China: Culture and Language
This program brings American and Chinese university students together to compare communitarian and individualist cultures. Comparative sociology courses are taught by a Geneseo faculty member and Elementary Chinese I is taught by a Sun Yat-Sen University instructor. In addition to living and studying with Chinese students at Sun Yat-Sen University, American students will travel to Hong Kong, a Guangdong agricultural village, Xi'an, and Beijing.
Fast Facts
| Program Type: | Faculty led |
| Term/Duration: | Summer/4 weeks |
| Summer 2013 Dates: | May 20 - June 14, 2013 |
| Summer 2013 Course Offerings: | SOCL 378, SOCL 105, and CHIN 101 |
| Credits: | 3 per course (3 or 6) |
| Application Fee: | $20 |
| Estimated Program Fees: | $5800 |
| Tuition: | $696/1392 NYS Residents $1854/3708 Non-NYS Residents |
| Application Deadline: | March 15 |
Program Details
The program facilitates American student interaction with Chinese university students in the classroom, in social settings, and in planned cultural excursions and historical tours. During the program, field trips include a weekend in Hong Kong and an overnight visit to a Guangdong village. The program ends with visits to the Terra Cotta Warriors museum and Imperial burial grounds in Xi'an, and the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Peoples Market in Beijing.
See the Tentative Program Calendar (link to the right) for specific information about daily activities.
Setting
Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, is located 120 km northwest of Hong Kong on the Pearl River. The city dates back to the Qin Dynasty in 206 BC when it was known as Panyu. By the 18th century, traders from around the world sailed to Panyu. Mondern-day Guangzhou remains a major Asian manufacturing and transportation hub and trading port with a population of 12+ million. Local artisanal products include jade and wood carvings, enamels, and embroideries. Mosques, temples, parks, and museums are accessible by state-of-the-art metro, bus, air, railway, and river transport. Traditional markets interlace modern high rises to make this a vibrant urban center.
Course Offerings
Summer 2013:
SOCL 378: Senior Seminar: Communitarian/Individualistic Societies: Explores economic, cultural, and social modernization as a shift from a communitarian to individualist society, focusing on devlopment in China. Course instruction will be English.
SOCL 105: S/M/Introduction to Social Change: Examines social, economic, and political changes that affect daily life in developing nations with a focus on Asia. Course instruction will be in English.
CHIN 101: Elementary Chinese I: Introduces the structure and sound of the Mandarin language. Develops the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This course is designed for students who have never studied the Chinese language before.
