大中華地區研究榮譽社會科學學士（2023/24學年起停辦）
主修科目
Foundation Courses: Theoretical Framework for Social Sciences and Greater China Studies
This course provides a basic introduction to the concepts of research in social sciences, in particular policy studies. They will be exposed to research concepts and proper citation methods; how to begin with a research topic; different research methods, ethical principles and challenges, and the elements of research process within quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches. Participants will use these theoretical underpinnings to critically review literature relevant to their interests and how research findings are interpreted to support their objectives in exploring the research topic. This course also provides a brief introduction to social innovation as a form of action research. Skills for problem identification and problem analysis will be introduced as a start point of conducting a social innovation project.
This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the study of Greater China. All aspects of Greater China will be examined, including the emergence of Greater China, the concept of Greater China, economic integration within Greater China, Hong Kong and Taiwan popular culture, Greater China and the Chinese overseas. Important recent developments like the economic rise of China and its impact on Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau will also be addressed. In better understanding Greater China, the course will also explore issues that all states in the Greater China region face, with a special attention to the process of democratization. The course will deal with the role of international actors in shaping Greater China’s development. The course will also give an introduction to the development of the sphere of social innovation and social entrepreneurship in Greater China over the last decade.
The course aims to provide students a macro view of understanding human behaviour from collective models. This course will examine various theoretical perspectives, sociological concepts and methodologies related to the systematic study of individuals and societies in both macroscopic and microscopic levels of analysis. Students will be exposed to major theoretical traditions in social theory and as the course unfolds, how these theoretical perspectives can be utilized to evaluate our social world. Students will discover the relationship between individuals and society, and explore their roles within the family, school, religion, peer groups, and in other social systems with a critical thought. Students will also explore the emergence of social innovation as one of responses to issues of major social concern in contemporary times.
When governments make high-quality decisions, development becomes more likely and sustainable. This course introduces the theories and practices of institutional decision making by exposing students to real world developmental problems in the Greater China region. The theories highlight the importance of focus, discipline, and passion when making significant decisions in an institutional setting. Meanwhile, the case studies cover some of the most pressing developmental issues in the Greater China region, such as corruption, education, pollution, healthcare, and housing. Students complete the course with practical knowledge and skills to frame policy problems, set policy goals, develop innovative solutions, analyze probabilistic information, make choices under uncertainty, and ensure commitment to development plans.
This course serves as a foundation course in the study of politics and governance. Various concepts of politics, governance, major political ideas and basic operations of a government will be introduced. It follows with empirical exploration of political and governance issues tackled by states. Case studies cover national and local levels. In particular, issues of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau of the Greater China region will be discussed to illustrate the concepts. Social innovation in governance in Greater China will also be explored. After taking this course, students will understand the multidimensional and multidisciplinary nature of the concepts of politics and governance; identify the complex relationships between governance and policy; and explore the challenges of governance faced by the states in Greater China region.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the main analytic debates on the field of gender and development from different perspectives and relate these debates especially on Asia. Four institutional domains (households, family and kinship, the market, the community and the state) through which gender relations are both defined and transformed receive separate attention. Students will be introduced to the patriarchal structures of society that have shaped and categorized gender roles and status, through a range of psychological and sociological discourses, including Politics, Literature, the Media, Religion, Race and Medicine. The focus on issues of rate will include the structures, processes and mechanisms whereby gender as a social division is produced and reproduced. An introductory survey of conceptual approaches to gender is followed by a treatment of central topics which include: the move from WID (women in development) to GAD (gender and development) as critical perspectives in development studies, conceptual approaches to households, men and masculinities in development, globalization and women’s employment, gender, state and governance, women’s movements and state-civil society relations, gender, conflict and post-conflict, and finally an appraisal of prospects for gender-aware planning and empowerment, through studying cases across Asia.
The course seeks to provide students with an understanding of China’s changing role in the world affairs since the economic reforms and open door policy in 1978. This requires first of all some historical knowledge of the linkage between Chinese domestic and foreign relations, with an emphasis on the developmental trajectory of China and the associated concepts, ideologies and theories of self-reliance, modernization, democracy, Chinese style socialism and China’s peaceful rise through to the present day. The second part will cover the most recent politico-economic relationship of China with the world, including the impact of globalization on China, the dynamic of China’s domestic developments and international relations, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and China’s relations with other major powers (US, Russia, Japan, India). This course will cover leadership training which is critical for addressing the power struggles among China and other global leaders in the world. This echoes an initiative by Department of Asian and Policy Studies to integrate social innovation into every core course on the BGCS programme. It is because leadership is also critical to success of a social venture.
