First Year Seminar on the Economy of China
| Economics 100 | Fall 2006 | Monday & Wednesday 1:15-2:30 PM in Skinner 102 |
| Course Description |
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Dr.
Satya J. Gabriel
Professor of Economics |
| Course Calendar | e-mail: sgabriel@mtholyoke.edu | |
| Course Objectives |
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FAX: 413-538-2323 |
| Course Forum |
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Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday from 3-5 |
| Debates and Speeches |
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Course Description:
This is a first year seminar course on the economy of the People's Republic of China. As with all first year seminars, this one is designed to give students an opportunity to participate in an intense study and discussion environment. As a "speaking intensive" course, this seminar will focus even more than usual on developing the ability of students to engage in debate and argumentation.
In order to understand the political economy of China, it is necessary to understand the complexity of Marxian theories. Thus, the course will begin with a discussion of three variant forms of Marxian theory, two of which have played a particularly important role in the political economy of China, and, more specifically, in the struggles over public policy within the Communist Party of China (CPC). This understanding of the internecine struggles over Marxian theory within the CPC will form the basis for our analysis of public policy shifts that would ultimately lead to the current period. In our analysis of the current period, we will make further use of this understanding of Marxian theory to critique the notion of "socialism with Chinese characteristics," which serves as the rationale for "the vanguard role" of the CPC (and related one-party rule).
Text: Gabriel, Chinese Capitalism and the Modernist
Vision is available through the Odyssey Book
Shop. (Please note that this text has sold out in its first print run and the second print run will not occur until November 2006, so there are
a limited number of copies available to Odyssey.) We will also make use of online essays.
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| Sept. 8 | Course
introduction, assignments, & clarifications |
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| Sept. 11-20 | Read Chapter 1 of Chinese Capitalism and the Modernist Vision and "Capitalism, Socialism, and the 1949 Chinese Revolution: What Was the Cold War All About?," Essay No. 1 of China Essay Series | |
| Great Debate Part I: Modernist Marxism versus Maoist Marxism | ||
| Oct. 2-11 | Two teams will debate on each of these days. The debate questions will be posted to this website one week prior to the scheduled debates. | |
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Read chapter 2 of Chinese Capitalism and the Modernist Vision
Additional Readings TBA |
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| Oct. 11-18 | Read chapter 3 of Chinese Capitalism and the Modernist Vision "Real Tigers and Paper Tigers: Feudalism, Self-employment, and the 1949 Chinese Revolution," Essay No. 2, China Essay Series (online). | |
| Great Debate Part II: What Class Process is Appropriate for China's Development? | ||
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| Oct. 23-Nov. 1 | Read Chapter 4 of the text and other readings will be either
posted on the course page or emailed to you. |
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| Role Play Part I: Wal-Mart Enters Negotiations with Township Officials | ||
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| Nov. 8-Nov. 23 | Read Chapter 5 of the text and other readings will be either
posted on the course page or emailed to you. |
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| Role Play Part II: Liaoning Steel Goes Public | ||
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| Nov. 29-Last Class | Read Chapter 8 of the text. |
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| Great Debate Part III: China will Become the Dominant Super Power in Our Lifetime | ||
Click Here to Submit Evaluation of Student Presentation
Learning Objectives:
This is a seminar course in which each student is expected to actively participate. The primary objective is to enhance the student's ability to
understand and critique the variant forms of political economic theories that have shaped post-revolutionary Chinese society and to be able to describe
and, to an extent, analyze the political, cultural, economic, and environmental processes shaping the contemporary Chinese social formation.
Each student is responsible for active participation in debates, as a member of a debate team, and in the formulation of speeches related to the
theoretical and empirical subject matter of this course.
Library
of Congress Country Studies: China
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© 2006, Satya Gabriel, Economics Department, Mount Holyoke
College