Outline

Overview

This unit of study explores the history of the popular categories of Chinese society from the perspective of their interactions and contrasts with elitist cultural forms and socio-political objectives over the ages, considering processes of social and cultural change in terms of resistance, mimesis, and subversion, and exploring the parallels and prolongations of these in the modern world.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Asian Studies
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Asian Studies or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Anthropology or 12 credit points at 1000 level or 2000 level or 3000 level in Chinese Studies
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Sean Moores, sean.moores@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Presentation	Presentation with written submission n/a	15%	Multiple weeks	Equivalent of 750 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Tutorial participation n/a	10%	Multiple weeks	n/a	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
In-person written or creative task	Early feedback task Short test covering the content taught in the first three lectures and the required methodologies for this unit.	0%	Week 03	5-10 mins.	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Essay proposal n/a	15%	Week 07 Due date: 21 Sep 2025 at 23:59	750 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
In-person written or creative task	End-of-semester test Week 13 lecture	20%	Week 13	50 minutes (1,000wd equivalent)	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Research analysis	Research essay n/a	40%	Week 13 Due date: 09 Nov 2025 at 23:59	2000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= early feedback task ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	听
Distinction	75 - 84	听
Credit	65 - 74	听
Pass	50 - 64	听
Fail	0 - 49	When you don鈥檛 meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the听Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the听Current Students website听for more information on AI in assessments, including听details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website听provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the听Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM)听which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the听Current Students website听for more information on AI in assessments, including听details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a听simple extension.鈥� The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can鈥檛 complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for听special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students,听听includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy听reflects the University鈥檚 commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction. What is 鈥淧opular China鈥�?	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 02	Echoes of Popular China in Ancient Times	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Popular Religion in Pre-modern China	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Rural Popular China in Pre-modern Times	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Urban Popular China in Pre-modern Times	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Gender and Sexuality in Pre-modern China	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Heroes and Resistance in Pre-modern China	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	鈥淚llicit Popular China鈥�	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Popular Literature and Theatre	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Maoism and Popular China	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	The Origins and Development of Cinema in China	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	鈥淧opular Greater China鈥�?	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	鈥淧opular China鈥� in the Present and Future?	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner鈥檚 Board. The Examiner鈥檚 Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours鈥� preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Week 1 鈥� Introduction. What is 鈥淧opular China鈥�?

Storey, John. 鈥淲hat is popular culture?鈥� In Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction, 1-15. London: Routledge, 2015.

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Week 2 鈥� Echoes of Popular China in Ancient Times

Major, J. S., & Cook, C. A. 鈥淚ntroduction to Ancient China鈥� In Ancient China: a History, 1-9. London: Routledge, 2017.

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Week 3 鈥� Popular Religion in Pre-modern China

Wai Yip Wong. 鈥淒efining Chinese Folk Religion: A Methodological Interpretation.鈥澨�Asian Philosophy, Vol. 21, No. 2 (May 2011): 153-170.

听

Week 4 鈥� Rural Popular China in Pre-modern Times

Anderson, E. N..听鈥淐hina鈥檚 Early Agriculture.鈥� In Encounters with Asia: Food and Environment in Early and Medieval China, 35-54. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014.

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Week 5 鈥� Urban Popular China in Pre-modern Times

Xue Pingshuan. 鈥淭he merchants of Chang鈥檃n in the Sui and Tang dynasties.鈥澨�Frontiers of History in China, Volume 1, Issue 2 (2006): 254-275.

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Week 6 - Gender and Sexuality in Pre-modern China

Yao Ping. 鈥�Labor, profession, and everyday life.鈥� In Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China: A Brief History, 88-115. London: Routledge, 2021.

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Week 7 鈥� Heroes and Resistance in Pre-modern China

Pines, Yuri. 鈥淭he People.鈥� In The Everlasting Empire: The Political Culture of Ancient China and Its Imperial Legacy, 134-161. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012.

听

Week 8 鈥� 鈥�Illicit Popular China鈥�

Rowe, W. T. 鈥淰iolence in Ming-Qing China: An Overview.鈥� Crime, Histoire & Soci茅t茅s, 18(2) (2014), 85鈥�98.

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Week 9 鈥� Popular Literature and Theatre

Sin, William. 鈥淭he Water Margin, Moral Criticism, and Cultural Confrontation.鈥� Dao: a Journal of Comparative Philosophy, 16 (1) (2017), 95鈥�111.听

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Week 10 鈥� Maoism and Popular China

Womack, Brantly. 鈥淔rom Urban Radical to Rural Revolutionary: Mao from the 1920s to 1937.鈥� In A Critical Introduction to Mao, edited by Timothy Cheek, 61-86. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

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Week 11 鈥� The Origins and Development of Cinema in China

Berry, Chris. 鈥淩ed Poetics: The Films of the Chinese Cultural Revolution Revolutionary Model Operas.鈥� In The Poetics of Chinese Cinema, edited by Gary Bettinson & James Udden, 29-49. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.

听

Week 12 鈥� 鈥淧opular Greater China鈥�?

Lupke, Christopher. 鈥淩eflections on Situating Taiwan in Modern Chinese Cultural Studies.鈥� The Journal of Asian Studies, 71(1) (2012), 57鈥�61.听

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Additional General Bibliography:

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Adorno, Theodor W., Bernstein, J.M. (ed.),听The Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture, London: Routledge, 2001.

