated communities in Shanghai. In Gated
Communities in China: Class, Privilege and the Moral
Politics of the Good Life (London & New York:
Routledge), pp. 34-52. Available on Norlin e-reserve.
Farquhar, J. 2009. The park pass: peopling and civilizing a
new old Beijing. Public Culture 21(3): 551-576. Available
online via Chinook.
Chau, A. Y. 2005. The politics of legitimation and the
revival of popular religion in Shaanbei, North-Central
China. Modern China 31(2): 236-278. Available online via
Chinook.
Merkel-Hess, K. and J. Wasserstrom. 2009. Digital
China: ten things worth knowing about the Chinese internet.
In Merkel-Hess, K. et al. (eds.), China in 2008: A Year of
Great Significance (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield),
pp. 228-230. Available on Norlin e-reserve.
China Digital Times’ “Grass-Mud Horse
Lexicon”: http://chinadigitaltimes.net/space/Introduction_to
_the_Grass-Mud_Horse_Lexicon
Essay Assignments
Essays should be roughly five pages in length, typed and double-spaced. Save paper by printing
on two sides. All ideas, terms, and quotes that are not your own should be thoroughly referenced
in the text (either parenthetically [author, date] or with footnotes/endnotes), with a bibliography
following the essay. Essay evaluation will be equally weighted between the content of the essay
and the essay’s presentation, including spelling, grammar, referencing, and clarity of writing.
You are encouraged to visit Jenn or myself whenever you want to discuss any aspect of these
assignments.
Essay #1 Due October 18th
One of the central themes of this course is the idea that there are “many Chinas” – that is, China’s
geography is so diverse that it is difficult to speak of a single Chinese culture and society. Yet,
China’s geography demonstrates remarkable continuities across all of that diversity.
Understanding China’s geography, therefore, seems to involve explaining both of these
contrasting facts – diversity and continuity – simultaneously. Discuss this ‘paradox’ of China’s
geography with reference to three examples from class discussion and/or readings.
Essay #2 Due November 29th
‘Space’ is a key feature in the organization and ordering of Chinese society. Discuss the ways
social ordering is pursued through the state’s organization of space with reference to three
examples from class discussion and/or readings.
Basic course terminology, concepts, and a quick lesson in Chinese language
LANGUAGE
For those unfamiliar with the Chinese language, recalling and pronouncing correctly the names of
places, people, and Chinese ideas, concepts, and institutions can be quite a challenge. While this
is not a language course, a basic familiarity with how Chinese works as a language will make
mastering course materials much easier. Here are a few very basic guidelines to keep in mind:
6
Characters
Each Chinese character is a single sound (one syllable), with an associated meaning or set of
meanings.
There are many different kinds of characters. Some are wen (simple characters) and some are zi
(compound characters). The character for “water” (水) is a wen in that it is a whole unit and
cannot be broken down into parts (even though it is made of several distinct strokes). The
character for “river” (河) is a zi: it has two separate parts on the right and left.
There are basically two types of compound characters. One is a huiyi or “logical aggregate” in
which the meaning of the character derives from the association of its parts. Thus, the character
for “bright” (明) consists of two parts meaning “sun” and “moon.” The character for “good” (好)
consists of two parts meaning “woman” and “child.” The character for “busy” (忙) consists of
two parts meaning “heart” and “death.”
The other, more common, kind of compound character is a xingsheng or “radical-phonetic”
compound. In these, one part of the character (the radical) indicates what the character’s meaning
might be, while the other part (the phonetic) indicates what the character might sound like. Thus,
the character for “river” (河) contains a left side radical meaning “water” and a right side
phonetic which, by itself, sounds like “kuh.” Similarly, the character for river is pronounced
“huh.”
As if all this weren’t complicated enough, there are also simplified and complex (traditional)
versions of many Chinese characters. Simplified characters were developed in the PRC to aid in
the literacy campaign after the 1949 Revolution. It was felt that making characters simpler would
make them easier to learn. There was even a time when the Chinese government under Mao
planned to do away with characters altogether and use only pinyin (see the “Romanization”
section below). Chinese communities outside of the PRC (including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and
most overseas communities) continue to use the non-simplified “traditional” forms, and since the
post-Mao reforms, complex traditional characters are being seen more and more often within the
PRC itself. Here’s an example of the difference between traditional and simplified in the
character ‘tai’ (meaning ‘very large’ or ‘excessively’):
traditional,
simplified. (This one makes you realize why PRC officials thought
simplification might aid literacy.)
