
- UCAS course code
- T100
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course unit details:
The Environment in Chinese Literature & Film
Unit code | CHIN20241 |
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Credit rating | 20 |
Unit level | Level 2 |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
Offered by | Chinese Studies |
Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This course aims to foster in students a greater awareness of how contemporary Chinese literature and film address environmental themes. By examining specific works from the PRC, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, the course will consider the transnational ecological import of culture in dealing with current environmental problems. We begin with a detailed introduction to, and analysis of, the theories used in the field of ecological criticism (i.e.: a discussion of its origins in western academia and environmental movements, as well as how the various theories have been translated and used in Chinese cultural studies). Following this, we endeavour to employ various “ecocritical” theories in the analysis of select works of literature and film. Together we examine how an ecological sub/consciousness is present in cultural production, both explicitly and implicitly, and consider how such ecothemes can influence our understanding of our own place in nature and our responsibility toward it.
Aims
This course aims to:
provide students with a sound theoretical understanding of the discipline of ecocriticism and how it is used in the study of Chinese literature and film;
foster greater awareness of the environmental issues affecting the PRC, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and demonstrate how these concerns are explored/developed in literature and film;
provide students with the opportunity to engage with original Chinese-language source material in conjunction with English-language translations;
teach students how to think about the relationship between culture and the environment; and
improve students’ ability to express complex ideas in oral and written form.
Knowledge and understanding
By the end of this course students will be able to: |
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Intellectual skills
By the end of this course students will be able to: |
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Practical skills
By the end of this course students will be able to: |
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Assessment methods
Assessment task | Length | Weighting within unit |
Class participation (summative) | Participation in class discussions is compulsory and students will be marked on the regularity and quality of their contributions. To help facilitate this, students will be required to post weekly reflection on the course website wherein they write their thoughts and questions on the various works and assigned readings covered. The course convener will read these posts every week to assess student progress and address any issues that have arisen. | 10% |
Seminar presentation (summative) | Each student will give a10-min presentation on a topic related to our course. The topic will be provided by the instructor in the first week of class. | 20% |
Final exam (summative) |
| 70% |
Feedback methods
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Recommended reading
Garrard, Greg. Ecocriticism (The New Critical Idiom). London and New York: Routledge, 2011.
Estok, Simon C. and Won-Chung Kim (eds.). East Asian Ecocriticisms: A Critical Reader. New York: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2013.
Thornber, Karen L. Ecoambiguity: Environmental Crises and East Asian Literatures. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2012.
Lu, Sheldon H. and Mi Jiayan (eds.). Chinese Ecocinema: in the Age of Environmental Challenge. Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong Press, 2010.
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
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Lectures | 11 |
Seminars | 22 |
Independent study hours | |
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Independent study | 167 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
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Pao-Chen Tang | Unit coordinator |