Allan, Sarah & Cohen, Alvin P. (ed.),听Legend, Lore, and Religion in China: Essays in Honor of Wolfram Eberhard on his Seventieth Birthday, San Francisco: Chinese Materials Center, 1979.
Benn, Charles D.,听Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty, Westport; Greenwood Press, 2002.

Besio, Kimberly & Tung, Constantine (ed.),听Three Kingdoms and Chinese Culture, Albany: State University of New York Press, 2007.

Birge, Bettine,听Women, Property, and Confucian Reaction in Sung and Y眉an China (960鈥�1368), Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Bodde, Derk,听Festivals in Classical China: New Year and Other Annual Observances During the Han Dynasty, 206 B.C.-A.D. 220, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1975.

Bordahl, Vibeke & Wan, Margaret B. (ed.),听The Interplay of the Oral and the Written in Chinese Popular Literature, Copenhagen, Denmark: Nias Press, 2010.
Chang, Chun-shu,听The Rise of the Chinese Empire, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2007.

Dien, Albert E. (ed.),听State and Society in Early Medieval China, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1991.

Eastman, Lloyd E.,听Family, Fields, and Ancestors: Constancy and Change in China's Social and Economic History, 1550-1949, New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Ebrey, Patricia & Walthall, Anne,听Pre-Modern East Asia: To 1800: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, (3rd ed.), Wadsworth Publishing Co., 2014.

Feuchtwang, Stephan,听Popular religion in China: The Imperial Metaphor, Richmond: Curzon, 2001.

Ge Liangyan,听Out of the Margins: The Rise of Chinese Vernacular Fiction, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2001.

Goldin, Paul Rakita,听The Culture of Sex in Ancient China, Honolulu: University of Hawai鈥檌 Press, 2002.

Hinsch, Bret,听Women in Early Imperial China, Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002.
Johnson, David [et al.] (ed.),听Popular Culture in Late Imperial China, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.

Johnson, Kay Ann,听Women, the Family, and Peasant Revolution in China, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985.

Ko, Dorothy,听Cinderella鈥檚 Sisters: A Revisionist History of Footbinding, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.

Kuhn, Philip A.,听Rebellion and its Enemies in Late Imperial China: Militarization and Social Structure, 1796-1864, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1980.

Lagerwey, John & Kalinowski, Marc (ed.),听Early Chinese Religion; Part 1: Shang Through Han (1250 BC--220 AD), 2 vol., Leiden & Boston: Brill, 2009.

Lewis, Mark Edward,听China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty, Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009.

Lewis, Mark Edward,听The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han, Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007.

Lewis, Mark Edward,听Sanctioned Violence in Early China, Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990.

Mair, Victor (ed.),听The Columbia History of Chinese Literature, New York: Columbia University Press, 2001.

Mcdermott, Joseph P.,听The Making of a New Rural Order in South China 鈥� I. Village, Land, and Lineage in Huizhou, 900鈥�1600, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Nadeau, Randall L. (ed.),听The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Chinese Religions, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2012.

Naquin, Susan,听Peking: Temples and City Life, 1400-1900, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.

Nienhauser William H. Jr. (ed.),听The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature, (vol.1), Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1986.

Robinson, David M.,听Bandits, Eunuchs, and the Son of Heaven: Rebellion and the Economy of Violence in Mid-Ming China, Honolulu: University of Hawai鈥檌 Press, 2001.
Ruan, Fangfu,听Sex in China: Studies in Sexology in Chinese Culture, New York: Plenum Press, 1991.

Seiwert, Hubert,听Popular Religious Movements and Heterodox Sects in Chinese History, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2003.

Spence, Jonathan D.,听Mao, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999.

Sommer, Matthew H.,听Sex, Law, and Society in Late Imperial China, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000.

Storey, John,听Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction, New York: Routledge, 2015.

Strinati, Dominic,听An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, London: Routledge, 2004.

Theiss, Janet M.,听Disgraceful Matters: The Politics of Chastity in Eighteenth-Century China, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004.

Van Gulik R.H.,听Erotic Colour Prints of the Ming Period, With an Essay on Chinese Sex Life from the Han to the Ch鈥檌ng Dynasty, B.C. 206-A.D. 1644, (vol.1) [1951], Leiden & Boston: Brill, 2004.

Waley, Arthur (tr.),听The Book of Songs听(1937), edited with additional translations by Joseph R. Allen, New York: Grove Press, 1996.

Wan, Margaret B.,听Green Peony and the Rise of the Chinese Martial Arts Novel, Albany: State University of New York Press, 2009.

Wang, Ping,听Aching for Beauty: Footbinding in China, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000.

Witkin, Robert W.,听Adorno on Popular Culture, London: Routledge, 2003.

Xiong, Victor Cunrui,听Sui-Tang Chang鈥檃n: A Study in the Urban History of Medieval China, Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan, 2000.

Xu Zhuoyun,听Ancient China in Transition: Analysis of Social Mobility, 722-222 B.C., Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1965.

Zhou Yiqun,听Festivals, Feasts, and Gender Relations in Ancient China and Greece, Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

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Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand the subtleties of fundamental sociocultural and historical developments in the history of China.
LO2. have stronger critical thinking skills, going beyond stereotypes and simplistic narratives.
LO3. reflect upon the ways in which cultural expression emerges in differing historical and social contexts.
LO4. have developed valid and effective research methodologies and an awareness of the importance of academic honesty.
LO5. present clearly and coherently your work in both written and oral assessments.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all 爆料王 graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one鈥檚 personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit is continually updated thanks to the input of student feedback.

Disclaimer

Important: the 爆料王 regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an .

爆料王

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

爆料王

ASNS3618: Popular China

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links