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Civil Society and Social Change in China (ASIA90014)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
The emergence of civil society and nongovernmental organizations in China reflects the rise of new social and political issues that have proven challenging for the Chinese state to address effectively. This subject examines the conditions under which certain ideas, organizational forms, and associational practices have taken hold as well as the ways they have been contested, transformed, and adapted. It explores various social problems – like the rise of gender inequality, labour rights, LGBT concerns, environmental problems, and others – that civil society organizations in China have sought to tackle and examines the broader context in which civil society actors work.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject should:
- Gain an understanding of the contours of social change in contemporary China
- Gain an understanding of social issues that arise from China’s rapid transition from a planned to a market economy and debates surrounding social change in China
- Gain an understanding of how civil society organizations have been shaped by and responded to larger political and socio-economic influences in China
- Have an ability to apply research skills and critical methods to an enquiry
- Develop skills in analytical comparison through detailed consideration of how Chinese civil society compares to ideal-typical civil societies elsewhere
- Gain an ability to evaluate information from print and online media covering contemporary China.
Students who successfully complete this subject should:
- Gain an understanding of the origins of social change in contemporary China
- Gain an understanding of social issues that arise from China’s rapid transition from a planned to a market economy and debates surrounding social change in China
- Have an ability to apply research skills and critical methods to an enquiry
- Develop skills in historical comparison through detailed consideration of how Chinese social life before the revolution, under socialism, and after market reforms compares and contrasts with social patterns in Western societies
- Gain an ability to evaluate information from print and online media covering contemporary China.
Generic skills
Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:
- apply research skills and critical methods to a field of enquiry
- demonstrate an ability to develop arguments and ideas effectively through seminar discussions
- apply their analytical skills to conflicting online and historical material
- show improvement in their writing skills through the final term paper.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Short research proposal paper on a specific research question
| Week 5 | 35% |
A long term paper summarizing the findings and conclusions from the research on the specific question posed on the first paper
| During the examination period | 65% |
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Anthony Spires Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total 24 contact hours: A 2-hour seminar per week taught over 12 weeks. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 Hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Required and supplementary readings will be made available online through the LMS website for the subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Specialisation (formal) Asian Studies - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022