KIN4340 – Taiwan Studies
Course description
Course content
This course will introduce you to the complexities of Taiwan’s culture, history, society and political status and practices. Curriculum and classes will focus on issues of particular importance: early history, modern history, politics, cross-strait relations, Taiwanese and Chinese identities, Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, languages of Taiwan, religion, gender, and Taiwanese cinema.
Taiwan is a small island with a large population (23.5 million) and is of huge importance both for China and the world. Taiwan is the 8th largest economy in Asia and the 22nd in the world. It is geographically situated in a spot with potential escalating conflicts between the world’s main powers, and it is increasingly seen as a counter movement to growing trends of totalitarianism elsewhere.
Before annexation by the Qing dynasty in 1683, the island had a complex history involving indigenous tribes, colonization by the Netherlands and Spain, and the Kingdom of Tungning. At the end of World War 2, Taiwan had been a Japanese colony for fifty years. After the civil war in China and take-over by Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party, the losing part, Kuomintang and its leader Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan and built a new authoritarian regime there. Starting in the 1960s, Taiwan along with the other so-called Asian Tigers (South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong) experienced rapid industrialisation and high economic growth, and later developed into high-income economies. From the mid-1980s, Taiwan has gone through a remarkable transformation into what some analysts call Asia’s most well-functioning democracy.
In this course, students will learn how to approach Taiwan through a variety of sources and media from different genres, helped by guest lecturers with a research background related to the topics on Taiwan.
Previous years:
Learning outcome
- You will learn to identify, read, summarize, critically assess, and analyse sources relevant to the study of key topics in Chinese culture and history.
- You will learn to organize and write academic essays within a short deadline.
- You will learn to express yourself orally through presentations and discussions of research material in class.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
The course is designed for second semester students in the MA programme option Chinese Culture and Society, but is open to all students admitted to a master programme at the University of Oslo.
Overlapping courses
- 5 credits overlap with KIN4320 – Topics in Chinese History and Thought (discontinued)
- 5 credits overlap with KIN4330 – Topics in Chinese Literature (discontinued)
The course may overlap with discontinued courses and old study units of all types and levels. You must ensure that the content of the course does not overlap with other study units you have previously obtained credits for.
Teaching
The teaching is organized as 10 classes of 2 hours each throughout the semester.
Compulsory activities
- Attendance in at least 8 out of 10 classes, and active participation in discussions, team work, and other activities.
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An oral presentation in class, individually or in a team as assigned by the teacher. The oral presentation may take the form of questions addressed to one of the guest lecturers.
Oral presentations are only valid for one semester.
All compulsory activities must be approved in order to qualify for the exam. It is the student’s responsibility to check whether or not the compulsory activities are approved.
This is how you apply for valid absence from compulsory activities/compulsory attendance.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
The exam is a term paper of 10 pages (à 2300 characters, not including bibliography).
Submit assignments in Inspera
You submit your assignment in the digital examination system Inspera. Read about how to submit assignments in Inspera.
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.