Is China a state? Is it a nation? Is it a culture defined by a language? Or is it still something else? What do teenagers practicing tai ji quan at American schools and Chinese Christians have in common? How is the Belt and Road initiative reshaping our world? This major invites you to ask and attempt to answer questions like this. If you think you know what Chinese history, politics and religion are, the Global China Studies curriculum is aimed at making you question your previous assumptions. Our interdisciplinary core starts from the assumption that “China” has a lot of meanings. Because of this, you can decide how you approach the interdisciplinary core, choosing from courses divided into 4 core themes: statehood, visual culture and history, economy and trade, and language. Whatever path through the core you chart though, you will gain a broad and interdisciplinary understanding of China.

Culture and movements are interdependent areas of inquiry studied across the social sciences and humanities that are relevant for understanding current events, the drivers of and possibilities for change in the world. Culture refers to the ways people imagine and construct their worlds, make and experience meaning, act and interact with each other and the material objects that shape their lives. Movements refer to the ways in which people conceive and contribute to societal change. The study of cultures and movements engages the question of what sustains socio-cultural orders, including those relating to gender, religion, racial and economic inequalities, and how do these systems change? Studies in cultures and movements include analysis of the ways that values and ethical norms, knowledge, economic and political systems and institutions emerge and evolve. By adding a temporal dimension to the study of culture and society, the Cultures and Movements stream reflects on where a society has been and where it may go in the future.