Theme Parks in China

"Ambitious and ambiguous, the theme park phenomenon in China" is an integral part of a fast-changing neoliberal economy fueled by national imagination. This course invites students to embark a journey into theme parks in contemporary China. The journey starts with an intellectual mapping of the idea of theme parks around the world. We will look at the theories surrounding theme parks on a global scale, as well as the theories surrounding national imagination. Then, we will turn our attention to the diverse theme parks in China. More specifically, students will explore different historical, cultural, ethnic, national, and gender narratives which bridge the knowledge gap between the global and the national through case studies. 

Co-taught with Dr. Asli Berktay, a historian of the enslaved experience, of the slave trade and of comparative slavery in both Africa and in the African Diaspora.