Chinese Studies Commons^™

Talk Shows And Language Attitudes: A Sociolinguistic Investigation Of Language Attitudes Towards Taiwan Mandarin Among Chinese Mainlanders, Chun-Yi Peng

All Graduate Works by Year: Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation looks at the effects of media exposure and language ideologies on Mandarin speakers’ acceptability judgments. Although there is a long-standing tradition against citing media exposure as a source of language variation, I show that 1) media exposure to a non-local perceptually salient variant can make people more likely to rate non-local linguistic features as grammatically acceptable, and 2) media exposure shapes people’s language attitudes—a new alignment of attitudes is emerging among the millennials on the mainland.

Data were collected through an online survey consisting of grammaticality judgments, matched-guise tasks, open-ended attitudinal questions, and demographic questions. The ...

The Moon Festival And The Stories Behind, Haiwang Yuan

DLPS Faculty Publications

A presentation that traces the evolution of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival with regard to the elements that were added to the myth of the moon fairy and other elements needed for the celebration of the festival such as the moon cake and examines the differences between the Western and Chinese view of and attitude toward the Moon in history through English and Chinese literature.

The Evolving Animal Rights And Welfare Debate In China: Political And Social Impact Analysis, Peter J. Li

Peter J. Li, Ph.D.

In the past few years, a new debate has erupted in mainland China. This debate focuses on animal rights, animal welfare and animal treatment in general. In the not too distant past, such subjects were conveniently rejected as unworthy of serious academic attention. China’s rapid economic changes, increasing societal activism on environmental issues, continuous influx of foreign ideas and a rising societal awareness of the rights for the disadvantaged, including the nonhuman animals, are impacting the agendas of public discussions. Directly triggering this public debate were several highly publicized animal cruelty incidents involving, for example, five bears at Beijing ...

The Scarlet Letter And The Red Star: Hawthorne's Appeal To China's Students Of American Literature, Geoffrey Kain

Geoffrey Kain

Having taught numerous works of American literature -- novels, short stories, essays, poems -- for two and a half years to junior and senior undergraduates and graduate students of English literature and language in two Chinese universities (Fuzhou University and Xiamen University, both in the southeastern coastal province of Fujian, during 1984-1985 and 1986-1988), I have been struck by the almost unanimous recognition of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as the students' "number one." Other major works have their own peculiar merits, but none measures up to Hawthorne's novel. Huckleberry Finn? Noteworthy chiefly because of Huck's daring involvement in Black ...

The Development Of Chinese Feminism On Weibo, Mengmeng Liu

Global Honors Theses

Developed from Western feminism(s), Chinese feminism is based on a belief in gender equality. This paper unwraps a brief history of the development of Chinese feminism through the aspects of Confucianism and communism, which reinforced patriarchy as the dominant ideology in the society. Under the influence of Confucianism, the traditional culture in China considers women as reproductive tools, and believes that men are superior to women. The patriarchy essentially undermines the development of Chinese feminism that has influenced not only the imbalanced gender distribution in modern society, but also people’s perspectives on Chinese feminism. However, compared to their ...

Change And Stasis In Dream Of The Red Chamber, Geoffrey Kain

Geoffrey Kain

“Hung-lou Meng, or Dream of the Red Chamber, stands as China’s greatest contribution to the world’s vast store of prose fiction. The eighteenth-century work, attributed to Cao Xue Qin is remarkable not only for its sheer volume but for the insight it affords into the intricacies of the old Chinese family structure, as well as into the way of life of a wealthy family having connections with the imperial court. Cao Xue Qin provides a detailed, expansive description of events within the two linked, great households of the extended Jia family, introduction hundreds of characters and chronicling the ...

World Churches Vertical File, Center For Restoration Studies

Center for Restoration Studies Vertical Files Finding Aids

This set of files is especially useful to scholars of the history missions, particularly among Churches of Christ in the twentieth century. Students and researchers interested in applied missiology among Restorationist traditions, Stone-Campbell movements, and Churches of Christ will also find them helpful. For assistance with specific files or items, contact Mac Ice - mac.ice@acu.edu, or 325.674.2144.

The Price Of Cosmopolitanism: Globalization, Class Structure, And Language Endangerment In Shanghai, Fang Xu

All Graduate Works by Year: Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Over the last two decades, Shanghai has experienced an unprecedented transformation, as China’s economic globalization and urban expansion have increased rapidly. Looking beyond statistics and architectural spectacles, I examine a seemingly personal choice in Shanghai, speaking Putonghua Mandarin, the official language, or the Shanghai dialect. This study contextualizes the contested urban linguistic space, and illustrates the political, social, and cultural conditions in this China’s globalizing city.

