Social Foundations (CCSF-SHU)

In this two-semester course, we will examine ten central questions concerning life as a human being. Each topic will be engaged through the close study of several texts that have been recognized as important over the course of history. The texts will reflect contrasting perspectives of different individuals, cultures, and time periods. While studying each topic, students will be encouraged to consider, and to revisit, three central questions: • When we speak about the world, present or past, how do we know that things are "true"? • When we speak about ethical duties, is everything contextual, relative, and socially constructed, or are there "universals"? • When we speak about “great books,” why and in what ways do certain texts acquire special significance? The format of the course will follow a weekly pattern. On Monday and Tuesday, students will be divided into 25-student sections that meet in a 75-minute class taught by Global Postdoctoral Fellows. On Wednesday, the entire first-year class will participate in a single 75-minute class taught by the Vice Chancellor. Students will also be divided into 15-student writing workshops that each meet in two 75-minute classes taught on either Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesdays and Fridays by experts in expository writing. The central topics are as follows: Fall Term: Strangers and Strangers (duties not to harm, duties to help, etc.) Property, Labor, and Economic Exchange Sovereignty and Law (natural law, positive law, rights, etc.) War, Collective Violence, and International Relations Humans, Other Species, and the Environment Prerequisite: None.

In this course, we will explore a set of timeless questions about how society is, or should be, organized, based on close examinations of diverse thinkers and writers from different times and different cultures. The questions raised in this course will engage the moral, social, and political foundations of human relationships, the principles according to which people assemble into societies of different scales, and the bases for interaction among societies in a world of accelerating interdependence. By engaging texts that explore these questions from multiple perspectives, students reflect on several overarching issues, including how different societies have organized their economic and political institutions, how those societies fashion both shared identities and hierarchies of difference, how people experience themselves as “individuals” or as members of a collectivity, how they experience both time and space, and how they engage with others both locally and globally. Over the semester, students develop skills that are central to a liberal arts education, including reading carefully and thoughtfully, considering questions from more than one perspective, participating in respectful and serious intellectual explorations of difficult topics, developing oral presentation skills, and writing essays that make effective and appropriate use of the ideas of others as they present the students’ own ideas to different audiences of readers. Each week, students will meet twice as an entire class for lectures and once in smaller recitation sections led by one of New York University Shanghai’s Global Postdoctoral Fellows. Students receive 4 credits for the lecture and recitation. Prerequisite for CCSF-101: none. Fulfillment: Core Curriculum Global Perspectives on Society.

This is the Writing Workshop attached to the Global Perspectives on Society I Lecture.

This is the Writing Workshop attached to the Global Perspectives on Society I Lecture.

In this two-semester course, we examine central questions about how people act as members of communities. These questions engage the moral underpinnings of individual human relationships, the principles according to which people assemble into societies of different scales, and the bases for interaction among societies in a world of accelerating interdependence. By engaging texts which explore these questions from multiple perspectives, students reflect on several overarching issues, including how it is we know things to be “true,” whether ethical duties are universal or defined by context, the origins of economic and political institutions, and how global challenges can be addressed in the 21st century. Over the year, students develop skills that are central to a liberal arts education, including reading carefully and thoughtfully, considering questions from more than one perspective, participating in respectful and serious intellectual explorations of difficult questions, developing oral presentation skills, and writing essays that make effective and appropriate use of the ideas of others as they present the students’ own ideas to different audiences of readers. Each week, students meet once as an entire class with Professor Lehman and occasional guest speakers; once in recitation sections with Teaching Fellows; and twice in writing workshops with Writing Faculty. Students receive 2 credits for Lecture/Recitation and 2 credits for Writing Workshop. Prerequisite for CCSF-101: none. Prerequisite for CCSF-102: successful completion of CCSF-101.

This is the Writing Workshop attached to the Global Perspectives on Society II Lecture.

This is the Writing Workshop attached to the Global Perspectives on Society II Lecture.

