ASIA 353 - Cyber China: Internet and Contemporary Culture

Cross-Listed as CHIN 353

What is the “Great Firewall of China?” What does it say about the symbolic power of the state, the civilians, censorship and resistance politics? The Internet has played an increasingly important role in shaping contemporary Chinese life in many ways. Technology-enabled spaces have expanded to encompass a vast array of cultural forms. They have become an arena of intense contention and contestation among multiple political forces. This senior capstone course explores various aspects of the Internet culture in mainland China, combining close examination of up-to-date online content in original Chinese language with evaluation of scholarly discourse on the Chinese internet. The goal of the seminar is to look at different ways of conceptualizing Chinese internet culture. This course also considers the implications of online communication and cultural production both for contemporary Chinese culture in general and for students’ own research in particular. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 204, the equivalent language proficiency, or permission of instructor. (4 Credits)