Course syllabus

SEMESTER 2, 2017
Course Information

Overview

This course uses the life and legacy of Mao Zedong (1893-1976) as a way to navigate China’s tumultuous history from the end of the Nineteenth Century to the end of the Twentieth Century. Mao is generally acknowledged as a towering figure in Chinese history whose personality and ideology continue to influence national and world politics today.

And yet a careful study of China’s twentieth century history reveals the limits, as well as the extent, of the influence of a “revolutionary” such as Mao Zedong. In this course, students will use primary and secondary texts to sketch out the broader social and cultural landscape of modern China and evaluate the historical significance of Mao’s life and the Maoist ideology that was his legacy.

Goals

By the end of the course, you should have improved your ability

• to find and analyse primary sources (ie, first-hand accounts)
• to read and critique secondary sources (ie, accounts written by historians)
• to gather primary and secondary sources together into a research essay shaped by your own original argument
• to listen to and evaluate the arguments and opinions of others
• to cite and reference in a manner appropriate to the genre of historical writing
• to read efficiently and retentively
• to write in polished and professional English

Assessment      

10% Participation

10% Primary Source Analysis

10% Secondary Source Analysis

40% Research Essay

10% Creative Primary Source Document

20% In-class Test

Workload:

The University of Auckland's expectation on 15-point courses, is that students spend 10 hours per week on the course. Students manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Students attend two hours of lectures each week and participate in a one-hour tutorial from week 2 of semester. This leaves seven hours per week outside the classroom to prepare for tutorials, assignments and the exam.

Deadlines and submission of coursework:

Deadlines for coursework are non-negotiable. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you will be required to provide a doctor's certificate before the assignment is due. All late assignments without a pre-approved extension will be penalised one mark per day late.