J-Term

Course Information

ECONOMICS 643-1 China Today: Culture, Economy, Business (also listed as Humanities 643-1), 4 credits (Robert Schlack, Mimi Yang)

This course provides participants with an opportunity for direct contact with Chinese society todayits culture, its people, and its economy. We will combine instruction on campus with a two week study tour to China.

The trip is coordinated with the cooperation of Kenoshas sister county Huairou, thirty miles northeast of Beijing. Beautiful, haunting Huairou, nestled near the Great Wall itself, will be the headquarters during our stay in China.

After a week on campus, we will visit three major cities in China, representing diverse aspects of the country: Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. While on campus, students will select a specific topic and develop a hypothesis to be researched on-site in China. Topical themes may be drawn from the diverse areas and disciplines in either the humanities (e.g., history, art, philosophy, religion), or the social sciences (e.g., economics, business, geography, sociology). To assist students with their projects, the instructors will give an introduction to China, providing texts, newspaper and journal articles, videos, and visual materials and cultural artifacts. Students will be able to select a topic according to their personal, intellectual, academic and professional interests. In China, they will be able to explore these ideas with professionals, academics, and Chinese students. Upon our return, students will present their findings in class with an oral presentation and a term paper.

The course also provides an opportunity for those who are taking Chinese language at Carthage to practice their language skills. It is intended to enhance students ability to carry out cross-cultural communication with people whose language and customs are unfamiliar to many Americans.

This is a 4 -credit course, cross-listed under Humanities/Asian Studies and Economics. The grade of the course will be based on intercultural understanding and communication, performance as a team member/leader during the trip, and reading, oral and writing skills, as evident in class and in the term paper presented orally at the conclusion of our work.



Meeting Time: On campus 1-4
Prerequisites: None
Fee: $2,230