This course provides a historical narrative of popular cultures from the earlier twentieth-century to contemporary China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other transnational Chinese communities. We discuss several important themes in Chinese literary and cultural history of the last hundred years, including the dynamics between cultural production, media technology, and political discourses, the shifting boundaries between the 'serious' and the 'popular,' the correlation between literature and other cultural genres, and media cultures in a transnational context. Offered in seminar format in a multimedia environment.

Junior, senior, or graduate standing, and consent of instructor. No previous knowledge of Chinese is required or assumed, although any previous course work in literature, culture, history, or critical theories will be helpful.