NewcastleX Faculty of Education & Arts: School of Humanities and Social Science

From Mao to Now: On Chinese Marxism edX course code: MTN101x

CRICOS Provider 00109J

OVERVIEW Course Description To make sense of modern China, you simply cannot

ignore Marxism. ‘From Mao to Now’ presents current topics that anyone who wishes to engage with China should know. Rather than praising or condemning, the course focuses on building a deeper understanding of this history through two interwoven elements. The first structures the course in terms of some ‘red tourism’ to the sites important to the communist revolution in the first half of the twentieth century. Much of the course footage was filmed on location in China, including Shaoshan, Ruijin, Yan’an and important locations in Beijing, such as Tiananmen and the Nationalities Museum (minzuyuan). The second element of the course will take those experiences and use them to help answer some fundamental questions:

• Is China socialist or capitalist today, or is it perhaps both at one and the same time?

• Is there such a thing as Chinese socialist democracy, and, if so, what is it?

• Does China have its own theory of human rights, drawn from the long Chinese tradition and Marxism?

• If the Chinese state is a form that has not been seen before, then what is it?

Prerequisites

None.

Time commitment To get the most out of the course you are encouraged to spend, at the very least, two to three hours per week viewing video lectures, reading content, taking part in discussions, completing assessments.

NewcastleX Faculty of Education & Arts: School of School of Humanities and Social Science

Mao to Now: On Chinese Marxism edX course code: MTN101x

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SYLLABUS Learning Objectives On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Identify the role of the Long March and Mao’s teachings in the founding

story of modern China. 2. Explain the important contribution of Ruijin and Yan’an in providing the

foundations for Chinese society and politics. 3. Determine how Chinese Marxism reinterprets the concept of

contradiction. 4. Identify and critically analyse difference in Chinese human rights

alternative traditions. 5. Distinguish between the varieties of democracy and identify the features

of a socialist democracy. 6. List the main points concerning the nature of a socialist state and

compare how it differs from other forms of the state. 7. Use peer learning to investigate how Mao is reinterpreted in China today

ASSESSMENT AND COMPLETION This course contains a number of ways to improve your knowledge on Chinese

Maxisim. Carrying out the weekly tasks (Class Polls and Peer Instruction Quizzes) and will help you learn about the core concepts of the course.

Assessments are in the form of Class Polls (15%), Peer Instruction Quizzes (25%) and Exams (60%). You will see these thoughout the course, and it is recommended that they be completed during that particular week. The pass mark for this course is 50%.

Students opting for a Verified Certificate must complete all of the graded assessment tasks, and pass, to be eligible. Certificates will be released shortly after the end of the course. When your certificate is available, you will be notified in your edX dashboard.

COURSE TEAM The course team for MTN101x comprises University of Newcastle Research

Profesor Roland Boer. Roland Boer provided the course material for each week. Andrew Yardy and Clare Lloyd, designed, developed and project managed the course with help from the University of Newcastle’s Blended and Online Learning Design (BOLD) team. Glen Veitch is the Course Moderator. Glen will provide the day-to-day support as you make your way through the Mao to Now journey.

NewcastleX Faculty of Education & Arts: School of School of Humanities and Social Science

Mao to Now: On Chinese Marxism edX course code: MTN101x

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SCHEDULE The course is an ‘instructor-paced’ course. This means each week a new module will be released.

Week Week Begins Topic Assessment Due

1 1 March, 2017 Shaoshan: Mao’s Birthplace and the Question of Contradiction

Peer Instruction Quiz 1

2 8 March, 2017 Ruijin: The First Soviet and a Chinese Marxist Approach to Human Rights

Peer Instruction Quiz 2

3 15 March, 2017 Yan’an: The Cradle of Modern China Peer Instruction Quiz 3 and Class Poll 1, and Mid-Course Exam

4 22 March, 2017 National Day in Tiananmen Square Peer Instruction Quiz 4, and Class Poll 2

5 29 March, 2017 Mao’s Mausoleum Peer Instruction Quiz, and Class Poll 3, and Final Exam

ASSESSMENTS This course has 4 assessment types. Each assessment type is described in more detail within the course material. In this course, we use assessment for these two complementary purposes:

• Assessment for Learning: Assists you to develop the skills to evaluate your own understanding of the course material and identify how to improve your learning in the future.

