International Programs / Study Abroad

China

Art, Environment, and Urban Life in Contemporary China 

Modern-day China is possibly the most exciting place on earth, and is a center of rapid economic and social change. This course is intended to familiarize students with how these radical transformations express themselves in contemporary Chinese photography and cinema, and how the causes and consequences of China’s environmental challenges affect cities and urban living. Time is spent in Beijing and Guangzhou, allowing students to experience the cultural contrasts between the northern political capital and the southern center of economic development.  The class will also visit Hong Kong, a city that further demonstrates the diverse culture and economic landscape of China. While in China, students hear guest lectures from artists/filmmakers, architects, scholars, and members of China’s burgeoning environmental community. Students visit historical sites and examples of contemporary architecture that offer insights into China’s traditional approach to the relationship between humanity and nature. By interacting with China’s artists and environmentalists, students will gain both a better understanding of the issues surrounding the roles art, environmental degradation and gentrification all play in modern Chinese society.

*Note: This program will not be offered in December of 2009. Check back for updates on December 2010.

COURSES   

The program is led by Professor Phillip Stalley, who teaches PSC 359/PPS 397: China's Environmental Challenge, and Professor Chi Jang Yin, who teaches ART 293/DC 395/WMS 394: Social Perspectives: Film and Photography in Contemporary China. ART 395 will be cross-listed in the Digital Cinema department (DC 395: Topics in Production), Women's and Gender Studies (WMS 394) and Cities Minor as special topic class.  Courses fulfill the Arts and Literature and/or Experiential Learning requirements.  Class meetings during fall quarter introduce historical context in contemporary Chinese culture including the analysis of photography and film, and the current state of environmental protection in China.  For a final project, students will have the option of producing a research paper, a collection of photographs, or a short film/documentary.  These will be finished and presented during winter quarter.

PSC 359: China’s Environmental Challenge

 

Since the launch of the reform and opening era in 1978, no country has moved up the economic ladder as quickly as China.  Over the last three decades, China’s annual growth rate of 9 percent is faster than any country in history.  This economic expansion has returned China to prominence on the world stage and lifted 250 million people out of poverty. 

 

However, China’s rapid development has also placed a tremendous strain on the natural environment.  Sixteen of the twenty most polluted cities in the world are in China  and a recent World Bank report estimated that air pollution alone contributes to 750,000 premature deaths in China each year—a population roughly equivalent to that of San Francisco. This ecological strain has contributed to a host of social and political challenges including increasing migration, rising public health costs, and environmental protests, which in 2005 numbered more than 50,000.  The concern of many is that China’s current rate of environmental damage is not sustainable and threatens to reverse many of the achievements of the reform period.

 

This course is intended to familiarize students with the causes and consequences of China’s environmental challenge.  Before leaving for China, students will read seminal texts that provide both historical context and a sense of the current state of environmental protection in China.  In China, students will visit historical and cultural sites that offer insight into China’s traditional approach to the relationship between man and nature and meet with individuals active in China’s environmental community, including scholars, environmental activists, business representatives, and students.   By interacting with China’s environmental community, students will gain a better understanding of the extent of China’s environmental degradation and the manner in which problems are currently being addressed.

ART 293/DC 395/WMS 394: Social Perspectives: Film and Photography in Contemporary China

The course content will engage a wide range of issues such as the tension and history of the women’s rights movement, the reconstruction of values in gender and sexuality, and the ever-changing urban infrastructures in the economically driven culture. Film and photography are the rising new media for documenting and responding to social issues by scholars, filmmakers and artists expressing the Chinese experience. The methodology of this class will deconstruct and decode three common cultural stereotypes: American representations of China, Chinese official representations of itself, and universal representations of one’s experiences as a traveler. Through dialogue and cross-reading materials, we compare films, photography, sites/field trips, interviews and journalistic materials to search for the reality and social issues beneath the visual representation.

This course emphasizes the aesthetic, the theory and the hands-on experience of using video and photography during the trip (including a brief lecture on composition, framing and digital photography and/or possible video shooting techniques). We will share finished assignments in group critiques and reading discussions—in both cases, they will be the primary means of evaluation in class. In a critique, students will present their work for response and analysis in relation to the given assignment through a class discussion. This dialogue is intended to be evaluative, to provide constructive criticism and to develop critical thinking skills. This course is open to non-art majors and no prerequisite is required.

In the fall quarter, students will be given an orientation in contemporary Chinese culture, including historical readings on Confucianism, the status of women and family, and the analysis of photography and film. For a final project, students will have the option of producing a long paper, a collection of photographs, or a short film. These will be finished and presented during the winter quarter.

Circumstances, such as an unexpected event abroad or a curriculum change at a host institution, may require DePaul University to make changes to the program. DePaul University reserves the right to cancel or alter programs and courses without notice.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS   

In both Beijing and Guangzhou, students will reside in student dormitories, with two students sharing a room.

EXPENSES   

In addition to DePaul tuition for 8 credits, costs include a specific program fee. For updated information on specific program expenses click here:

For this program, the fee includes roundtrip airfare, all accommodations and local transportation, study abroad health insurance, some meals, and all group activities.

Students must plan their budgets to cover textbooks and supplies, additional meals, passport and visa fees, and personal expenses.

APPLICATION   

There is no language prerequisite. However, students must have at least a 2.5 GPA to participate in this program. To apply to this program, students must submit the following to the Study Abroad Program:

  • A completed DePaul Study Abroad Program application form
  • Two (2) recommendation forms from faculty familiar with your academic work.
  • A copy of the DePaul Unofficial Transcript.  This may be found on Campus Connect in the Students section under Records and Registration.
  • A digital photo uploaded into the application.

DePaul University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or handicap in admissions, employment or the provision of services. Inquiries regarding this policy should be addressed to the Director of Human Resources, 1 E. Jackson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604.

Application Deadline: May 15

Download Application