Universität Wien

150077 SE An anatomy of the Chinese Communist Party (2023S)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 15 - Ostasienwissenschaften
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

The course starts on March 1.
Introductory lecture sessions and preparatory discussion sessions will be held through March to May in regular hours.
The oral exam takes place on June 3-4, Sat.-Sun., 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00.
No class meeting will be held after June 4.
Deadline for the seminar paper submission is August 10, 2023.

  • Wednesday 01.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 08.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 15.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 22.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 29.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 19.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 26.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 03.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 10.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 17.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 24.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 31.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 07.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 14.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 21.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05
  • Wednesday 28.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Seminarraum Ostasienwissenschaften 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2I-O1-05

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Goals and main contents

The Chinese Communist Party is a unique political organization. It supersedes any other political party in any other country, including communist parties elsewhere, in terms of its size, power as well as durability. Its remarkable success in sustaining its monopolistic rule has in many aspects attributable to the institutional design and the mechanisms through which it operates. Given the Party’s extensive reach in the Chinese state and society, it is essential for any student of contemporary Chinese studies to build a good knowledge base about how the Chinese Communist Party operates as an institution.

This seminar course will provide its participants with the resources, guidance and the forum to establish a structured understanding of the most essential issues concerning the operation of the Chinese Communist Party. The course will also guide the participants to conduct semi-independent research on subjects of interest and to present the research output in both oral and written forms.

Course format

The course consists of four introductory sessions, which include one orientation session, two sessions on the thematic topics regarding the operation of the Chinese Communist Party and one session on the writing of essays of Chinese studies.

Preparatory discussion sessions will also be held to help participants to develop their research question and plan.

The oral exam takes place on June 3 and 4.

Information on the lecturer can be found at https://bit.ly/3YBytqa

Assessment and permitted materials

The main student responsibility for this course is to conduct guided semi-independent research and present the research results in both oral and written forms. Discussion sessions will be held to help participants in their preparation for the research.
The oral presentation will take place at the end of the course. Depending on the size of the class, each presentation should take 20-30 minutes.
The seminar paper should be 3,500 words, excluding abstract and bibliography.
Participants’ performance will be assessed in three respects:
Oral presentation 30%
Seminar paper 50%
Class participation 20%

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Your attendance at each class meeting is mandatory. Absence is allowed only for approved medical reasons. Unapproved absence will lead to a penalty of your final score. Absence for the third time (including both approved and unapproved absence) will disqualify you for the evaluation of the course.
More detailed assessment criteria on performance will be posted on Moodle.

Your performance will be assessed in the following aspects.
Contribution to class activities: 20%
Oral presentation: 30%
Seminar paper: 50%
Grade conversion table
Score 100-90 Grade 1
Score 89-80 Grade 2
Score 79-70 Grade 3
Score 69-60 Grade 4
Score 59-0 Grade 5

Examination topics

Participants can choose their own topics as long as the topics accord with the general objective of the course.

Reading list

Brodsgaard, Kjeld Erik. Critical Readings on the Communist Party of China (4 Vols. Set). [in English] Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2016.
Saich, Tony. From Rebel to Ruler. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2021. (ebook available)
Dickson, B. J. (2021). The Party and the People. Princeton, Princeton University Press.
Fewsmith, J. (2021). Rethinking Chinese Politics. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Shambaugh, D. L. (2021). China’s leaders: from Mao to now. Cambridge Medford, MA, Polity.
Pieke, F. N. and B. Hofman, Eds. (2022). CPC Futures: The new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Signapore, NUS Press.
Torigian, J. (2022). Prestige, Manipulation, and Coercion, Yale University Press.
Shih, V. C. (2022). Coalitions of the Weak. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Fairbank, J., & Feuerwerker, A. (Eds.). The Cambridge History of China (The Cambridge History of China). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Vol. 12-13 (ebook available)
MacFarquhar, R., & Fairbank, J. (Eds.). (1987). The Cambridge History of China (The Cambridge History of China). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Vol. 14-15 (ebook available)
Wasserstrom, Jeffrey N. The Oxford Illustrated History of Modern China. First ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2016. (hardcopy available in the library)
Oxford bibliographies The Chinese Communist Party
Reference materials on the essay writing
On writing an essay
Radich, M. A student's guide to writing in East Asian Studies. Harvard University.
If you can think, speak & write you're absolutely deadly | Jordan Peterson | Writing Essays (8 minutes)
On essay questions:
Rudolph, J. (2018). The China Questions, Harvard University Press.

Association in the course directory

SE PR

Last modified: Tu 14.03.2023 11:29