• Assessment of Learning: Assists you and the teaching team to know how well you know the course material.

In this course we use Course Polls and Peer Instruction throughout this course to help you make judgments on how well you and your peers understand the course material. We then complement these assessments with two exams, one in week 3 and the other in week 5, that provide you with a more objective measure of your mastery of the course outcomes. Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcomes

1 Class Polls 15% 1, 5, 6 & 7

2 Peer Instruction 25% 2, 6 & 7 3 Mid-Course Exam 25% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 4 Final Exam 35% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6

COURSE MATERIALS You need access to the edX platform and a willingness to participate with your peers.

This course is structured in terms of a travel narrative. The course is presented in a series of sequential Lessons, with background text and further reading designed to expand or reienfoce the ideas explored in the documentary videos. In working our way on this journey will pay particular attention to; place, people, concepts. Each are inextricably linked to understanding Chinese Marxism today.

NewcastleX Faculty of Education & Arts: School of School of Humanities and Social Science

Mao to Now: On Chinese Marxism edX course code: MTN101x

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COURSE OUTLINE WEEK TOPIC WHAT WE WILL COVER

1 Shaoshan: Mao’s Birthplace and the Question of Contradiction

• Shaoshan, Mao’s Birthplace • The Secret to Shaoshan’s Importance • On the Importance of Contradiction

2 Ruijin: The First Soviet and a Chinese

Marxist Approach to Human Rights • The First Soviet • Significance of Ruijin • Chinese Marxism and Human Rights • Minorities

3 Yan’an: The Cradle of Modern China • Visiting Yan’an

• The Yan’an Spirit Today • A New Form of the State?

4 National Day in Tiananmen Square • Celebrating with the Crowds on 1 October

• The Meaning of the National Day • Varieties of Democracy • Socialist Democracy in China

5 Mao’s Mausoleum • Paying a Visit

• The Mausoleum Today • Socialism with Chinese Characteristics:

What does it mean? • Reinterpreting Mao Today

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Academic Policy

Students who enroll in MTN101x are expected to abide by the terms of the edX Honor Code. NewcastleX commits to taking appropriate action should there be violations of the edX Honor Code, which may result in dismissal from this course. No refunds will be issued under such circumstances. The University of Newcastle and NewcastleX have created this course under strict guidelines to meet the highest academic standards and maximise benefits to students. We undertake to maintain a positive and inclusive learning environment, in which discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. If you have any concerns, please notify us via the edX contact form.

Communication Methods

Communication methods used in this course include: - Discussion Board on edX website. Students will receive communications via the posting

of content or announcements on the course site. - Email: Students will receive communications via their edX email account.

Course Evaluation Your feedback is sought for the purposes of identifying areas of excellence and potential

improvement.

NewcastleX Faculty of Education & Arts: School of School of Humanities and Social Science

Mao to Now: On Chinese Marxism edX course code: MTN101x

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Discussion Guidelines

For details on online forum protocol, click on the Discussion Guidelines tab at the top of the page and/or consult the edX Code of Conduct. Students are encouraged to post at least once per module – to participate in discussions and peer review marking. A course moderator will be available to answer questions on the Discussion Forum. Students are asked to be patient in the event of there being a large number of queries. The course team is based in Newcastle, NSW, Australia, and works within UTC/GMT+11 (Daylight Saving Time). Your course moderators will be online each day (Monday-Friday) for a few hours.

Note

Students will be notified of any changes made to the course content or schedule.

© 2017 The University of Newcastle, Australia / NewcastleX