The course seeks to provide students with an understanding of China’s changing role in the world affairs since the economic reforms and open door policy in 1978. This requires first of all some historical knowledge of the linkage between Chinese domestic and foreign relations, with an emphasis on the developmental trajectory of China and the associated concepts, ideologies and theories of self-reliance, modernization, democracy, Chinese style socialism and China’s peaceful rise through to the present day. The second part will cover the most recent politico-economic relationship of China with the world, including the impact of globalization on China, the dynamic of China’s domestic developments and international relations, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and China’s relations with other major powers (US, Russia, Japan, India). This course will cover leadership training which is critical for addressing the power struggles among China and other global leaders in the world. This echoes an initiative by Department of Asian and Policy Studies to integrate social innovation into every core course on the BGCS programme. It is because leadership is also critical to success of a social venture.
This course serves as a foundation course in the study of politics and governance. Various concepts of politics, governance, major political ideas and basic operations of a government will be introduced. It follows with empirical exploration of political and governance issues tackled by states. Case studies cover national and local levels. In particular, issues of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau of the Greater China region will be discussed to illustrate the concepts. Social innovation in governance in Greater China will also be explored. After taking this course, students will understand the multidimensional and multidisciplinary nature of the concept of politics and governance, identify the complex relationships between governance and policy and explore the challenges of governance faced by the states in Greater China region.
In this course, students will study the concepts of education development and its related issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. Various theories and perspectives of education development will be explored and supplemented to facilitate the understanding of the role of education in social, economic, cultural and political development.
Another important theme of this course is in reference to the complexity of education development issues that are tackled by the stakeholders in Greater China at national and local levels. Case studies specific to Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau will be provided in the course and students are required to apply the research skills and/or use a social innovation perspective to solve the issues presented in the case studies.
Comparative Development in Greater China
The social sciences encompass diverse concerns of society and include a wide range of contents drawn from multiple disciplines; it also carries a normative responsibility to examine human values embedded in specific social contexts. This course is designed to help students acquire foundation knowledge and pedagogical skill essential for teaching social sciences curriculum in primary and secondary schools. The course focuses on four themes, the scope of social sciences curriculum, pedagogical issues arising from specific social and school contexts, teaching strategies to lead effective teaching and teaching-research relationship in social sciences curriculum. An additional theme is the principles of social innovation education in primary and secondary schools and case studies are used to facilitate the understanding of the principles. Students are expected to bring their school experience and social sciences knowledge acquired from earlier stage of the programme into the development of pedagogical skills and the design of a meaningful social sciences curriculum.
This course aims to enable students to have opportunities to take an explicitly comparative perspective to understanding major issues related to economic and social development in the Greater Chinese region. The course will engage students in a critical analysis of key development issues and challenges in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, with particular emphasis on examining policy responses to the challenges in these Chinese societies. With consideration of continuing development challenges, the course aims to introduce students to the question of whether economic growth can contribute to a more equitable distribution of income and wealth, whether and how government policies can expand and improve accessibility to public services (especially for vulnerable groups), and whether and how economic development can be sustainable. Students will also look at issues pertaining to development from a social innovation perspective.
This course aims to enable students to have opportunities to take an explicitly comparative perspective to understanding major issues related to economic and social development in the Greater Chinese region. The course will engage students in a critical analysis of key development issues and challenges in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, with particular emphasis on examining policy responses to the challenges in these Chinese societies. With consideration of continuing development challenges, the course aims to introduce students to the question of whether economic growth can contribute to a more equitable distribution of income and wealth, whether and how government policies can expand and improve accessibility to public services (especially for vulnerable groups), and whether and how economic development can be environmentally sustainable. Students will also look at issues pertaining to development from a social innovation perspective.
