Postgraduate Course: Law and Its Implementation in the People's Republic of China: Case Studies in Religion (ASST11132)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Law and Its Implementation in the People's Republic of China: Case Studies in Religion provides an overview of key themes and debates in Chinese law and its implementation. On completion of the course, students will have acquired a critical understanding of the Chinese legal system and key factors which impact the implementation of legislation in the area of religion. |
| Course description |
Law and Its Implementation in the People's Republic of China: Case Studies in Religion introduces students to key aspects of the legal system, and the law and its implementation in the People's Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong). The course focuses on key debates on legislation on religion to critically analyse law in practice, including the nature of law, the constitution, human rights, and freedom of religious belief. These debates will be explored through case studies of different religious traditions and their practice in the contemporary PRC. Students are not required to possess specialist knowledge of the law or religion in the PRC. The course will be delivered via a weekly discussion board and seminar. Each week, the course covers a different theme, and students will analyse primary materials and read secondary sources in order to attain a critical perspective on law and its implementation. Students will be assessed on their engagement with the weekly discussion board and a final report which will engage with one or more topics covered on the course.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Available to students with an advanced level of Chinese language. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam: 0%«br /»
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Coursework: 100%: -«br /»
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Formative: «br /»
Report planning (face-to-face meeting) 0%. «br /»
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Summative: «br /»
Discussion Board 40%; «br /»
Report (3,500 words) 60%.«br /»
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The discussion board is assessed as 40% of the overall mark. «br /»
Engagement with the discussion board is time-limited to the day before the seminar. There has to be a time limit for two reasons: «br /»
1. to ensure that students have engaged with primary materials which then serve as a foundation for the seminar discussion (along with secondary readings); «br /»
2. to help streamline the marking process. «br /»
Students will be free to go back to any part of the discussion board at a later date, but beyond the six-day deadline, additional comments will not be included in the marking. «br /»
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The discussion board will be assessed according to a grading rubric of four criteria: Do the posts...«br /»
- Answer or address all of the questions in a clear and concise manner with an easy-to-read style? «br /»
- Engage with the materials critically and demonstrate knowledge of what we are learning on the course? «br /»
- Explain claims coherently and are they supported with sufficient evidence? «br /»
- Demonstrate engagement with other posts (evidenced by follow-up posts) in a way which constructively encourages further discussion? |
| Feedback |
Students will receive ongoing written and verbal feedback on the Discussion Board and written feedback on the report. Students will also have an opportunity to discuss their report plans with the Course Organiser in person. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of law and its implementation in the People's Republic of China.
- Adopt a critical approach to relevant bodies of academic literature for analysing law in the People's Republic of China.
- Synthesise appropriate primary sources to make informed and critical observations about law and its implementation in the field of religion in the People's Republic of China.
- Design and undertake autonomous research with a clear and justified approach/methodology on one or more core themes of law and its implementation in the field of religion in the People's Republic of China.
- Effectively and appropriately communicate and defend arguments in written and oral forms.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry: analytical thinking; critical thinking; knowledge integration and application; handling complexity and ambiguity.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: self-awareness and reflection; independent learning and development.
Personal effectiveness: planning, organising and time management; assertiveness and confidence; flexibility.
Communication: interpersonal skills; verbal and written communication. |
| Keywords | Chinese law,Chinese legal system,religion in China,law in practice,human rights,constitution |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mark McLeister
Tel: (0131 6)50 4232
Email: Mark.McLeister@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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