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| Course Descriptions |
| Required Fall/Spring Courses FWCH 210, 310
Religion in China The course will survey the Confucian, Daoist, and particularly Chinese Buddhist traditions, and will emphasize how these traditions respond to death. The student will explore Chinese notions of cosmological and social order and the problem of death as a disruption of order. The course will explore in detail how these religious traditions have developed different ideals of human transformation beyond death, in the form of the sage, the immortal, and the bodhisattva. The course will include weekly local excursions, religious festivals, and extended field trips to rural Zhejiang and Beijing, and will emphasize the importance of understanding our field experiences in the larger context of Chinese history and culture through readings, lectures, film and discussions in the classroom. Three credits (A-stream) or two credits (B-stream) in Cultural Studies or Philosophy and Religion. FWCH 211, 311 Modern Chinese History The course will survey modern Chinese history and the origins of nationalism. The student will explore how China transformed from the insular “Central Kingdom” to an influential member of the world community and a dynamic force in the world economy in little more than one century. The course will concentrate on recent Chinese history and the relationship between China and the West, including the collapse of the imperial system under Western intellectual influences and military pressure, the national movements in the wake of foreign invasions, and communist rule following the Second World War. The course will include weekly local excursions and extended field trips to rural Zhejiang and Beijing. Three credits (A-stream) or two credits (B-stream) in Cultural Studies or History. FWCH 212, 312 Traditional Chinese Culture The course will survey traditional Chinese culture by way of introduction to the city and people of Hangzhou. The student will be challenged to explore the city as a text, with the aim to better understand the relationship between people and place over time. The course will focus on the role of Hangzhou in Chinese history and fiction and the unique contributions its residents have made to the development of Chinese culture, from the growth of the silk and tea trade, and traditional Chinese medicine, to calligraphy and art. This course will include weekly excursions within Hangzhou and several participatory activities, festivals, films, guest lectures and discussions designed to provide the student with a broad view of the place in which we live, and through this place, a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture. Two credits (A-stream) in Cultural Studies or Human Issues. FWCH 220, 320 Oral Mandarin Chinese The course will instruct beginning students in oral Mandarin Chinese and will use the Pinyin Romanization system in place of Chinese characters for all instruction. The course is especially designed for Friends World students and will emphasize performance learning. The student will learn the grammar, syntax and vocabulary necessary to communicate in Chinese and to function independently in China. Classroom sessions will be supplemented occasionally with language field trips in Hangzhou to encourage interactive language acquisition and to take full advantage of the surrounding language environment. This class requires a minimum of eight Friends World A-stream students. Four credits in Language. FWCH 221, 321 Oral Mandarin Chinese The course is a continuation of FWCH 220, 320. Three credits in Language. FWCH 222, 322 Mandarin Chinese Language The course will instruct all levels of students in all aspects of Mandarin Chinese. This important language is spoken by more native speakers than any other in the world, and it is the national language of the People’s Republic of China, the country with the world’s fastest developing economy. As such, Mandarin Chinese has been described by economists and linguists as the “must learn” language of the next decade. The Friends World student will follow an extremely demanding curriculum, together with other international students from around the world, which will introduce all aspects of the language, including speaking, listening, grammar and reading and writing Chinese characters. The course is appropriate for students who intend to make Chinese an important part of their academic studies, future career or business, and for students with any level of existing proficiency. The course is taught in eight levels, with level one for first-semester B-stream students, level 1.5 for A-stream students who switch to B-stream second-semester, and levels 2 through 7 for second-semester through second-year students. Eight credits (fall) or six credits (spring) in Language. FWCH 223, 323 Mandarin Chinese Language The course is a continuation of FWCH 222, 322. Eight credits (fall) or six credits (spring) in Language. B) Elective Fall/Spring Courses FWCH 290, 390 Religion in Tibet This course will introduce the student to contemporary religious issues affecting Tibetan culture and society in mainland China, and will include a survey of the history of Tibetan Buddhism and ritual practices, such as religious festivals, art and pilgrimage. Students will deconstruct Orientalist narratives and films about Tibet to develop a self-reflexive and critical understanding of our own experience in Tibetan areas of China. An important component of this course will be an extended field trip to eastern Tibet (Amdo), and will include a long stay in Tibetan homes and a Tibetan monastery renowned for its school of ritual painting. Students will be asked to research the lunar New Year festivities by conducting interviews with monks and local residents. Three credits (A-stream) or two