This course enables students to understand the pattern, process and dynamics of urbanization, and its implications for policy and governance in the greater China region where cities are growing at exceedingly rapid pace and unprecedented scale. Important topics to be discussed will include level and trend of urbanization, urban development strategy, rural-urban migration, household registration system, structural and spatial change of urban system, urban spatial restructuring, globalizing cities and so on. Emphasis will be place on the interaction among state, market and society and its implications for the (re)production of urban space in greater China. This course will equip students with the knowledge essential to understanding the main features and uniqueness of urbanization in the greater China region in the current era of globalization. In addition, students will examine some of the urban problems from a social innovation perspective.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is transforming development. This course provides an in-depth examination of a key pillar for the initiative: the Southeast Asian region. It begins with an overview of the political, economic, and social developments among the Southeast Asian countries after the WWII, highlighting how their unique historical backgrounds and institutional configurations have contributed to diversified developmental trajectories. The course then directs students to focus on the interaction and cooperation between the region and China. Students are expected to critically evaluate the social and political transformations of the region, the interplay between business and state actors in development, as well as the opportunities and challenges of China’s overseas infrastructure investment projects.
The relationship between the environment and socio-economic development has become a major political and cultural concern, with global interest and attention focused intently upon the critical challenges faced by both the developing and developed countries. This course aims to consider the scientific knowledge required to understand the inter-relations between development and environment in the greater China and international contexts. In the process, it will equip students with various transferable skills enquired to facilitate environmental education. Covering a wide range of topics, from global climate change to local environmental issues, the emphasis of the course will be upon understanding local, regional, national and international approaches to environmental issues which are in the main attributable to socioeconomic development and lifestyles. and the course then attempts to incorporate a deeper awareness of these issues into development planning, public policy making, and management. Students will also explore the degree to which political factors, social innovation and cultural values contribute to sustainability.
This course focuses on several key topics in education and society in Greater China, bringing together issues of education policy and reform, social inequality, diverse populations, higher education, globalization, social innovation, and economic, political, and social development. The course takes an explicitly comparative approach with each of the issues examined through case studies of different societies within Greater China. Largely student-centered, the course is structured around student-guided discussions of assigned readings, with the goal of encouraging the drawing of conclusions about important educational issues from the comparison of different cases. Through preparation for discussions and their final assignments, students will develop independent inquiry skills to explore the interrelationships between education and social phenomena. They will also explore the role that social innovation may play in addressing social issues related to education and society in Greater China.
This course is designed to introduce students to the concepts, theories, trends and issues essential for understanding curriculum and pedagogy in educational systems in Greater China. Some of the trends and issues will be investigated from a social innovation perspective. Designed primarily for social science rather than education students, the course encourages students to put a greater focus on understanding trends, analyzing issues and where possible developing insights on curriculum and pedagogy topics such as the influence of internet and computer technology.
Comparative Policy and Governance
This course is designed to introduce students to the role and function of the politics and law in shaping social transitions in four geographic regions of Greater China, i.e., Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. The course will familiarize students with the concepts, issues and perspectives essential for understanding the politics and law in Greater China, with focus on the key issues of political authority, political decision making, the rule of the law, law-making machinery, and the relationships among the state, political party, and lawmaking institutions in shaping political and legal issues in the specific social contexts in the four Chinese societies. The course will engage participants in a critical and comparative analysis of these issues and their impact on social transitions in Greater China. The course will first examine concepts and theories on political culture and political decision making. The second part will review the historical development of politics and legislation in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. The third part will compare the similarities and differences in the political structures and legal systems in specific social contexts in Greater China. Based on the comparative analysis, the fourth part will engage students in exploring the role and function of politics and law in shaping social development in the four Chinese societies.
This course explores major social policy challenges and issues confronting the societies in Asia, with a particular focus on Greater China. Adopting a comparative approach in analyzing policy formation and implementation, this course will enable students to understand the most recent developments related to major social policies like education, health, social welfare, labour and housing policies in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and other selected societies in Asia. This course also introduces students to new policy areas, such as social innovation policies and social enterprise policies. Students will be engaged in comparing and contrasting major social policy issues of selected Asian societies, and appreciating the complexity of policy formation implementation and evaluation from comparative perspectives.
This course will scrutinize the historical development, political and economic characteristics and importance of the regional cooperation in Greater China. The course begin by outlining the main theoretical approaches (realism, pluralism, idealism and globalism) that are used to examine the regional cooperation, the existence of different type of regional cooperation, and various strategies for its maintenance and for improving its quality. The second part of the course focuses on the institutional system of the regional cooperation in Greater China, with special attention of the interaction between different actors in the region. From a social innovation perspective, students will explore the possibility of fostering regional cooperation at the sub-state level. The final part is concerned with the challenges facing the regional cooperation in Greater China and how the governments in the region use organizations and policy coordination to respond to the challenges.