China’s development in recent decades has benefited greatly from its integration into the world market. The rise of modern China also has significant impact on the global economy and systems. This course focuses on the linkages and interactions between China’s domestic development and the world economy, covering trade and finance. Presentation will stress key concepts (e.g., comparative advantage, gains from trade, internal and external balance, exchange rate), basic analytical frameworks, and their application to current events. It will also discuss new developments since the 2008 global financial crisis and the rethinking on policies, such as changing patterns of global supply chains, regional and global trade negotiations and liberalization, global financial imbalances and rebalancing, and reform of the international systems. Prerequisite: None

This course will give a brief survey of Chinese philosophy from the pre-Qin period to the present in the perspective of world philosophy. To capture the quintessence of traditional Chinese wisdom, we will focus on three most influential schools of thought in ancient China, namely, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. We will delineate the evolution of Confucianism from Confucius to Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming dynasties, distinguish Taoism as philosophy from Taoism as religion, and examine the process of sinicization of Buddhism, taking Zen Buddhism as a paradigm case. In modern times, against the background of the exchange between the Chinese and the Western cultures, traditional Chinese wisdom, through the creative work of modern Chinese thinkers, obtained a new lease of life. Under the heading of the modernization of traditional Chinese wisdom, we will examine three most prominent schools in the 20thcentury Chinese philosophy, namely, contemporary Neo-Confucianism, Tsinghua school of realism (the Chinese analytic philosophy), and Chinese Marxism. Students are required to read the assigned texts before each class and actively participate in class discussions. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: CORE HPC; GCS Chinese History, Society, and Culture

This course introduces students to perspectives on contemporary Chinese political and social thought as presented in academic publications, media reports, social commentary and postings on the Chinese Internet. It covers selected key topics in the disciplines of political, social, and cultural studies. It examines and compares Chinese and Western views on major developments and current issues. The course also introduces students to a variety of styles of writing and research methods as well as skills of cultural translation relevant to the study of contemporary China and Chinese thought. Fulfillment: Core Curriculum Social Science Perspective on China/Humanistic Perspectives on China or Interdisciplinary Perspectives on China; GCS Elective The Politics, Economy, and Environment of China; Humanities Major Advanced Courses (old Topic Course); Social Science Major Focus Courses Political Science - 200 level.

Less than a century ago, the Paris-of-the-East Shanghai and the Paris-of-the-West Detroit belonged to the most modern, booming metropolises in the world, until both cities declined. Today, the global city of Shanghai has revived its old glory days, while Detroit officially filed for bankruptcy in July this year. In this course, we take Shanghai and Detroit as case studies to examine the challenges and consequences of our fast-urbanizing world. We will explore the historical and economic factors influencing the transformation of these cities, as well as look at how its citizens are experiencing these sweeping changes. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC

In this course we explore the special place of "cultural heritage" in global life today. We will trace the journeys of cultural heritage items around the world — from the war trophies and curiosity cabinets of history, to our modern era’s museums, and the global movements in antiquities, art, and other objects from the global South to collectors and museums in the global North, through looting, smuggling, and trade. Topics we’ll investigate include "biographical objects" and the anthropology and psychology of collecting; the social life of objects of desire; the construction of value and knowledge in the representation and display of such objects; the beginnings of museums and their global spread; the concepts of national and global cultural heritage; as well as a series of ongoing international legal and moral battles over heritage, including cases related to China.

