GEW3401 Field Research in Contemporary China: Home

This course, unlike traditional teacher-led lectures focused on theory, is a hands-on, student-centered class that emphasizes conducting field research within Chinese societies as its core learning approach. It seeks to reconnect students’ learning experiences with social realities. The course covers essential concepts of field research, classic field research of Chinese societies, research techniques for conducting fieldwork in Chinese societies, and guidelines for writing Chinese field research reports, etc. However, the most crucial part of this course involves guiding students to engage directly with Chinese communities for their research projects. This immersion aims to spark students’ curiosity about social phenomena, encourage them in investigating, analyzing and discussing underlying social contradictions, and then attempt to develop viable solutions. While field research is primarily associated with sociology-related fields, it is an integral aspect of modern scientific literacy that promotes critical thinking against dogmatism and authoritarianism by advocating for “returning to the facts themselves,” holding significant meaning for students from all majors. Furthermore, this course cultivates students’ understanding of Chinese societies and enhances their belief and civic awareness of “knowing China and serving China.” Thus, students who completed this course could be exempted from taking the course “CEC1020 Group Projects on ‘Thoughts of Modern China’” in Civic Education.