This course serves to provide students with a foundational knowledge about the development issues and challenges confronting major societies in Greater China, with particular reference to discuss how different economic development strategies adopted by Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have affected social development of these societies. Students will be engaged in studying how civil society has emerged and developed in these societies, especially examining how and what major approaches/measures that the governments have adopted to manage the growing complexity of social problems, the autonomization of society and the changing role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Experiential Learning in Greater China
The Comparative Education Field Visit is a required component of the programme providing students a first opportunity to put into practice the research skills they have learned in the Foundation Stage to engage in a small-scale group project. Held during the summer semester, this course aims at enhancing students’ awareness of the importance of policy and governance in global and regional affairs. Through collaboration with other university partners throughout Asia, students are expected to actively engage in the interactive learning environment where international and local students combine knowledge acquired from lectures and seminars with investigation of problems and prospects of Greater China in the Asian context. Students will participate in field trips and professional visits to government offices, international non-profit organizations, political parties, think tanks, social services and environmental protection organizations. Renowned businessmen, community leaders, prominent scholars will also be invited as guest speakers for lectures and professional visits.
The Comparative Field Visit is a required component of the program providing students a first opportunity to put into practice the research skills they have learned in the Foundation Stage to engage in a small-scale group project. Held during the summer semester, this course aims at enhancing students’ awareness of the importance of policy and governance in global and regional affairs. Through collaboration with other university partners throughout Asia, students are expected to actively engage in the interactive learning environment where international and local students combine knowledge acquired from lectures and seminars with investigation of problems and prospects of Greater China in the Asian context. Students will participate in field trips and professional visits to government offices, international non-profit organizations, political parties, think tanks, social services and environmental protection organizations. Renowned businessmen, community leaders, prominent scholars will also be invited as guest speakers for lectures and professional visits.
Internship – The Student Internship aims to help students integrate and apply in a real-life setting the knowledge and skills they have gained in earlier stages of the programme. Students will be expected to engage in reflection throughout their Internship experience and make analyses with regard to the problems and prospects in Greater China. Placement in the public, private or third sectors will enhance students’ sense of social responsibility as well as their regional and global literacy. Practical experience in various fields will also assist students in making decisions on their future career.
This course explores knowledge and skills necessary in engaging stakeholders and building coalition in public advocacy. Using real life cases, we introduce students to: (1) The Policy Paradox, which provides a framework for understanding political decision making and the struggles of different stakeholders over values and ideas; (2) Advocacy tools, processes, and models which enable students to understand advocacy formulation, implementation and evaluation; (3) Community engagement and empowerment, in which the emphasis is put on social policies and how to engage the community and the vulnerable population to build advocacy practices in a systematic and purposeful way; and (4) Social Media and Advocacy, which discusses how to engage social media and evaluates the media’s role in driving social changes. Ultimately, we train students to be creative and logical thinkers in strategizing advocacy and to become competent communicators in writing and conversing advocacy strategies.
This course aims to develop students as social innovators in Hong Kong; and prepare them for conducting a research-based or an inquiry-based project in Capstone Project II: Project Output.
Capstone Project I equips students with skills and knowledge in problem identification, design thinking, literature review, research methods, prototyping, ethical principles and the elements of community engagement in social innovation. Students will be required to work individually and prepare a project topic to be presented in the tutorials. They will then be required to write up a Social Innovation Project proposal using the knowledge they learn and the comments gathered in the tutorials.
Capstone Project II is a project-based learning avenue that enables our students to consolidate, integrate, and reflect on their undergraduate experiences for transiting to (and even celebrating) their upcoming post-graduation life –such as entering the workplace. Students will be guided to conduct a self-chosen Social Innovation Project. The topic may be related to local community situations, or broad, relevant issues in the regional and societal context.
The course requires students to (1) identify social issues; (2) conduct data collection and situation analysis, (3) formulate social innovations, (4) practice design thinking and project management, (5) develop a prototype of social innovation, (6) test and refine the social innovation, (7) demonstrate and analyse the social impact in the form of presentation and written report (1500 to 2500 words). The Social Innovation Project leads to a reflective and transformative prototypical product or services that serves as a capstone for the honours degree programme and initiates actual social impact. Guidance will be provided to students by designated supervisors, who advise the students on the work, and provide feedback at different stages of the project development.
