SECTION A: Basic Information
o Brief Introduction to the Module
This module aims to engage students in understanding the important theoretical discussions in the field of China Studies. The module will first introduce the main conceptual components of major social theories. Subsequently, it will present how some of these have been adapted by scholars in academic research about the society and development of contemporary China. Finally, students will take part in these conceptual discussions through a multidisciplinary, comparative, and theoretically- informed approach to area studies.
o Key Module Information
Module name: Theories of China’s Change
Module code: CCS306
Credit value: 5
Semester in which the module is taught: 2 Pre-requisites needed for the module: N/A
Programmes on which the module is shared: BA China Studies; Diploma in China Studies
SECTION B: What you can expect from the module
o Educational Aims of the Module
This module aims to engage students in understanding the most important theoretical discussions in the field of China Studies. Students will learn the conceptual components and construction of major social theories. Subsequently, students will learn how some of these have been adapted by scholars in academic research about the society and development of contemporary China. Finally, students will take part in these conceptual discussions by adopting one major theory to analyze a case of China’s socioeconomic change.
o Learning Outcomes
Students completing the module successfully should:
A. Identify the main concepts and ideas of major social theories related to social change.
B. Structure a clear understanding of the conceptual links between social theory, comparative assessments, and area studies.
C. Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which scholars have adapted and applied social theories to the empirics of contemporary China.
D. Produce a theoretically informed assessment of current debates in China studies.
o Assessment Details
The lecturer will discuss with and explain to students the assessment system in classes during the first week of teaching.
|
Method |
% of Final Mark |
Deadline |
|
Participation And In-Class Performance |
15 |
Weekly |
|
In-Class Presentation |
15 |
Weekly |
|
Research Essay (including two components) |
70 |
7 April 2025, 11:59 pm 19 May 2025, 11:59 pm |
Assessment item 1: In-Class Participation (15%)
You are expected to read the “ Required Reading” prescribed for each topic BEFORE attending the lectures. All students are expected to participate actively in seminar discussions by demonstrating that they have read the readings required for each lecture and seminar, offering an analysis of the readings, and presenting questions to the class. Students’ analytical thinking ability and willingness to develop their knowledge and debating skills will be assessed.
Attendance to the classes alone does not count towards your in-class performance mark. The lecturer will evaluate students’ performance. Students will be given relevant marks according to their participation and in-class performance:
0 – 39: The student remains a passive observer and does not display signs of engagement with the topic, such as participation in discussion and debates or asking questions.
40 – 49: The student answers questions when asked and occasionally joins the discussion. Student participation is characterized by descriptive responses rather than critical analysis. Student’s performance is more of a passive response than active participation.
50 – 69: The student regularly participates in discussion and debate and is familiar with the material/topics discussed. He/she displays an ability for critical analysis and adequate debating skills. However, his/her discussion of themes tends to be more descriptive or only reiterates ideas from the prescribed readings.
70 – 100: student shows consistent and active participation that significantly enriches in-class discussions and debates. He/she often takes the lead in discussions, presenting a critical analysis of the materials/topics discussed while also presenting his/her own ideas with cogent arguments to support his/her views.
Assessment item 2: In-Class Presentation (15%)
During the first week of teaching, students will choose one of the topics from weeks 3 to 13 as the base for their in-class presentation. Presentations should be given by a two-student group. This is not a traditional in-class presentation; you are not expected to lecture the class. The main goal of this assessment is to create an engaging and informative presentation that can lead to further discussion and debate with the rest of the class.
Presentations by each group should last no more than 20 minutes. Do NOT simply summarize the readings. The criteria for assessing your presentation is to elucidate and critically assess the analytical usefulness of the concepts and theories used in the readings each week and, through raising insightful questions, stimulate discussion among other students after the presentation has finished. Discussion with the group will take place after the presentation has finished.
Presentations by each group should contain at least four parts: (1) Summarize the major theory and key authors’ contribution; (2) provide a detailed example to show how the major theory was used to study empirical cases; (3) analyze a Chinese case to show how the theory could be adapted to study China; if the theory is developed in China, analyze a none-Chinese case to show a Chinese theory could be extended to analyze other countries; your analysis should identify a clear issue and provide a meaningful argument; (4) reflect on the strength and weakness of the theory.
