FYS 52 China in a Changing World: From the Opium Wars to Post-Mao Reforms
This course studies China's cultural, political and social development in a global setting from the early 19th century to the present. It delves briefly into China's historical background prior to its opening to the Western world forced by Britain in the Opium Wars (1839-42, 1856-60) before exploring the profound changes brought by globalization. Western influences in China, from Christianity to Marxism, will be examined with a focus on key events such as the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64), Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), Republican (Xinhai) Revolution (1911), May 4th Movement (1919), Communist Revolution (1921-49), the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-76), and China's recent rise as a global power. Students will gain a unique perspective from which to understand the consequences and impacts of globalization on our rapidly changing world.