Through archival research, fifty in-depth interviews, two hundred and fifty survey questionnaires, and ethnographic fieldwork in Shanghai in the fall and winter of 2013, I document the impact of three sets of ...

Evolving Patterns: Conflicting Perceptions Of Cultural Preservation And The State Of Batik’S Cultural Inheritance Among Women Artisans In Guizhou, China, Katherine B. Uram

Lawrence University Honors Projects

My exploration features Miao batik-making in Guizhou Province and explores several sets of overlapping questions. The first set focuses on the status of the craft of Miao batik-making and the perceptions of its future. Is batik-making a dying art form? To what extent is Batik-making a thriving cultural practice today, or do Miao in China (and other ethnic groups involved in batik-making) perceive an inheritance crisis? My next focus is on the role of institutions and the tourism industry. If taught less and less in the domestic sphere (traditions passed from mother to daughter), what role do public domains such ...

莫言小說《蛙》與多重權力—— 話語衝突中有關生育的文化記憶建構 / Mo Yan’S 莫言 Frog 蛙 And Competing Discourses On The Reconstruction Of Cultural Memory On Birth And Birth Control, 同路 李

World Languages and Cultures Publications

本文以莫言小說《蛙》為例，探討有關生育的傳統文化記憶在現 代啟蒙運動中如何被邊緣化，又如何支持了農民對計劃生育過程中國 家採取的暴力手段的抵抗，以及最終在新自由主義經濟發展時期如何 以類似宗教信仰的物化形式被重新啟動。文章認為，計劃生育不只是 一個社會政治實踐，更是一個文化實踐。這一實踐折射出了整個二十 世紀現代啟蒙運動、民族─國家重建、社會主義實踐，以及市場化過 程中科學理性、信仰以及暴力之間複雜的內在關聯。當國家以現代性 觀念將計劃生育这一暴力政策合法化時，農民則借助了基於「天理」 等傳統觀念的久被壓抑的文化記憶對其進行抵抗。

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Taking Mo Yan’s 莫言 novel Frog 蛙 as a principal example, this article explores the ways in which the traditional cultural memory of birth is marginalized, the ways in which such memory endorses the farmers’ resistance to state violence in birth control, and the ways in which it is revitalized in a quasi-religious form in the era of the market economy. It argues that birth control is not only a sociopolitical practice, but ...

How Liberal Korean And Taiwanese Textbooks Portray Their Countries’ “Economic Miracles”, Frances Chan

Student Work

A 2015-2016 William Prize for best essay in East Asian Studies was awarded to Frances Chan (Timothy Dwight College '16) for her essay submitted to the Department of History, “How Liberal Korean and Taiwanese Textbooks Portray their Countries’ “Economic Miracles”.” (Peter C. Perdue, Professor of History, advisor.)

Frances Chan’s essay “How Liberal Korean and Taiwanese Textbooks Portray their Countries’ “Economic Miracles,” is a fascinating exploration of the creation of historical memory as seen in textbooks on the history of postwar economic development in Korea and Taiwan. Drawing on her remarkable linguistic skills in both Korean and Chinese, she compares ...

The Creation Of Daoism, Paul Fischer

Paul Fischer

This paper examines the creation of Daoism in its earliest, pre-Eastern Han period. After an examination of the critical terms "scholar/master" and "author/ school", I argue that, given the paucity of evidence, Sima Tan and Liu Xin should be credited with creating this tradition. The body of this article considers the definitions of Daoism given by these two scholars and all of the extant texts that Liu Xin classified as "Daoist." Based on these texts, I then suggest an amended definition of Daoism. In the conclusion, I address the recent claim that the daojia /daijiao dichotomy is false, speculating ...

The History Of Chinese Cybersecurity: Current Effects On Chinese Society Economy, And Foreign Relations, Vaughn C. Rogers

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Chinese cybersecurity has become an infamous topic in the field of cybersecurity today, causing a great deal of controversy. The controversy stems from whether or not censorship is hindering Chinese economy, society, and relationships with other countries. The White Papers (中国政府白皮书), the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国宪法), and The Internet in China (中国互联网状况) all suggest that there is a free flow of Internet both within and without China that promotes peaceful socioeconomic development which the Chinese government seeks to promote. But is China sacrificing lucrative business prospects to secure their country? From whom is China securing ...

