Module Catalogue 2026/27

Pre Requisite Comment

Open to final year Politics students

Co Requisite Comment

Can be taken with Level C or Level D

Aims

In consonance with the overall aims and objectives of the degree programme:

1) To develop an understanding of competing nationalist and ethno-nationalist discourses in Republican (1911-1949), Maoist (1949-1978), Reform-era (1978-2012) and Post-Reform (2012 - ) China;

2) To foster awareness of how popular nationalism is channelled by the state as a means to promote national unification, and of how popular nationalism may also undermine the state;

3) To develop an appreciation of the relative construction of the Han majority identity vis-a-vis the minority nationality identities;

4) To build knowledge of the historical and contemporary origins of Uyghur and Tibetan ethno-nationalisms, and to explore ways in which minority nationalities construct and express alternative identities to those imposed by the state / the Han majority.

5) To develop an understanding of competing pro-independence and pro-(re)unification aspirations in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

In this module, you will take an analytical approach to the study of nation, nationalism, ethnicity, and peripheral (in)stability in contemporary China.

Outline Of Syllabus

Module Talk (Introduction)

Topic 1. The May Fourth Movement, 1919 / New Culture Movement
Topic 2. Competing Discourses of Nationalism in Republican China (1912-49) - Guomindang (GMD, Chinese Nationalist Party) vs. Gongchandang (CCP, Chinese Communist Party)
Topic 3. ‘Anti-Traditionalism’, ‘Nativism’ and ‘Pragmatic Nationalism’ from the Maoist Era (1949-78) to the Reform Era (1978 - present)
Topic 4. ‘Patriotic Education’ and Emotive Popular Nationalism following the 1989 Tian’anmen Incident
Topic 5. State and Media Representations of the Han Majority and Minority Nationalities (Ethnic Minorities) in China
Topic 6. Origins of Uyghur and Tibetan Ethno-Nationalisms
Topic 7. Ethnic Stereotypes (and Counter-Stereotypes)

Essay planning workshop

Topic 8. The Evolution of Taiwanese National Identity (incl. 2014 Sunflower Movement)
Topic 9. The Hong Kong Protests 2014-20 and the HK Independence Movement
Topic 10. Chinese Nationalism and the World: The Authoritarian Turn
Topic 11. The Post-2017 “De-Extremification” and Mass Internment Campaign in Xinjiang.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

1) An understanding of competing nationalist and ethno-nationalist discourses in Republican (1911-1949), Maoist (1949-1978) and Reform-era (1978-2012) and Post-Reform (2012- ) China;

2) An awareness of how popular nationalism is channelled by the state to promote national unification, and of how popular nationalism may also undermine the state;

3) An appreciation of the relative construction of the Han majority identity vis-a-vis the minority nationality identities;

4) Knowledge of the origins of Uyghur and Tibetan ethno-nationalisms, and of the ways in which minority nationalities construct and express alternative identities to those imposed by the state / the Han majority;

5) An understanding of competing pro-independence and pro-(re)unification aspirations in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Intended Skill Outcomes

1) The ability to analyse competing nationalist and ethno-nationalist discourses in Republican (1911-1949), Maoist (1949-1978) and Reform-era (1978-2012) and Post-Reform (2012 - ) China;

2) The ability to analyse how popular nationalism is channelled by the state to promote national unification, and of how popular nationalism may also undermine the state;

3) The ability to interpret relative constructions of the Han majority identity vis-a-vis the minority nationality identities;

4) The ability to identify the origins of Uyghur and Tibetan ethno-nationalisms, and to analyse the ways in which minority nationalities construct and express alternative identities to those imposed by the state / the Han majority;

5) The ability to interpret competing pro-independence and pro-(re)unification aspirations in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Pre-reading, in the form of short, online blog pieces written by China scholars and experts, and/or viewing of short podcasts and videos, stimulate students’ initial interest in each lecture topic.

Lectures (with Powerpoints) introduce students to competing discourses of nation in Republican, Maoist and contemporary China; to relative (majority-minority) configurations of Han and minority ethnic identities in official and popular discourses; and to the origins, constructions and expressions of alternative, peripheral identity movements in Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and related centre-periphery conflicts.

An in-person Essay planning workshop counsels students on how to research material, critically analyse sources, and plan, structure and present their arguments.

The first small-group, in-person seminar encourages students to further explore the lecture themes through research, reading and discourse analysis, focused on selected texts and audiovisual media (images and videos) related to the 11 lecture topics. Research and reading can be conducted independently or in small groups with student peers, in order to foster both individual initiative and teamwork.

The second seminar slot will be dedicated to individual, paired, or small-group oral presentations, as per the assessment schedule. Whether presentations are given by individuals, pairs or groups will depend upon the total student number.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The module will be assessed by:

- A 15-minute Individual Oral Presentation (30%), on a self-chosen sub-topic related to any one of Module Topics 1-6. Presentations will take place across Teaching Weeks 7-11. Students will conduct research and design a 15-minute presentation to demonstrate their knowledge of taught aspects of nation, nationalism, ethnicity and peripheral (in)stability in contemporary China, as well as the ability to critically analyse social and political themes. They will also demonstrate their oral presentation skills.

- A Written Examination (120 minutes) comprising 2 x Critical Commentaries of 1200 words each (70%), on two source texts chosen from among six options, each reflecting a different lecture topic or combination of topics chosen from among Lecture Topics 7-11. Students will analyse and discuss core themes relating to the topic – or combination of lecture topics – covered in each source text. This exercise encourages independent critical thinking and rapid processing of different types of document, including those from government, NGO, media and academic sources.

General Notes

N/A