Project

Diversifying Humanistic Pedagogy in China Studies: Incorporating Ethnic Minority Literary and Cultural Productions into North American College Classrooms

Program

Luce/ACLS Collaborative Grant in China Studies

Abstract

This interdisciplinary, cross-institutional project aims to build understanding of ethnic diversity and minority voices within China by developing a multicultural China studies curriculum that is integrated with global studies on race, ethnicity, indigeneity, and identity. Collaborators bring their expertise from literature, folklore studies, ethnography, translation studies, material culture and art into a collective initiative benefitting humanistic research and teaching in China Studies. The project is comprised of three interwoven work groups whose members will collaboratively develop open-access digital repositories containing sample syllabi, translated literary and cinematic works, and multimedia educational resources about cultural and artistic production in ethnic minority communities. These platforms will showcase and create access to a range of free resources to diversify China studies curricula taught at North American educational institutions while promoting a more holistic understanding of minority communities, multiculturalism, and multilingualism in China. In moving beyond the Han-centered, monocultural paradigm of China, this inclusive pedagogical approach resituates China studies within broader movements in ethnic studies, ensuring that teaching about diversity in China will be feasible, meaningful, and engaging for students and educators alike.