Madeleine Zelin

Took this class as an undergraduate. Classes are straight-up lectures with no questions or comments from students. Zelin speaks quite fast and her Powerpoint slides are of minimal use/relevance. She often spells out Chinese names on the board only to say that we don't need to study/remember them, after we're done furiously scribbling them down. It's hard to tell sometimes what parts of her lecture are important to study or not important, because there is so much info being thrown at you. You are also expected to have a basic understanding of China and the dynastic system before entering the class so if you know nothing about China, you had better brush up before taking this. Unfortunately, the lectures are just not as interesting or dynamic as they could be.

DonÂ’t be put off by the title: this course does NOT require extensive knowledge of econ. Its focus is on major issues facing historians of China – many of whom are definitely not even economists themselves – who are looking for the historical roots of contemporary economic phenomena: issues such as why China didnÂ’t industrialize on its own and what role “Asian values” play in recent Chinese economic success. Admittedly a fair number of people in the class are econ majors or MBA students, but their background doesnÂ’t give them any unfair advantage, and their perspectives can add a lot to class discussions. No one should be put off by (completely inaccurate) previous reviews of the professor, either – she has an amazingly extensive and in-depth knowledge not only of Chinese history, but of how the issues discussed in class relate to other parts of the world. She also includes a wide range of articles in the readings, including some whose perspective she doesnÂ’t agree with (though she never makes her own point of view clear until AFTER the class discussion is over). Even if youÂ’re not familiar with the basic econ terminology when it comes up, donÂ’t be afraid to ask – Professor Zelin is perfectly understanding and willing to explain. And not only is she approachable, despite what other reviewers think, her lecturing style is anything but “pompous” – on the contrary,…

A useful survey of Qing history. I particularly enjoyed Professor Zelin's attention to economic history, which has been comparatively lacking in my study of China's history to date. The readings that she assigned were all excellent and I gained a lot from going through her selection of papers/resources.

This class is intended as a junior/graduate level from the people I saw in class. I took this class as a freshmen and got a good grade so I think I can provide an objective review on the difficulty and accessibility. This was my first history class in college and I am thankful that I didn't chicken out and leave. I learned a lot about the Qing and even about the Ming. When she lectures, she often mentions about each events' influence and their appearance in the PRC. Those comments truly made this class history of "modern china" not the Qing. She traced themes and their effects in the 20th century. Although it is quite true that she digresses a bit and focuses on economics a lot, I never felt that she neglected the other aspects of the Qing. The readings were interesting but I had some trouble finishing up all the readings. Some of the journals assigned are like 60 pages each. For discussion sections, there are like three to read so that's like 180 pages. The reading is pretty daunting and so I had to spend time during the weekened catching up on the reading. But the readings provided more insight on things that we couldn't discuss in detail during class. It helped me view the problems of China in terms of themes instead of chronology. The TA led discussion sections were quite weak. The class was pretty quiet during the discussion sections so it kind of forces the professor to…

I tend to agree with most of the other reviewers. Zelin is pompous, arrogant, and quite self-important. I have no doubt that she would assign exclusively class readings that she had authored if it weren’t so out of line; still, exhausted references to her The Magestrate’s Tael can be expected. Her dry lecturing style can be come a little irksome as well, although it would be hard to say that her discussion sections didn’t sometimes develop into quite disciplined and interesting reflections on Qing history. It’s funny because I get a sort of misguided maternal vibe from her, as if she’s trying to care about her students (but they keep making it so DAMN hard). All and all, I would recommend taking another class. I can’t imagine that her “Sprouts” (her word, not mine) of Chinese Capitalism could be anything but extremely painful.

Professor Zelin has a true passion for the subject, is extremely knowledgeable and her exposition is clear and well organized therefore you will not just love the subject because of the way she teaches it but also will not need to do as much reading as requested because the notes taken in class will guide you to understand what is absolutely necessary to be known. She is willing to accept and discuss opinions different from hers and suggest her point of view with the utmost tolerance and kindness. Overall you will love the subject and find yourself eager to take other classes with her

This class provided me with a rich, nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the Qing dynasty; the Chinese state and polity under the dynasty; Chinese demographic, economic and cultural trends during that period; and other topics.

This class was really enjoyable. She may be a bit arrogant, but there is something cool about her confidence, too. There is a heavy focus on economics, but at least the class has a focus, rather than being a random mix of culture, politics, etc. I don't know what people are talking about saying this is work overload. You barely have to do the readings, there is one paper, and one test the whole semester.

Knowledge about late imperial Chinese history, academic topoi in late imperial Chinese history research

Warning: This class is taught from an economic historian's perspective. So much time was spent examining tax policies, new fiscal measures for each emperor's reign, beginnings of capitalism etc. Because of the emphasis on economics, I felt that Prof Zelin ignored the cultural and social aspect important to a course meant to be an overview of China from the fall of the Ming to the 1911 Revolution. The format of the class was lectures (often dry) interspersed with in class discussions that were basically more lecture from Prof. Zelin. I also agree with some of the other comments about her standoffishness and her arrogance.