This seminar aims at enhancing students’ understanding and developing critical analysis of China’s spatial development. The course focuses mainly on the internal dynamics of China’s spatial structures. The course first looks at two major spatial issues in the pre-modern era: population-land and government-economy. The main focus of the course is on contemporary China’s spatial development, especially in relation to industrialization, urbanization and demography.
The main topics are: the rural-urban dual system, the spatial structures of the state and the economy, rural land and urbanization issues. The course draws on literature in geography and other social science disciplines. Each student is expected to complete weekly readings, participate in presentations and discussions, and prepare a research paper (or equivalent) of his/her choice in the 2nd half of the course.
Instructor’s homepage: http://faculty.washington.edu/kwchan/