Universität Wien

150114 SE Citizen encounters with the Chinese Social Credit System (2022S)

15.00 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

Friday 25.03.2022, 15-16:30 is not mandatory.

  • Friday 04.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 18.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 25.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 25.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal A UniCampus Zugang Hof 2 2F-EG-32
  • Friday 01.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 08.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 29.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 06.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 13.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 20.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 27.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 03.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 10.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 17.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18
  • Friday 24.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum Sinologie 2 UniCampus Hof 2 2F-O1-18

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The Chinese Social Credit System (社会信用体系 SCS) is a scheme to collect information from commercial, legal and social spheres; integrate this data into a centralised platform; and establish reputations to steer the behaviour of individuals and organisations through incentives and sanctions. It is a novel form of governance that, in this form, has never been attempted before.

International discourses paint the SCS as a dystopian surveillance tool. Existing research, however, has found numerous indications that the SCS is very popular among the Chinese public. How can we make sense of this divergence? Has the SCS been misunderstood by international discourses? Has the Chinese propaganda system concealed concerning features of the SCS? Does the Chinese public have a preference for state surveillance, or are other features of the SCS more important for citizens? How is the SCS being encountered and reflected upon by Chinese citizens?

This course seeks to examine these questions. Based upon the current state of academic research on the SCS and its socio-political background, students will be led towards relevant discourses in Chinese social media, news media, scholarly journals or other formats. Students will learn how to formulate theoretically informed research questions; collect and organize original evidence that can answer them; and analyse the materials with an appropriate research design.

Assessment and permitted materials

Participation and attendance 15 %
Presentations 20 %
Research proposal 15 %
Term paper 50 %

Grading scheme
Points Grade
100-91 1
90 - 76 2
75 - 61 3
60 - 51 4
50 - 0 5

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The final grade will be computed according to the relative weight of the subgrades. To pass the course, you have to reach more than 50 points in the final grade, attend the minimum required number of sessions, give up to three presentations and submit both written assignments.

Examination topics

Reading list

Creemers, Rogier. 2018. “China’s Social Credit System: An Evolving Practice of Control.” SSRN Scholarly Paper ID 3175792. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network. https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3175792.
Dai, Xin. 2018. “Toward a Reputation State: The Social Credit System Project of China.” SSRN Scholarly Paper. Rochester, NY. https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3193577.
Daum, Jeremy. 2021. “Far From a Panopticon, Social Credit Focuses on Legal Violations.” Jamestown Foundation. https://jamestown.org/program/far-from-a-panopticon-social-credit-focuses-on-legal-violations/.
Kostka, Genia. 2019. “China’s Social Credit Systems and Public Opinion: Explaining High Levels of Approval.” New Media & Society, February, 1461444819826402. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819826402.
Liang, Fan, Vishnupriya Das, Nadiya Kostyuk, and Muzammil M. Hussain. 2018. “Constructing a Data-Driven Society: China’s Social Credit System as a State Surveillance Infrastructure.” Policy & Internet 10 (4): 415–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.183.
Tsai, Wen-Hsuan, Hsin-Hsien Wang, and Ruihua Lin. 2021. “Hobbling Big Brother: Top-Level Design and Local Discretion in China’s Social Credit System.” The China Journal 86 (July): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1086/714492.

Association in the course directory

GG/LK/PR 423

Last modified: Tu 14.01.2025 00:16