The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

The overarching goals of this course are two-fold. First, it aims to introduce students to the continuity as well as heterogeneity of the Chinese language(s) in the Sinophone world, including not only Mainland China but Taiwan and Hong Kong as well. Through highlighting issues related to language variation and change, and their relationship to social identity, the course is intended to guide students to understand the complex interaction between linguistic practices and social stratification as well as cultural changes. It focuses on sociolinguistic aspects that are particularly salient to Chinese, such as language and dialect, place, gender, pragmatics, cross-cultural communication, as well as language policy and planning. Secondly, this course strives to provide students with a comparative approach by incorporating studies on Chinese sociolinguistic and those based on other languages such as English. In so doing, it hopes to encourage the students to reflect upon their everyday linguistic experience here in Tucson and compare that with what is happening in the Sinophone world. Graduate-level requirements include reviewing a book and presenting it to the class as well as extra reading in Chinese.

Formation of ancient Chinese society; organization of families and clans; social stratification, mobility, conflict, and control in traditional China; and transformation from traditional to modern society. Graduate-level requirements include an extra term paper.

This course asks how the city was understood and urban space was experienced in China from the late imperial period to the twentieth century, from the walled cities of Ming and Qing to the neoliberal remaking of Beijing and Shanghai, passing through the modernist experiments of the Communist and Republican periods. Examining some of the key social, cultural and political factors that shaped urban life, we will address such questions as: how did changes in media shape conceptions of urban space and one's place within it, what did the Chinese urban landscape look like, what were some of its key features, and how did political changes at the national level affect life and governance in the city? Our investigations will also lead us into the realm of cultural and intellectual history. We will look at how such notions as cosmopolitanism, nation-mindedness, and scientific rationality developed in and around the city. In more general term, we will use the case of China to investigate how a history of "modern urban life" and urban space can be written, and what its significance might be. This course maintains a focus on the distinctive character of various Chinese cities while attempting to elucidate deeper commonalties and similarities that shape urban experience in China and elsewhere. Comparisons with other national experiences as well as theoretical reflections on issues of urbanism and urban life will then be integral part of the course. Graduate level requirements: In addition to the undergraduate assignments, you will have to submit a book review every other week. 3-4 pages in length, double-spaced. (No web posting or short paper when a book review is due). Graduate-level work is expected from graduate students in all assignments.

Survey of political, social, economic and cultural transformations undergone by China from ca. 1800 to the present. Provides students with a sense of both the major themes and the substance of the last two centuries of history of one of the world's major civilizations, as well as a better understanding of China's prominent position in the world today. Graduate-level requirements include an in-depth research paper and additional readings.

Analysis of the role of women in Chinese society with equal emphasis on traditional and modern periods. Graduate-level requirements include a 15-page term paper.

Introduction to the theory and practice of English-to-Chinese and Chinese-to-English translations including study of the role of translation in China-West encounters and learning the craft of translation. Graduate-level requirements include much longer and more difficult assignments.

This course is an introduction to the the major themes and genres of Chinese literature from the Song (960-1279) to the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Primary readings will be in Chinese, though translations will be available. Secondary readings will be in English. The course is intended to be an opportunity for advanced language learners to use their skills to read and translate premodern literature, and for graduate students to gain an understanding of major trends in the study of premodern Chinese literature.

This course is an introduction to the major themes and genres of Chinese literature from the pre-imperial period (before 221 BCE) to the Tang (618-907 CE) dynasty. Primary readings will be in Chinese, though translations will be available. Secondary readings will be in English. The course is intended to be an opportunity for advanced language learners to use their skills to read and translate premodern literature, and for graduate students to gain an understanding of major trends in the study of premodern Chinese literature.