Course Description 

Video clip of last year's class

This is an independent research course for producing tangible findings on an issue of social change in the United States. This 4-credit requires your initiative in creating and completing a joint research project. The course objective is to explore the camparative analysis of society and culture in the United States and China.

You will collaborate with your partners at the College of William and Mary and Hong Kong University. This internet-based classroom is an integral part of the two universities' efforts to utilize high-technology and cross-cultural communication for pedagogical innovation.

This course explores aspects of American history and culture from the perspectives of anthropology and history. At William and Mary, the course is listed as ANTH 350 as well as American Studies 350. At Hong Kong University, it is listed as HIST2080 Classroom Across the Pacific. Like HKU's HIST2074 Historical Studies Using Computers, this course is an internet-based classroom: all lectures will use internet video conferencing and other technologies to link classrooms and students at the two universities. At the end of the teaching period, HKU students will take a compulsory field trip to the United States to complete research projects through cooperative field work with their American counterparts. The students will conduct independent research projects in consultation with each other on an issue of central focus relevant to American history and culture, to be determined each year. This year's course theme is Civil Society in America: We will focus on historical and cultural discourses related to Race and Gender in the United States.

No advanced computer skills are necessary for the course, as you will acquire basic Internet and web skills; communicate through international videoconferences; and learn how to cooperate and interact effectively across cultures throughout the course.