Environmental China: Nature, History, and Crisis

Catalog description

What are the historical roots of China’s contemporary environmental dilemmas? This course examines China’s environments as created by and mediated through historical, cultural, political, economic, and social forces both internal and external to the country. As a class, we will explore China’s humanistic traditions regarding the concept of nature, its history of environmental practices, 20th-century environmental crises resulting from rapid regional development and globalization, and most recently, Chinese environmental activism and innovations in green technology. There are no prerequisites for this course. Satisfies a major requirement in History. Satisfies a major requirement in East Asian Studies. Satisfies a major requirement in Environmental Studies. Satisfies a minor requirement in History. Satisfies a minor requirement in Chinese Studies. Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in East Asian Studies. Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Environmental Studies. Meets the Historical Thought requirement. Meets the Cultural Diversity requirement.