POLITICS 211 Politics of China - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

An introduction to China's domestic politics, emphasising changes since 1978. The course explores topics such as political succession; the cadre system and political decision-making at the central, provincial, and local levels; economic development; popular religion and the state; NGOs and the non-state sector; nationalism and ethnic diversity; the role and relevance of ideological legacies; and institutional innovation and authoritarian survival.

Course Overview

With over 1.3 billion residents, China is the world’s largest country by population and home to the oldest continuous human civilization. It is the fastest growing national economy, the second largest producer of carbon emissions, the last major communist state, and accounts for more than half of all people living under authoritarian rule (about 55-60 percent). In addition to its significance for the world, China is also of pivotal importance to political scientists. Its rapid economic growth, the apparent resilience of its vanguard party, newly emerging patterns of governance, and sometimes violent forms of social mobilization have transformed China into a rich laboratory for the study of politics, one in which many long-standing theories are now being re-evaluated.

This 15 point course is designed to introduce students to the central issues, institutions, and actors in contemporary Chinese politics. Its main goal, however, is to enhance understandings of basic political science concepts and approaches, and to furnish an opportunity for students to build their analytical and writing skills, providing a foundation for more advanced studies. Students who have previously taken Politics 106, Asian 100, or Chinese 130 are qualified to enroll.

The course comprises a series of 12 2-hour lectures, one per week over a 12-week term. These lectures are supplemented by a weekly tutorial session at which the Lecturer will lead discussions and skill-building activities related to course readings, as well as offer guidance on essay and test writing strategies. Each student is expected to write a midterm test, a critical review essay and a final exam, as well as attend and participate in all lectures and tutorial discussions. Recordings of the lectures will be made available, but these are not meant to be a substitute for meaningful participation in the course.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage I in Politics and International Relations, or POLITICS 106 and ASIAN 100, or CHINESE 130 and ASIAN 100

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Be able to critically discuss complex problems or questions in the study of Chinese politics (Capability 1.3 and 5.2)
Demonstrate an understanding of of how knowledge claims are built and accumulate (Capability 2.1)
Communicate complex and original arguments in professional English (Capability 4.2)
Demonstrate familiarity with the ways theory is informed by social, cultural, historical, or political experiences in China. (Capability 6.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
midterm test	25%	Individual Test
review essay	40%	Individual Coursework
Final Exam	35%	Individual Examination
3 types	100%

Next offered

S1 2021

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 4 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events including group discussions/tutorials as circumstances dictate.
Attendance on campus is not required for the final exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

POLITICS 211 : Politics of China

Arts

2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)