Unity and diversity in China and global Sinophone communities

In this unit, students explore the diversity of contemporary China and global Sinophone communities, reflecting on the meaning of “China,” “Chinese,” and “Chineseness” today.

Beginning from an overview of theories of identity and a history of ethnic thought in China, we proceed to examine a series of case studies of ethnic diversity today, including the Miao, the Zhuang, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and the Han majority. Through these case studies, students explore not only China’s internal diversity, but also the complexity of ethnic relations in the reform era. 

In the second half of the unit, we examine emerging theories of Chineseness and Sinophone identity, before proceeding to case studies of a series of global Sinophone communities (including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Sinophone communities in Australia) and their relationships with China today.