121-023 China in Transition

Completion of 25 points of first year geography, economics or Asian studies or approval of the subject coordinator.

This subject is about the changing geography of 'Red Capitalist' China. The focus of the subject is the on-going social, economic and political transformation and the impacts of the reforms on China's people and environment. The subject covers three sets of topics: China's many faces (generation conflicts, ethnic minorities, rural China, physical landscapes and environment, Chinese women - "half sky"); China in transition (large is not beautiful-population policy and one-child only, China's reform model, open door policy and geography of "Made in China", population mobility and urbanisation, and spatial shifts of development focus); China's major challenges (AIDS/HIV-geography of commercial sex industry, income polarisation, corruption and "Guanxi" with Chinese characteristics, "get rich quickly" and environmental cost, development and resource demand, and Three Gorges Dam resettlement).

• develop cross-cultural study skills;

• write coherent and research essays;

• work effectively in projects which require teamwork.

An essay of 2000 words 35% (due at the end of semester), tutorial reports 30% and a two hour exam 35%.