Undergraduate Seminar: Communication and Social Change in China

This course (click here for the syllabus) uses communications as an entry point to assess China’s dynamic political-economic circumstances, socio-cultural environments, and global geo-political relations. To offer an understanding of particular media and communication conditions in China, this course also examines local policies, institutions, and power relations. The course, therefore, is divided into four sections:

1) China’s market reform;
2) Mass media, the state, and capitals;
3) Telecommunications, the Internet, and creative industries;
4) Future trends.

The goal is to develop conceptual frameworks through which students can critically understand China’s contradictory and dynamic realities and, thereby, build resilience to act well in face of confusing business environments.

Course Goals
• To examine how power relations and social processes influence the development of communication and information technologies;
• To understand regulations and policies relevant to communications within the contexts of China;
• To analyze the social, political, and cultural implications of media and communications on Chinese society;
• To offer students opportunities to reflect and write critically about China’s trends in a global context;
• To develop ways in which people can make sense of China’s contradictory and dynamic realities and, thereby, build resilience to act well in face of confusing business environments.

Click here to learn more about Professor Hong. Write to her at hong1@usc.edu.