Romanization
Since Chinese is not an alphabetic language, one of the most difficult challenges of learning
Chinese is remembering what each character sounds like. The phonetics provide some help, but
generally not much. “Romanization” is the process whereby the character’s sound is written with
the Roman alphabet. This both facilitates learning and makes it possible for non-Chinese
speakers to approximate the sounds of characters. The most commonly used Romanization
system today is Pinyin, developed in China. Pinyin is the official Romanization system for
Geography of China – you are expected to use it for all Chinese terminology.
There are, however, other systems out there, the most common (after pinyin) of which is WadeGiles. Below is a table comparing pinyin and Wade-Giles Romanizations for some common
Chinese characters:
7
Character (simplified)
十
百
千
东
南
西
北
中
大
小
天
地
河
江
湖
国
县
京
红
戈壁
pinyin
shi
bai
qian
dong
nan
xi
bei
zhong
da
xiao
tian
di
he
jiang
hu
guo
xian
jing
hong
gebi
Wade-Giles
shih
pai
ch’ien
tung
nan
hsi
pei
chung
ta
hsiao
tien
ti
ho
chiang
ho
kuo
hsien
ching
hung
gobi
English
ten
hundred
thousand
east
south
west
north
middle
big
small
heaven
earth
river
river
lake
country
county
capital
red
stone desert
Pronounciation
Here are just a few basics
Initials:
c
is like the ts in its
q
is like the ch in cheese
x
has no English equivalent, but is somewhere between sh and s
z
is like the ds in fads
j
is like the j in jug
zh
is also like the j in jug, but said with full lips!
Finals:
a
sounds like “ah”
e
sounds like the e in her
i
usually sounds like the i in ski, but sometimes sounds like “er”
o
sounds like the aw in law
u
sounds like the oo in ooze
ü
sounds like the German ü
Names of Places and People
Because the Wade-Giles system was more common before the establishment of the PRC, some of
China’s place names are familiar to us in their Wade-Giles versions. And some Chinese place
names are the result of other, more obscure Romanizations.
Yangtse is the Wade-Giles version of Yangzi (pinyin) which is actually the name of only one
small section of China’s longest river, which is more properly known in China as the Changjiang,
or “long river.” Peking is an old version of what should be Beijing. The Gobi desert should be
the Gebi desert, Mao Tsetung should be Mao Zedong. And Hong Kong should be Xianggang,
but this also raises the issue of different regional pronunciations, for Xianggang in Cantonese
pronunciation sounds much more like “Hong Kong” than Xianggang. So, it’s complicated.
8
Chinese names always put the surname first, followed by the given name. This is very important
to remember, for the purposes of your bibliographies. Chinese given names can be one or two
characters, while surnames are almost always a single character.
Chinese holidays during the 2011 Fall Semester
Teacher’s Day – September 10th
Mid-Autumn Festival – September 12th
National Day – October 1st
Double Ninth (Chung Yeung) – October 5th
Journalist’s Day – November 8th
KEY CONCEPTS AND THEMES
Basic Historical Periods – ancient (pre-Qin), early-imperial (Qin-Yuan), late-imperial (MingQing), Republican (1911-1949), Maoist (1949-1978), post-Mao or reform-era (1978-1992), postreform or contemporary (1992-present). These labels will be regularly used in lectures and
discussions to identify certain historical periods in China.
Basic Geography Concepts – space, scale, place, region, landscape. These serve as fundamental
concepts for the course. Their meaning will be discussed in various ways throughout the
semester.
Many Chinas – One focus of the course is China’s vast regional diversity. This diversity is
expressed both geographically and socially. Geographical expressions include large-scale
regionalisms (North and South, coast and interior, urban and rural, agricultural and pastoral),
provinces, and counties. Social expressions include religion, ethnicity, language, and even
occupation.