credits (B-stream) in Philosophy and Religion or History. Required for first-semester students only. FWCH 280, 380 Chinese Nationalism This course tackles concerns about the growing current of Chinese nationalism and its potential impact on Asian and world political maps. Among the issues dealt with are Sino-Japanese relations, cross-strait relations between mainland China and Taiwan, the Tibet question, and relations between the Han and Chinese ethnic minorities. Field trips include trips to Nanjing and Yiwu, sites of tragic historical events that occurred during the Japanese occupation of China. Three credits (A-stream) or two credits (B-stream) in History or Human Issues. Required for first-semester students only. FWCH 230, 330 The Cult of Mao The course will introduce students to the personality cult of Chairman Mao Zedong and its significance to the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) in China. The course will introduce socialist theory and employ historical and anthropological perspectives of those major events during the revolution that continue to impact contemporary Chinese society. Students will be challenged to understand Mao’s rise to power and the conditions that led to his deification and the violent revolution he led against all representations of traditional Chinese culture. Student will develop a basic understanding what events took place in the life and times of Chairman Mao, how the Chinese people reacted to these, and why the Cultural Revolution ultimately failed. The course will be framed by the personal experiences of the instructor during the revolution, and will be contextualized through historical narratives, documentary and film. Three credits (A-stream) or two credits (B-stream) in Human Issues or History. Required for first-semester students only. FWCH 270, 370 Chinese Cinema The course will introduce students to the cinema of the greater China region, including films from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The student will take a cinematic tour of social and political changes in China since 1940s, and will explore questions of cultural and political identity, transnationalism, and the ongoing competition and collaboration for a stronger representation of China on the international stage. Chinese language background not required. Two credits in Arts and Literature. FWCH 260, 360 Chinese Arts The course will introduce students to the rudimental skills of two of the following three subjects: Chinese calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting or wushu, a hard-style martial arts. Chinese language background not required. Two credits in Crafts, Trades and Professions. FWCH 261, 361 Taiji This course will introduce students to the traditional Chinese longevity exercise of Yang style taijiquan, a soft-style Chinese martial arts. Chinese language background not required. Two credits in Crafts, Trades and Professions. FWCH 300 Independent Study Project Second-year students and second-semester junior students with sufficient preparation may design their own independent study project or internship, within certain cultural and linguistic boundaries, and in consultation with their Faculty Advisor and/or Field Advisor. Permission is required by both the Faculty Advisor and Academic Director for second-semester sophomore students who can demonstrate requisite preparation and motivation. Two to three credits. A Junior Research Project will be awarded 4 to six credits (see section immediately below). JUNIOR YEAR In addition to the regular curriculum, junior students who begin work at the China Center with 60 credits or more in the fall semester must meet all Friends World requirements regarding the Junior Research Seminar, Junior Research Proposal and Junior Research Project, typically by the end of the spring semester. Students with questions concerning these requirements and their schedule should consult their Faculty Advisor. The Junior Research Proposal is a general outline for the Junior Research Project, a graduation requirement that all students must carry out under faculty guidance. The Junior Research Proposal is the result of the Junior Seminar, typically in the fall semester of the junior year and no later than the spring semester of the junior year. The Junior Research Project will be 4-6 credits, and may be designed as a thesis, action project or artistic project. This project aims to provide the student with a research experience in her or his chosen Area of Concentration. Research projects will be accomplished in the second semester of the junior year and no later than the first semester of the senior year. The Junior Research Project will form the basis of the Senior Seminar and Integrative Thesis, completed during the spring Capstone Semester of the senior year at the New York Center. Therefore, students completing a Junior Research Project under the guidance of China Center Faculty Advisors should do so with the integrative senior thesis in mind. FIELD ADVISORS AND INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECTS Field advisors are professionals and specialists who can offer students more in-depth study of a chosen field through an Independent Study Project (ISP) or specially arranged lectures and courses. Most students are too busy in the fall semester to conduct an ISP, and since not all field advisors speak fluent English, most ISP projects are carried out in the spring semester, or during a student’s third semester in the fall, after students have completed the required core curriculum and have the requisite foundation in Chinese language. Students have conducted a wide range of ISP projects in recent semesters, including studies in the following subjects:
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| Long Island University | Friends World Program | China Center |