UnitLevel 3Undergraduate

ATS3959 Chinese politics and political cultures

Faculty of Arts

ATS3959 Chinese politics and political cultures is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2027 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2027
Semester 2
Clayton
Assessment
No exam
4 tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

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Requisites

Before ATS3959

No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.

After ATS3959

No unit lists ATS3959 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.

Enrolment rules

Must have completed 12 credit points of level 2 Arts units

Overview

This unit introduces you to China’s political system and cultures. We begin from an overview of the historical origins of the current system, with a particular emphasis on divergent schools of political thought throughout history, including Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, republicanism, and communism.
We then proceed to an overview of the reform era political system and the challenges faced by the leadership. Questions for consideration include leadership succession, corruption and inequality, nationalism, civil society, health, ethnic and gender relations, and international relations.
The unit concludes with a discussion of how best to classify China’s current political model, as well as thinking through possible paths for the future.

Offerings in 2027

Teaching periodCampusMode
Second semesterClaytonOn campus

Assessment

  • Critical reading responseWritten
    25%
  • Tutorial presentation and discussionPresentation
    15%
  • Research proposal and annotated bibliographyWritten
    20%
  • Research paperWritten
    40%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Demonstrate enhanced and critically informed knowledge of Chinese political thought and China’s current political system;

  2. 2

    Demonstrate understanding of the diversity of China and Sinophone communities, developing the ability to work across cultures with people of diverse backgrounds;

  3. 3

    Demonstrate understanding of the disciplinary approaches through which knowledge about China is developed, with specific reference to political and anthropological perspectives and theories;

  4. 4

    Demonstrate capacity for analytical and critical thinking, for library and web-based research skills, and for clear written and oral communication.

Workload and teaching

  • Tutorials24 hours
  • Lectures24 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Where it fits

ATS3959 is part of 4 areas of study in the 2027 handbook.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Dr Jonathan Benney
Unit Coordinators
Dr Jonathan Benney

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for ATS3959?

ATS3959 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

When is ATS3959 offered?

In 2027, ATS3959 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.

How much work is ATS3959?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does ATS3959 have an exam?

No. ATS3959 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.

Which majors and minors include ATS3959?

ATS3959 is part of Chinese studies and Global Asia.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
3
Study level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Arts
Organisational unit
Chinese Studies
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Available
Handbook years
20232024202520262027