Mass Culture: China

This course examines the important role of mass culture in modern China. Our interest in “mass culture” will be twofold. First, we will consider the development and cultural impact of media technologies and media objects geared towards a mass audience. Second, we will explore the notion of “the masses” as a conceptual framework through which Chinese cultural producers and intellectuals, both before and after the 1949 revolution, made sense of the world and their place in it. Materials to be discussed include literature, film, visual art, and music from the late imperial period to the present day.

This course examines the important role of mass culture in modern China. Our interest in “mass culture” will be twofold. First, we will consider the development and cultural impact of media technologies and media objects geared towards a mass audience. Second, we will explore the notion of “the masses” as a conceptual framework through which Chinese cultural producers and intellectuals, both before and after the 1949 revolution, made sense of the world and their place in it. Materials to be discussed include literature, film, visual art, and music from the late imperial period to the present day.