Notice on Special Sophomore Honors Seminar: By Application Only Public Policy Perspectives on China: An Introduction to Policy Analysis Fall Term: Framing Policy Issues; Spring Term: Crafting Policy Recommendations to meet Wednesdays, 2:30 – 5:15 pm in the Fall term; Spring term schedule to be announced later of course This special honors seminar is a year-long sequence comprising two courses. It has limited enrollment and a special process for applying for entry (see below). The Fall term course will be counted as an elective, while Spring term course will fulfill the “Social Science Perspectives on China” requirement under the Social Foundations core curriculum. Please note that you must commit to enrolling in both courses (the year-long sequence) to participate. To apply for placement into the course, write a one-page statement (no more than 500 words) on: 1) why you’d like to take this honors seminar; and 2) what kinds of public policy issues you find particularly interesting, and why. For the second part, you may make reference to a recent newspaper article in Chinese or English that captured your interest; if you do so, please note the weblink to the article or attach it. Send your statement to scott.fritzen@nyu.edu by Friday, April 25, 12 noon. You will be informed if you are successful in registering for the course by Tuesday, April 29 (enrollment opens Wednesday, April 30). Because we have a limited number of spaces to fill, please only send a statement if you seriously intend to register for the course if selected. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the instructor at scott.fritzen@nyu.edu. Course overview This two-course series provides an introduction to the field of public policy and the exciting and complex work of policy analysis. It has three aims. The first aim is to introduce you to key concepts and contexts for public policy and policy analysis. In so doing, it explores such questions as, what are different ideas about the appropriate role of government in a society? What are some limitations to both market- and governmental solutions to societal problems? How is the process of globalization changing what governments can and should do? The two courses explore these questions throughout the entire policy process, from the way problems are framed and selected for the attention of governmental and other actors, to the way policies are practically implemented on the ground. The second aim of the series is to get you doing policy analysis across a range of issues and cases. We present a framework and set of tools for carrying out policy analysis in a manner that is both systematic and creative, and – it is hoped – can make a real contribution to public problem solving. The third aim is to deepen your understanding of the specifically Chinese context of public policymaking, using readings, guest speakers and your own in-depth research of a selected policy problem as an extended case study. By the end of the two courses, you should have a good grasp of: • Theoretical rationales for public policies, including market and governmental failures, and the means by which governments can structure solutions to these. • A practical framework for structuring policy analysis, from problem definition to the articulation and assessment of policy options. • Perspectives on the Chinese context in which policymaking and analysis play out, from the politics of agenda setting and decision-making to the evaluation of policy impacts. • How, based on all of the above, policy analysts, public managers and stakeholders from a variety of positions might identify and pursue opportunities and options for promoting positive change. A key feature of the series is the opportunity to work in small teams throughout the year on a Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) for a real-world client. You will design and implement a policy analysis of a problem selected jointly with the client. Your work will culminate, in semester two, in a polished policy brief that can be shared with governmental and other stakeholders in the policy process. Your work will also be presented at a special open forum convened at NYU Shanghai. About the instructor Scott Fritzen is the Associate Provost of NYU Shanghai. He served as Vice Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (National University of Singapore), and most recently as Associate Dean / Interim Dean for the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University. Scott’s research focuses on the comparative analysis of anti-corruption and decentralization strategies in Asia, and the globalization of higher education. His consulting practice since 1994 in Asia has included over 40 assignments – most of which as team leader – for clients such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program and Oxfam. The first American in the post-war era designated a Fulbright Fellow for Vietnam, Fritzen has lived and worked for twenty years in several Asian countries. His Master in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning degree and Ph.D. in Public Affairs are both from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. Fulfillment: Social Science Foundational Course

This is the continuation of Introduction to Policy Analysis I. Students must have successfully completed part I in order to receive permission to enroll in this course. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course.

Shanghai continues to encounter the stresses and opportunities of a rapidly urbanizing country – even as urban planning has changed from being a high socialist provider of social goods and welfare to a supporter of China’s expansion through the new “reform and opening up” market economy. In this course, we will explore the economic, political, and cultural roles of cities, with a special focus on Shanghai. In order to understand Shanghai in a theoretical context, two sets of readings will be introduced for each topic: classic writings in the field of urban studies/planning/sociology, and writings specific to Shanghai. This theoretical context will be heavily supplemented by a series of hands-on field trips. Fulfillment: general elective ( counted for CORE SSPC before Fall 2019)

This course will make use of scholarly articles, primary materials of popular culture, such as news, advertisement, fiction, and film etc. , and more forms of cultural interpretation to explore the events, ideas, and legacies of the development of China’s consumer culture. The course is an investigation of forms of leisure, the consumption of goods, and attendant cultural practices that starts in the late 19th century and moves forward chronologically into the present. The principal concerns of the course fall into three areas: material culture of consuming drugs and regional and international hybrid cuisine (such as Chinese food in the United States); travel, leisure and cultural practices; and media, advertising, and technology. The course seeks to provide students with a nuanced cultural and historical understanding of who was consuming what and how that changed society, primarily in the context of the lives of Chinese citizens and overseas Chinese; some materials on the United States and Japan will be included for comparative purposes. Fulfillment: general elective (counted for CORE SSPC before Fall 2019)