Many Faces: Understanding the Complexities of Chinese Culture (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of Exeter,
Many Faces: Understanding the Complexities of Chinese Culture (FutureLearn)

Develop a clearer understanding of modern China by exploring the role of art, literature and the 'noble hero' in Chinese culture. Look beyond the clichés and stereotypes of art and literature in Chinese culture. Chinese culture has not been explored in as much depth as Chinese history and politics. By uncovering the richness and diversity of Chinese culture, you can gain a broader understanding of modern China as a whole.

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This course by the University of Exeter covers three important aspects of Chinese culture. Learn how the concept of the ‘noble hero’ is portrayed on cultural and political platforms. Examine the tension created by traditional and modern values in Chinese landscape art, and analyse literature created by marginalised groups like immigrants.

What topics will you cover?

  • Cliché and stereotypes: how to understand contemporary Chinese culture?
  • The continuation and gap: the image of the ‘noble hero’ in both artistic and political fields
  • The collision and fusion: literature by the marginalised
  • The tension and convergence: contemporary Chinese landscape art

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Explore new cultural phenomena and trends emerging in Chinese society.
  • Develop a more contextualized understanding of Chinese culture
  • Discuss the act of stereotyping in Chinese culture
  • Reflect on how social and cultural landscapes in China have been changed as China experiences an economy boom
  • Assess how digitalization has transformed the expression and representation of Chinese culture.
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