Module HIST2611: Power and Primacy: Sino-Japanese Relations in the Long Twentieth Century, 1894-2014

Department: History

HIST2611: Power and Primacy: Sino-Japanese Relations in the Long Twentieth Century, 1894-2014

Prerequisites

• • A pass mark in at least ONE level one module in History

Corequisites

• • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• • None

Aims

• To fulfil the generic aims for Level 2 History
• To provide an understanding, both general as well as detailed, of the unfolding of Sino-Japanese relations in the 20th Century
• To be able to better interpret relations between China and Japan, based on their shared past

Content

• This module focuses on the strenuous relation between China and Japan ever since the first Japanese aggression towards China at the end of the 19th century. After an introductory lecture on Sino-Japanese relations prior to this period, seven major events will be discussed in this module. These include, e.g., the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), Manchukuo, the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), Japan and the PRC, and the Diaoyu / Senkaku islands. These themes will have a “telescopic” structure, going from a bigger picture, to more detailed analysis. The first lecture of a theme gives an overview of the topic, the second lecture provides a case study within this theme, and then a seminar where this is discussed more in depth. The case studies and seminars will focus on aspects such as Chinese and Japanese “modernisation”, Pan-Asianism, the memory of Nanjing, and the most recent debates about the Diaoyu/Senkaku dispute. The module will also analyse the different sources historians have used to assess these relations, such as prints, memoirs, film, and literature. The overall aim is to understand both the overarching narrative of Sino-Japanese relations in the 20th century, as well as being able to carry out detailed analysis on a variety of sources within these events.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding and appreciating complexity in East Asian international relations
• Knowledge and understanding of Sino-Japanese relations from the first aggressions until the most recent
• The ability to understand power relations and international dynamics in East Asia

• http://www.dur.ac.uk/history.internal/local/ModuleProformaMap/Index.htm

• http://www.dur.ac.uk/history.internal/local/ModuleProformaMap/Index.htm

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Student learning is facilitated by a combination of the following teaching methods:
• lectures to set the foundations for further study and to provide the basis for the acquisition of subject specific knowledge. Lectures provide a broad framework which defines individual module content, introducing students to themes, debates and interpretations. In this environment, students are given the opportunity to develop skills in listening, selective note-taking and reflection;
• seminars to allow students to present and critically reflect upon the acquired subject-specific knowledge, methodologies and theories, and to identify and debate a range of issues and differing opinions. The seminar is the forum in which students are given the opportunity to communicate ideas, jointly exploring themes and arguments. Seminars are structured to develop understanding and designed to maximise student participation related to prior independent preparation. Seminars give students the opportunity to develop oral communication skills, encourage critical and tolerant approaches to reasoned argument and historical discussion, build the students' ability to marshal historical evidence, and facilitate the development of the ability to summarise historical arguments, think in a rapidly changing environment and communicate in a persuasive and articulate manner, whilst recognising the value of working with others and, occasionally, towards shared goals.
• Assessment:
• Summative essays remain a central component of assessment in history, due to the integrative high-order skills they develop. Essays allow students the opportunity to recognise, represent and critically reflect upon ideas, concepts and problems; students can demonstrate awareness of, and the ability to use and evaluate, a diverse range of resources and identify, represent and debate a range of subject-specific issues and opinions. Through the essay, students can synthesise information, adopt critical appraisals and develop reasoned argument based on individual research; they should be able to communicate ideas in writing, with clarity and coherence; and to show the ability to integrate and critically assess material from a wide range of sources.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One or more short assignments submitted in writing or delivered orally in a group seminar context.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University