HIST 346 The Transformation of Urban and Rural China

China is now undergoing one of the fastest rates of urbanization in world history. Just thirty years ago, about 80% of the Chinese population lived in the countryside, mostly working in agriculture. Today, China's population is over half urban, and the CCP has announced a new plan to speed up the urbanization process so that by 2020, 60% will be urban. Furthermore, well over 100 million migrants travel back and forth between the countryside and the city each year. While these numbers are impressive in and of themselves, it can be hard to understand what they mean for individuals, for particular social groups, and for the changing rural and urban landscapes. Nonetheless, this shift from a predominantly rural population to an urban focused society is both ambitious and fraught with problems. This class aims to give an in-depth and up­-close look at this amazing social transformation through readings, class lectures, film, research projects, and, most importantly, in-country experience. This course begins with a short semester on campus at Occidental and continues with a three­-week trip to China, including a home­stay with a rural household. Permission of instructor required.