Culture and Society in China
Since the topics listed on the syllabus are big, you should narrow it down to a manageable small topic by focusing on one aspect of the topic, studying one or a couple similar cases, or in any other way to shrink it down to allow enough analysis of your own for that topic. Below is a list of possible essay questions for reference. You are of course not required to pick one from the list.
In the paper, you will need to generate a central argument, and organize your materials and analyses accordingly to prove the argument. Please avoid lengthy background and historical introduction unless they are central to your argument. Please also avoid making big empty statements without any support by evidence or listing out data without analysis.
Possible Essay Questions
1 Qing dynastic rule was ultimately rejected not because it was ineffective or because it was reactionary, but because it was not Chinese. Discuss.
2 How far do you agree with the contention that 1919 was a more significant turning point in Chinas modern history than 1911?
3 Why did the first Guomindang-CCP United Front fail?
4 To what extent can problems inherited from previous regimes be blamed for the Guomindang government’s failures during the Nanjing Decade (1928-37)?
5 Which do you think contributed more to the defeat of the Japanese in China, the Guomindang or the Chinese Communists?
6 How plausible do you find the CCP’s claim that the Hundred Flowers campaign was intended as a trap for hidden rightists in China?
7 In economic terms, the Great Leap Forward was not irrational. Discuss.
8 In your view, did Mao Zedong ever intend the Cultural Revolution to be more than just a purge of his perceived opponents in positions of authority?
9 To what extent did Deng Xiaoping intend to democratize China as part of his reform programme?
10 What factors enabled the PRC to survive 1989-91 when so few former members of the socialist bloc did?