De-Westernizing The Far East, Jericho K. Kakaio-Edwards

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Isolated by the Tibetan highlands which frame Yunnan’s northwest fringes, the ethnic minorities who call the region home live in rural settings ranging from rice-terraced fields to tropical forests; lifestyle unchanged for hundreds of years. However, with globalization causing an exposure to western standards of living, in conjunction with the country’s predisposition towards all things foreign, the people of Yunnan have begun forgoing generations of vernacular architecture in favor of modern materials and regionally defunct construction methods. Here, we will seek to address this foible of architectural development by offering theoretical construction methods for housing types found throughout ...

From Chang-E To Xiaomi, Teaching Culture In “90% Plus” Chinese Classrooms, Yinshun Wang

Faculty Publications & Research

ACTFL 5Cs have been widely adopted by many Chinese programs. However, the culture elements, both traditional and contemporary, have mostly been brought into the classroom in English in order to help non-heritage learners understand and experience the intricate cultural contents, especially in lower level classrooms. This session will present various strategies to integrate culture into a target language-rich curriculum. From the legend of Chang-e and the four great inventions of ancient China to Gaokao (College Entrance Exam) and social norms influenced by the social media in modern China, the presenters will share essential questions and various innovative unit designs incorporating ...

Authenticity In Chinese Minority Popular Music: A Case Study Of Shanren, A Multi-Ethnic Indie Band, Xiaorong Yuan

Excellence in Performing Arts Research

This paper focuses on the ethnic minority indie music band, Shanren, which presents a representative example of such musicians and their association with authenticity and culture in modern China. Ethnic minority indie bands are interested in shaping their own identity in contrast to the officially promoted minority music scene found in mainstream media. Shanren, as an example, seeks to represent themselves as connected with “nature and reality,” instead of being motivated by modern trends in music and culture. They achieve a sense of authenticity through visual (instruments, movements, clothing and album cover art) and aural (vocal and instrument timbre, music ...

The Unintended Legacy Of Hellenism: The Development And Dissemination Of The Buddha Image, Chukyi Kyaping

History Honors Papers

This paper traces the development and evolution of the Buddha image from the first century CE in Gandhara to the fifth century CE in Luoyang, China and discusses the circumstances that allowed the image to adapt to different cultural environments. The emergence of the Buddha image marked a significant shift in the perception of the Buddha himself, through which Buddhism had effectively transformed from a philosophy into a religion.

Due to the syncretic nature of the Gandhari region, the Buddha image incorporated elements from multiple cultures, most notably from the Hellenistic artistic tradition. The dissemination of the Buddha image, traced ...

Liuzhou Fantastic Stones Museum, Weiwen Huang, Rex Wirth, Mei Zhang

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

The natural beauty of its landscapes and rivers underpin China’s culture. For thousands of years the rivers along with other geological forces have fashioned natural artifacts that capture this cultural history. The Hongshuihe is a magical river that flows across northern Guangxi Province into the Liujiang River just south of Liuzhou City. The unique physics of this River produce natural art in the form of ornamental stones. Because these stones served traditionally as tribute, they became part of the context of Chinese history and cultural development. Interest in these natural treasures rekindled in Liuzhou in the wake of the ...

China, Rebalance, And The “Silent War”, John Linantud

International Social Science Review

Based on Victor Corpus' Silent War (1989), this paper re-introduces strategic analysis and political geography to the study of nationalist-leftist insurgencies in the Philippines. National geography and changes in the geopolitics of Southeast Asia have, and will continue, to create the strategic context for guerilla wars and the rival end games of Manila and insurgents. In 1898-99 and 1941-45, for example, the geopolitical center of gravity passed over Central Luzon and led to the regime changes desired by insurgents. Since 1945, the geopolitical center of gravity has bypassed Luzon, an external development which has provided a tremendous advantage to counterinsurgents ...

The Life Of The Factory? Or The Life Of The Farm? That Is The Question., Adam C. Mcelwain, Bethany Lutwin

Migration in Global Context Symposium

Abstract: The focus of this lesson on Global Migration is the emotion behind young women’s decision to leave for the city and work in the factory, or stay in their hometown. Both have an opportunity cost for a life that may be better. The essential question is “Is it better to be a factory girl who has emigrated to the city or a country girl living and working on a farm?” Students will examine the motivation behind leaving the country for a factory job in the city or staying behind and working in a rural setting like a farm ...