CONTEMPORARY CHINESE SOCIETY

This course contributes to (a) strengthen students' understanding of social institutions in contemporary China; and (b) to enable students to conduct further, independent inquiry over social institutions, in China and beyond. In order to strengthen relevance and consistency of the course with the curriculum in 'Language and Management to China', this courses is framed upon theoretical concepts largely employed in the field of organization studies, and to a lesser extent sociology and political science.

Students are expected to (a) achieve a clear and in-depth understanding of major dynamics of social change between 1949 and the present day, relevant to individual values and beliefs, social norms, social rules, and political relations; and (b) to master key theoretical and conceptual tools employed in the course, with particular reference to institutional theory.

Compulsory requirements: regular enrollment in relevant MA programs/courses offered by Ca' Foscari University Venice.
Additional requirements: willingness to work in collaborative ways with fellow students. Attendance to classes recommended.

Classes will focus on four levels of social change: (a) individual beliefs and cognitive attitudes; (b) social norms; (c) structures (i.e., formal rules, policies); and (d) change in relations among humans and between humans and nature. The nexus among these different levels of social change will be explored by means of established theoretical and analytical frameworks, drawn from the social sciences.

Below you can find the references to volume and articles you should read (and a few words on why you should read them). We will touch upon only a limited part of contents included in the works by Spence and Rofel. This means you will not have to read the entire volumes, unless you wish to do so.

All materials will be made available by the first week of lesson, either in printed version (at the Department's library) or in digital version (through the moodle platform). I might add some more materials, depending on the feedbacks provided by you and your fellow students during the first couple of lessons.

To better understand institutional change and why it is related to management studies:

- Palthe, Jennifer (2014). "Regulative, Normative, and Cognitive Elements of Organizations: Implications for Managing Change".Management and Organizational Studies, 1 (2), 2014, 59-66.

To get a general understanding of how China has changed in the XX century (and to put this change into perspective):

- Spence, Jonathan (2013). The Search for Modern China - Third Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company, pp. 559-707.

To know more about the norms informing the pursue of modernity in post Mao's China.

- Greenhalgh, Susan (2005). Missile Science, Population Science: The Origins of China's One-Child Policy. The China Quarterly, 182, 253-276.

- Liu Yongmu 2016. "The Benefits of Technocracy in China", Issues in Science and Technology, XXXIII (1), online [OPTIONAL].

To understand the social dimension of desire, and the way it is intertwined with China's politics and economy.

-Rofel, Lisa (2007). Desiring China: Experiments in Neoliberalism, Sexuality, and Public Culture. Durham:Duke University Press

To learn about the conflicting nature of the human-nature relationship in China, and the way things are changing in recent years to readdress this strained relation.

- Shapiro, Judith (2001). "Mao's War Against Nature: Legacy and Lessons". Journal of East Asian Studies, 1, 2, Special Issue: Perspectives on Environmental Protection in Northeast Asia, 93-119.

- Brombal, Daniele e Moriggi, Angela (2017). " Institutional change in China’s sustainable urban development. A case study on urban renewal and water environmental management". China Perspectives, 1, 45-56.

To know more about the way(s) common people interact with those power, trying to influence decisions impacting on their lives.

- He Baogang, Warren, Mark E. 2010. "Authoritarian Deliberation: The Deliberative Turn in Chinese Political Development". Perspectives on Politics, 9 (2), 269-289.

- Mertha, Andrew (2009). "Fragmented Authoritarianism 2.0: Political Pluralization in the Chinese Policy Process". China Quarterly, 200, 995–1012.

READING LIST MAY BE FURTHER UPDATED WITH MINOR ADJUSTMENTS

Evaluation of students' proficiency will be carried out by the following means:
- Class group presentations, open to interaction with fellow students.
- Written exam.
Those who will not be able to take part in group presentations will be required to compose an individual essay.
Evaluation methods will be communicated during the first lesson.

- Frontal teaching;
- Collaborative conceptual mapping;
- Students' presentations and discussion, moderated by the teacher.

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development