10/09/2026
📚 This course takes as its departure the emergent field known as "Sinophone Studies," defined by Shu-mei Shih as the study of Sinitic-language cultures outside and on the margins of China. In Shih's definition, this includes Sinitic-language communities in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and other overseas diasporic sites, as well as non-Han groups within the borders of mainland China. Rather than taking Shih's definition for granted, the course seeks to investigate and reconsider what Sinophone studies is and could be, including the many ways in which it might inform and enrich the broader field of Chinese studies.
We will read and discuss canonical works of scholarship in Sinophone studies, as well as more recent work that contributes to rethinking this field. In the process, we will gain a basic foundation in historical and cultural issues related to the major communities addressed in Sinophone studies. Bordercrossing and borderlands will serve as important themes throughout this course, and students will be encouraged to bring their own research and expertise into the course content.
