Wanna Go To Beijing for Janterm 2012?

For Janterm 2012:

Changing Ideas of China and Chinese Society

What is “China”?  When we answer this question in the contemporary, we often do so in terms of political and economic strategy, a tendency that separates the nation from its long and varied history before the Communist take-over of 1949.  But if we are truly to understand the complexities of this rising global power, we must begin to understand the multiple millennia of history that bear influence on its society.  Fortunately, few places in the world offer the opportunity to observe a history as lengthy as the one witnessed by Beijing:  within a few square miles can be found a multitude of sites that speak to the rise and fall of a myriad of ways of organizing society.  In this course, we’ll visit these sites, paying special attention to the way they’re presented in the contemporary and how they affect the idea of “China” and what it is to be Chinese:  from the Great Wall of China, to the Forbidden City, to the many Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist Temples, to the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square.  Our journey also includes a trip to Xi’an to see the archaeological discoveries there, including the terra cotta army near the tomb of the first Qin emperor.

Spread the word!  Open to any and all!