Presentation assessment criteria
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Assessment item |
Excellent |
Good |
Adequate |
Needs Improvement |
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Theoretical analysis (25%) |
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Identification of key arguments and relevant issues (25%) |
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Promotes questioning and discussion (25%) |
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Effective communication (25%) |
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Assessment item 3: Research Essay (70%)
Component 1: Essay Outline (25%)
800 words (excluding references); any essay plan that is >10% below or above the word length requirement will be liable to a mark penalty.
The essay outline constitutes the scaffolding on which you will build your research essay. In it you are meant to identify a topic or issue that you want to research for your essay and formulate the research questions and hypotheses that will constitute the argument of your research essay. Your essay outline must include the following elements:
1. What is the core topic or issue that you will be examining in your research essay? Provide a suggested title for your essay and introduce the topic/issue.
2. What question do you want to address in relation to that topic/issue?
3. What theory will you use to explore the research question?
4. Include a minimum of 10 academic sources that you will use when writing your essay (other than the essential readings)
5. Include any other sources (e.g. online sources) that will also be helpful when writing your research essay
Marking criteria: The same marking criteria around analysis, research, structure/expression, and presentation/documentation will apply to both the essay outline and the research essay. These criteria will be applied according to the parameters outlined in each assessment requirement description.
Component 2: Research Essay (45%)
3000 words (excluding references); any essay that is >10% below or above the word length requirement will be liable to a mark penalty.
A research essay is a particular kind of academic writing in which the writer builds an argument about a topic (or in answer to a question) using evidence to support their views. Evidence is mostly drawn from academic sources. This essay is usually made up of an introduction, a literature review, a theoretical framework, a methodology, a main body, and a conclusion.
1. The introduction should include your research background, research question(s), a summary of the thesis or main argument of the essay, and a statement about the contents of the essay.
2. The literature review should include the minimum 5 most influential empirical studies on your concerned question; their academic influence/impact may be measured by the number of citations on Google Scholar. The literature review needs to show a gap between the reviewed studies and your potential theoretical argument.
3. The theoretical framework should introduce the theory you choose to analyze the empirical data. You need to summarize the theory, its development, and how it was used to study economy, society, politics, organizations, or culture in the past, including the minimum 5 influential theoretical or empirical studies that (re)constructed the theory or apply the theory to analyze empirical cases. Then, you need to lay out why and how you apply this theory to analyze your data.
4. Methodology should explain the thought process through which you designed this essay research, including how you came up with this research, how you identified relevant literature, how you collected secondary data for analysis, what practical problems you have, and how they were resolved (or not resolved, in this case, how it will impact your analysis and conclusion).
5. The main body is made up of a series of paragraphs that build the argument, using theory to analyze the facts/data (the facts and the theory are from sources in your reference list). Each paragraph contains a sub-argument (or one aspect of the argument/theory) and flows logically from one paragraph to the next. The crucial point is connecting the theory to empirical data in your analysis.
6. The conclusion restates the main findings and central argument of the essay in summary form to remind the reader. It may conclude with some brief statements about the (potential) implications of the study.
The main aim of this essay is to exercise your theoretical skills to build a convincing argument. It is best to start off with the relevant assigned essential reading in order for you to be well-familiarized with the main ideas and theories and be able to put forward a clear and cohesive argument. However, you will also be expected to use other sources (peer-reviewed academic journal articles, academic books, and book chapters), including those from the suggested reading lists in the week-by-week reading guide and from your own independent research.
A minimum of 10 academic sources (other than the assigned essential reading) should be included in the analysis and the references list.
Use of online sources: While you can also reference online resources (such as government statistics, opinion pieces, news articles, etc.), these should only be used to back an argument or to provide examples to illustrate the ideas and arguments discussed in your academic sources.
- The analysis should be relevant to your chosen essay topic; it should show a critical engagement with the literature; and express arguments with clarity. Avoid jargon, particularly when unfamiliar with its definitions and uses.
- Avoid over-relying on direct quotations. If you cannot summarize the author’s ideas in your own words, you have not yet fully grasped their meaning. Use direct quotes ONLY when the author's exact words are crucial to the argument you are making.
- However, you should still make sure to acknowledge authors’ ideas and specific data (e.g. statistical figures) by referencing sources appropriately, even when you have summarized or paraphrased their ideas.
- The essay must have a title page. Your student number MUST be at the top of the title page, followed by the essay's title, and the essay's total word length (excluding all references). Pages should be numbered. The text must be in 12-point font and have 1.5 spacing.
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