This course focuses on preparing students to conduct an innovative social research project in Honours Project II: Research Report. It equips students with skills and knowledge in problem identification, design thinking, literature review, research methods, prototyping, ethical principles and the elements of research process within quantitative and qualitative approaches. Students will be required to prepare a research topic to be presented in the tutorials. They will then be required to write up a research proposal using the knowledge they learn and the comments gathered in the tutorials.
Students will be guided to conduct a social scientific research on a self-chosen topic. The topic may be related to broad, relevant issues, or how these main themes relate to a particular societal/regional context. The skills of quantitative and qualitative research, formulation of proposals, data collection, analysis and presentation of finding, design thinking, and prototyping will be further developed in this process. It leads to a reflective academic research paper that serves as a capstone for the honours degree programme. Students’ learning experiences accumulated through their undergraduate studies will be consolidated in this project. It helps students integrate and synthesize prior knowledge and learning across areas. It enables them to further develop their subject knowledge and may extend their scope of exposure in work-related settings. A research report (6,000 to 8,000 words) is prepared under the guidance of a designated supervisor, who advises the students on the work, and provides feedback at different stages of its development.
Major Interdisciplinary Course
This course explores major social policy challenges and issues confronting societies in Asia, with a particular focus on Greater China. Adopting a comparative approach in analyzing policy formulation and implementation, this course will enable students to understand the most recent developments related to major social policy areas like education, health, social welfare, housing, elderly, youth and ethnic minorities in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and other selected cities in Asia. This course also introduces different types of institutions (like the Non-Governmental Organizations) and modes of service delivery (like public private partnership) to students. Students will be engaged in comparing and contrasting major social policy issues of selected Asian societies, and appreciating the complexity of policy formation, implementation and evaluation from comparative perspectives.
選修科目
China and India are two rising stars of the 21st century. Increasingly, China and India are playing important roles in the global economy and global governance. They are depicted as the drivers of the global economy especially after the financial crisis 2008-09. Nevertheless, our understanding of China and India has remained fragmented and patchy. This course aims to examine development policy in China and India. The following questions will be investigated: how China and India have launched developmental initiatives, what policy instruments have been used in these two countries, what administrative systems of governance have been adopted, and what the implications are for other developing countries.
Changes in the contemporary structural composition of the global political-economy increasingly impact all facets of state-market relations, not least the reach, power and authority of the state in terms of policy making processes and the means via which public policy is realized. Understanding the forces precipitating this change comprises the principal rationale of this course. The fundamental question the course deals with is the distribution of power in the international system and its consequences for governance and state capacity.
Beginning with the theoretical framework of governance and global governance, this course brings students to tackle three main topics: 1) pendulum effect of power relations/ governance mode between states and markets; 2) new forms of governance beyond states and markets in the globalization age; 3) back to the theme of governance, the implications for state capacity under the trend of global governance. To address these questions, theoretical training and in-depth special issues will be provided throughout the lectures and tutorials.
This course serves to provide students with a foundational knowledge about the ways in which the development of new media have interwoven with the youth development in Greater China regions. Participatory cultures on the Internet offer an increasing range of opportunities for young people to express themselves. We examine these relations and practices with a view to the way they shape young people’s self development at an individual level and the development of civil society at a societal level. Students will understand government policies of the Internet and analyze controversial cases in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The class will critically discuss issues related to youth development and new media technologies in Greater China regions, such as cyber personas, mental health, Internet addiction, cyber-love, online activism as well as youth civic engagement.
The aim of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills that can be used to effectively manage human resources to achieve organizational goals. This course aims to consider the issues involved in the strategy and practice of human resource management in the context of the changing world of work. Specific HRM strategies focused around staffing, training and development, communication, management change, emotional labor and forecasting and planning will be explored both theoretically and in an applied sense in the context of business and government organizations. The course will enable students to examine and analyze the key concepts, core issues, principles and processes of human resource management in the public and private sectors, with special application to the public sector of Hong Kong and the Greater China Region. The students will be able to apply the concepts and theories to analyze human resource management issues and the challenges facing the public sector and private sector. The course will also help to develop research and presentation skills through a supervised group project.
