Drawing on a rich body of ethnographic and anthropological studies, this course provides a comprehensive introduction to contemporary China from perspectives that are not only social and cultural, but also historical and transnational. The first half of the course sets out to survey the profound changes in traditional aspects of cultural practices and social institutions since the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912. Topics that will be examined include family life, kinship, marriage, popular religions, and economic activities. In the second half, the course focuses on more recent developments in cultural formations and social transformations through which China has become increasingly connected with the world. Post-socialist market reforms, domestic and international migration, rural and urban development, state-society relations, and environmental governance are some of the issues that will be explored and discussed.