Central-Local Relations – A related theme to “many Chinas” is to consider the nature of
relationships across scale in China. How has nationalism, nation-building and the construction of
a modern national identity had to negotiate all the local and regional identities in China? How
does native-place identity contribute to and/or detract from national identity?
Urbanization – what has been the nature of urban development in this predominantly agricultural
and rural civilization? How has modern industrialization altered patterns of urbanization and
urban geography?
State socialism – several key institutions were established during the decades of “high socialism”
under Mao. These include: gongshe (people’s communes), hukou (household registration),
danwei (work unit). The post-Mao era of state-socialism also introduced key institutions such as
bao gan dao hu (household responsibility systems), and jingji tequ (special economic zones). We
consider the spatial implications of these institutions and the broader issue of the role of the state
in shaping the spatial aspects of Chinese culture, society, and political-economy.
Modernization, Globalization, and Cultural Change – change is a key focus throughout the
semester. Contemporary China is currently undergoing explosive change, but it is also important
to recognize change as an on-going condition throughout history. China’s cultural geography has
never been static.
9
Department of Geography Code of Conduct
In the Department of Geography, instructors strive to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and
respect in which learning, and intellectual growth can thrive. Creating this atmosphere, however,
requires that instructors and students work to achieve a classroom in which learning is not
disrupted. At the most basic level, this means that everyone attend class, be prepared with
readings and assignments completed, and that students pay attention. This means no
conversations with friends, reading the newspaper, coming late, or leaving early. Please refrain
from bringing your dog to class. Turn off all phones (do not switch to vibrate – turn it off).
Those using laptops are asked to exit all internet browsers – Please use word processing software
only.
These basics of classroom etiquette are an important means of building and showing mutual
respect. Inevitably, however, disagreements will arise. Sometimes these disagreements will be
about content, sometimes about grades or course procedures, and sometimes they will be about
the treatment of the participants in the class. In order to facilitate the resolution of these
disagreements, the following guidelines should be followed by everyone:
•
•
•
•
•
•
All interactions must be guided by mutual respect and trust.
If you are bothered by some aspect of the class, identify what it is that is bothering you and
center the discussion on that issue.
Address issues that concern you early. Problems are easier to resolve before they fester.
Consider whether it is best to address your concerns in class or in a separate appointment
with the instructor. Remember, behavior that disrupts your fellow classmates is not
acceptable.
Abusive speech or behavior will not be tolerated in any interaction between students or
between student and instructor. If an instructor feels that your speech or behavior is abusive,
you will be asked to leave the room. If you believe an instructor has become abusive, you
may leave the room and talk to the department chairperson. Debate and discussion can
continue after all parties can proceed with mutual respect.
If mutual respect cannot be restored, either you or the instructor may take the issue to the
department chairperson or the campus Ombuds Office.
Discrimination and harassment
The University of Colorado at Boulder Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures,
the University of Colorado Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures, and the University of
Colorado Conflict of Interest in Cases of Amorous Relationships policy apply to all students,
staff, and faculty. Any student, staff, or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of
sexual harassment or discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex,
age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of
Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Student Conduct (OSC)
at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies, and the campus
resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained
at http://www.colorado.edu/odh
Persons with disabilities
Any student eligible for and needing academic adjustments or accommodations because of a
disability is requested to speak with the professor no later than September 15th. This includes
chronic illnesses that may impair one’s normal academic abilities. For more information on the
University’s disability services see: http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices/
10
Temporary medical conditions
If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see guidelines at
http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices/go.cgi?select=temporary.html
Religious observances
Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal
reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with
scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. See full details
at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
Academic integrity
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to
the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating,
plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All
incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council
([email protected]; 303-735-2273). Please refer to the university’s policies on academic
integrity for definitions of cheating, plagiarism, and other breaches of academic
honesty: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/acadinteg.html. This document also details possible
sanctions and procedures for such breaches. Sanctions for breaches of academic honesty will
depend on the severity of the case and may range from a zero for the assignment concerned to
dismissal from the class.