Human Resources Professionals require the necessary understanding of the exchanges that take place between individuals in the workplace. This course aims to ensure that students are familiar with the nature of organisations, their structures, processes and working environments, and particularly the specific characteristics of public and private organisations. It enables students to understand some of the key concepts and theories in organisational behavior; and analyze the implications of organisational behavior for public and private sector management.
This course provides a general picture on the political, economic, and social developments among the Southeast Asian countries after the WWII. Their unique historical backgrounds, the paths of modernization, democratization if any, bring the impact to their transformative societies, such as role of change in women, and education. In addition, their interactions and cooperation within the region will be another focus in the course. All students are expected to perceive the opportunities and challenges through the dynamics between Greater China and the Southeast Asian countries.
Effective communication is the basis for success in all walks of life. This course explores history, theory and philosophy of communication, including interpersonal, group, public and mass communication – and how they can be applied effectively in our daily lives. It helps students to have a basic understanding of the theories behind various forms of communications. A solid grounding in communication theories will be gained and students will learn to apply these theoretical perspectives to different communication issues and contexts. Besides, this course examines how, why, where and when we communicate, on a personal, social and global level. Students will explore a number of important concepts in communication and to demonstrate how different practices shape this profoundly important idea. This course also gives students a wider view of what is happening behind all the information they receive in everyday life through different media and help them develop a critical thinking of the truth behind the different pieces of information. Students will study and test these concepts through in-class discussions, critical thinking exercises, and public engagement.
This course is designed to help students acquire basic background knowledge of communication studies by focusing specifically on aspects of integrated approach of public and education sectors. With respect to the public sector, the course introduces marketing communication, public relations, as well as intercultural communication. Considering the education sector, the course addresses the communicating messages to schools and communities. Through lecture, illustration, case study, discussion, and news analysis, students are expected to learn how to distinguish communication in different sectors and issues in our daily life.
This course explores how cross cultural communication is affecting our daily lives. Students will develop an understanding of the cultural origin of people’s values, habits and ideologies and how these elements affect communication with people from different cultures. This course intends to provide students with the knowledge and skills for effective interaction and communication across cultures, especially in schools and classroom settings. It helps students to understand the intricacies and challenges in communicating with people from diverse background and enables them to develop a cultural awareness of the importance in communicating successfully across cultures in different contexts.
This course is designed to help students acquire knowledge of communication instruction and apply the information to teaching. Students will be provided with diverse viewpoints and perspectives on a wide range of topics that impact their own communication with participants in a classroom setting. Using a multidisciplinary approach to include a combination of theory and practical advice, this course covers a wide range of classroom communication issues that include: interpersonal and small group communication, listening and verbal and nonverbal communication. This course also allows students to anticipate new coverage on out of the classroom communication, lesson plans based on state or national standards and crisis communication. This allows the students to implement various instructional strategies, enabling them to meet a wider range of student needs in the future.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the main analytic debates on the field of gender and development from different perspectives and relate these debates especially on Asia. Four institutional domains (households, family and kinship, the market, the community and the state) through which gender relations are both defined and transformed receive separate attention. Students will be introduced to the patriarchal structures of society that have shaped and categorized gender roles and status, through a range of psychological and sociological discourses, including Politics, Literature, the Media, Religion, Race and Medicine. The focus on issues of rate will include the structures, processes and mechanisms whereby gender as a social division is produced and reproduced. An introductory survey of conceptual approaches to gender is followed by a treatment of central topics which include: the move from WID (women in development) to GAD (gender and development) as critical perspectives in development studies, conceptual approaches to households, men and masculinities in development, globalization and women’s employment, gender, state and governance, women’s movements and state-civil society relations, gender, conflict and post-conflict, and finally an appraisal of prospects for gender-aware planning and empowerment, through studying cases across Asia.
This course is designed to examine a broad range of issues and debates presently taking place in international communication. The course will look into the historical background, theoretical framework which can provide students with contextual as well as analytical foundations to approach topics related to international communication. It examines the role of media as an increasingly important aspect in political life of states and societies. It also enquires how political and economic infrastructure is affecting the development of media systems. The course also explores the current development the emerging trend of media systems in the world in the Greater China region, its role in the global media system; and how the change in the global media system instigates changes within the Greater China region.
