166-088 Modern Manhood and Womanhood in Chinese Societies

Availability

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Usually Sociology 1A and Sociology 1B.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject examines the ways in which social and cultural changes in various Chinese societies affect manhood and womanhood. These societies include the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities, which have a common cultural tradition but different socio-political characteristics and so provide an illuminating set of comparisons in this globalizing world. Three aspects of sociological issues are of specific significance: (1) the changing nature of social structure and cultures and their impacts on men and women; (2) the changing nature of Chinese mate selection, marriage, family and sexuality, and (3) the representations of Chinese men and women in various contemporary cultural media. These aspects will be reviewed within the context of tensions between local and global values in the social change processes. Attention will be paid to forms of transformation and mediation in which certain global values are 'filtered' by the local cultural gatekeepers as well as local Chinese values regarding gender are re-worked in response to Western influences. Comparisons and contrasts developed from this course will generate a theoretical reflection of modern manhood and womanhood across Chinese societies.

Assessment

A class test and projects totalling 4000 words.

Prescribed Texts

A subject reader will be available.