Page 212 - SYU Prospectus

Shue Yan University Prospectus 2018-19

extent are social and cultural practices and even our self-understanding influenced by
economic and political power? Furthermore, as the influence of market and state increases in
this globalizing world, does it mean that it is more difficult for us to be aware of and critique
their impact on our social life?

SOC 502 Critical Research Methodologies
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course is an in-depth examination of the ways in which various research method-
ologies provide new knowledge through analysis of social, cultural, economic, and political
contexts of social reality. It critically assesses various perspectives and methods, as well as
their relevance in cross-cultural and comparative research. This course provides an overview
of the nature and process of social research, and examines the major techniques and ethical
aspects of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Examples of research projects
conducted in the local context of Hong Kong will also be used to demonstrate the relevance of
culturally appropriate research methodology. In so doing, the course encourages students to
rethink how Western research methods have been adopted and modified in Hong Kong from
colonial times to the present.

SOC 503 Contemporary China in Transition
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course explores and examines the changing social institutions and structural
changes along with market transition in contemporary China. It focuses on the sociocultural
implications and consequences of implementation of reform and open-door policy since the
end of 1970s. This course will employ analysis instruments and theories drawn from social
science researches of contemporary China to analyse mechanisms and institutions of social
transformation under the penetration of market forces and economic mentality into every
corner of the society. Suggested topics cover the revival of capitalism in socialist China,
market transition debates, social stratification, theoretical explanations on economic devel-
opment, work unit (danwei) in transition, household registration and birth control, guanxi in
theory and practice, consumption and sociocultural change, implications of Chinese capital-
ism, and so on.

SOC 504 Individualization and the Family
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course introduces the concept of individualization and its relationship with the in-
stitutions of state and market. It examines the extent to which the shift in social relations from
valuing interconnectedness to individual autonomy is found in the families of various Chinese
societies. Changing demographic structure, gender expectations, conjugal ties, family ideals,
sexuality morality, and children-parents relationships will be investigated. A comparative
approach will be adopted to evaluate the process of individualization in these societies.
Throughout the course, the diversity of the individual’s actual living experiences in families will
be discussed.

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