ENROLL

Lin Deng

The structure and function of writing systems, with emphasis on a comparison of East Asian writing systems (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) to Western alphabetic systems. Topics covered include classification of writing systems, historical development, diffusion and borrowing of writing systems, and comparison with non-writing symbol systems.

Denise M Hare

In the course of a few decades, China has launched itself from a poor country to a rising world power, at the same time substantially improving living standards and dramatically transforming its production base. What steps did China take to bring about these changes? We will examine China’s domestic economic reforms and development, considering the goals and impacts of various policy measures, along with on-going challenges. Topics to be considered include population, labor, income inequality, land, food production, industry, foreign relations, credit and financial markets, and the environment. While China will be our central focus, students will have some opportunities to compare and contrast with other country experiences.

Prerequisite: Eonomics 110 and 111

Summer N Forester

Huan Gao

This course examines the political, social, and economic transformation of China over the past century. Though contemporary issues are at the heart of the course, students will delve into an entire century of changes and upheaval to understand the roots of current affairs in China. Particular emphasis will be placed on state-building and how this has changed state-society relations at the grassroots. Students will also explore how the Chinese Communist Party has survived and even thrived while many other Communist regimes have fallen and assess the relationship between economic development and democratization.