2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EAST3020 Civil Society and the Non-Profit Sector in Contemporary China

20 creditsClass Size: 30

Module manager: Dr Caroline Fielder
Email: c.l.fielder@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module seeks to provide students with an understanding of the increasingly influential non-profit sector in China by highlighting the special political, economic and cultural context in which these groups have emerged. This module will also explore how these groups are contributing to the development of civil society both nationally and internationally, through an examination of the various ways in which civil society is both conceived of and operationalized in the Chinese context. As such this module will develop critical thinking and analytical skills in addition to helping students develop a more nuanced understanding of recent developments in the non-profit sector and in wider Chinese society.

Objectives

Drawing on a growing body of both theoretical work and materials gathered from case study organisations, the objective of this module is to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to civil society and the non-profit sector in contemporary Chinese society, enabling students to
- understand the on-going development and diversity of the sector;
- articulate some of the major theories surrounding the concept of civil society both in the Chinese and the wider global context;
- outline the major challenges and opportunities facing the development of the sector.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Critically engage with the major theories surrounding civil society;
- Identify historical and current understandings of civil society in a Chinese context;
- Identify a variety of both typologies and roles of non-profit organisations currently operating in China;
- Have an understanding of how the non-profit sector functions within Chinese society;
- Demonstrate skills of analysis and interpretation through seminar presentations, class discussion and a written assessment (essay).

Skills outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Identify historical and current understandings of civil society in the Chinese context;
- Critically engage with the major theories surrounding civil society in a Chinese context;
- Identify a variety of typologies and different roles of non-profit organisations operating in China;
- Have an understanding of how the non-profit sector functions within Chinese society;
- Demonstrate skills of analysis and interpretation through seminar presentations, class discussion and the writing of a 3,000 word essay.

Syllabus

The syllabus will enable students to critically engage with the topic through
- An examination of different definitions and understandings of 'civil society' in the Chinese context;
- An evaluation of the extent to which there is a 'space for civil society' in mainstream society, and what it means for various actors to 'engage' with it;
- An examination of shifts in the on-going development of the non-profit sector in China, including an exploration of the types of organisations operating in China (from GONGOs to grassroots organisations, international groups, social enterprises and faith based organisations) and the changes in attitudes towards charity, philanthropy and development that these represent;

The course will explore a number of case studies in order to highlight the limitations and opportunities created by recent developments in the non-profit sector.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	10	1.00	10.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

How independent learning is divided will typically vary from student to student but it is expected that it will include activities such as:

50 hours - reading for lectures
10 hours - post-lecture work (e.g. reading through and understanding notes, going over things not understood, working through any case study examples provided in class or further examples found in reading)
60 hours - preparation for seminars, including reading set texts, preparing questions as contributor and preparing for graded presentations
30 hours - preparation for un-graded submitted work (e.g. individual or group tasks set as homework)
30 hours - preparation and writing of essay

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Monitoring of student progress will be ongoing. Students will be provided with formative and summative assessment opportunities throughout the module. Summative assessment will be provided through a 3000 word essay (70%); poster and presentation (30%).

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Poster Presentation	Students will prepare a 1 page poster for display. Students will give a verbal presentation on their poster and respond to Q&A.	30.00
Essay	3,000 words	70.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:13:10

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