通識教育拓寬課程
The job interview is often a key to any new career. While career centers provide information regarding job opportunities and orient students to useful career skills, job interviews are still being perceived as a “black box”. This course aims at breaking down job interviews and revealing the unspoken norms and expectation of the changing job market through sociological, psychological, and industrial studies, as well as the experience of employers and employees of different fields.
Throughout this course, we will explore topics and concepts that are essential to the understanding of job interviews, while enabling students to gain insights into their own relationship with the world of work. We start with an overview about the trend of job markets and the macro social and economic structures that shape these trends. We then proceed to the understanding of building connections and getting access to job interviews through social network theory. Next, we further delve into the theories and research on impression management in cv and cover letter writing and during the job interviews. Emotions and emotional management during the whole recruitment process will also be discussed drawing upon micro-sociological and psychological concepts. Finally, analyzing job interviews from a broader perspective, we will explore job interviews through the lens of social inequalities and culture, while offering ways to navigate various kinds of stereotypes and subtle discriminations.
(Ex-)recruiters of various fields in the public and the private sectors are invited as guest speakers to share their thoughts regarding the hiring processes. They will also help in a simulated job interview exercise for our students. E-portfolio is used throughout the course.
The making of popular cultures in East Asia has been greatly influenced by the American model of consumerism and commercialism. Cultural globalization in the region has given rise to the influx of the Japanese popular culture and the Korean wave. These transnational and regional influences of popular cultures have further enriched the local productions in Greater China. Hong Kong and Taiwan are two significant cases, in which their popular culture industries are diverse and have been reproduced in urban China. This course not only looks at the rises of the cultural industries in the region, but also compares the roles of the government and cultural policies among Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. Students can grasp the intriguing relationship between government policies and the production of popular culture, while exploring the cultural meanings and cultural logic in consuming East Asian popular cultures.
The course focuses on real-world examples, adhering to the principle of “Show me the money!” Jerry McQuire, a 1996 movie starring Tom Cruise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiSHcHM0PA). As such, it is a fun exploration of decisions made by economic agents (e.g., consumers, companies, governments, parents and teachers) that we observe in our daily lives. Such decisions may at times appear irrational, even though they mirror rational thinking based on the theory of microeconomics. In so doing, it engages students to dissect problems that students may personally experience or see in newspapers and TV broadcasts. The course adopts a case-based approach commonly used in business schools worldwide, as exemplified by the following Q&A:
Q1: Why do triads operate bars that offer cheap drinks?
A1: While these bars may not make money from cheap drinks, they present good opportunities for member recruitment and drug sales, which can more than offset the loss due to below-cost alcohol sales.
Q2: Should the government stop the sale of counterfeit goods?
A2: No, because counterfeit goods can meet the demands of some consumers who desire brand names but cannot afford the genuine goods. So long as the counterfeit goods are known to these consumers, the government does not need to intervene. A case in point is the fake goods bought from Taoboa sellers.
Q3: Does a real estate agent always work in your interest?
A3: No, because a real estate agent can make more money by completing a transaction than trying to get you the best price for your property.
Q4: What should you say in a job interview?
A4: “I will deliver to make your business more successful”, not “I will work hard”. This is because hard work does not produce profitable or useful results.
Q5: Should you ever lend money to a friend?
A5: No, because the best outcome that you can hope for is that the friend will fully repay the loan without interest. The likely outcome, however, is that the friend will not make full repayment. Asking the friend to repay may only elicit a response like “I am your friend, don’t you trust me?” which may lead to a hot argument and loss of friendship.
As indicated by the above examples, the course is not about memorizing complicated formulae or concepts. It is instead about using economic thinking to gain a better understanding of decisions made by economic agents, including the students themselves.
通識教育鞏固課程
This course will facilitate students to consolidate their learning of various aspects of social study in the Greater China region and contemplate their role as responsible citizens in the region amidst the process of globalization. Becoming a responsible citizen in the globalized world means more than merely being a law abiding individual, it also requires the exercise of one’s agency to actively contribute to the betterment of the society. To prepare students to face this societal challenge in the Greater China region, this course will introduce the idea of responsible citizenship. By focusing on a number of important social themes including sustainable development, equality, identity and belonging, diversity, and social innovation and relating them to the social context in Greater China, this course will facilitate students to build connections of the social science knowledge they acquired in the GE curriculum and their undergraduate major studies, and to contemplate their roles in the society and the possible contribution they could make as responsible citizens.