My meeting with Dr. Yang Zhang took place on Wednesday, September 6 from 3:15 to about 3:55 (so approximately 40 minutes). The first thing we discussed was our respective research interests. He explained that he had done significant research projects on Chinese ground-up grassroots politics and activism, the historical relationship between ethnic groups in China and the state, and — the most relevant to my research interests — historical and comparative analysis of nationalist activism in China. After he encouraged me to give careful consideration to my research topic, I explained that I wasn’t entirely sure about it and was considering another topic — an exploration of the negative effects of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) on the Chinese economy. Dr. Zhang explained that while the SOE question was hotly debated in the 90’s and so has been well explored by the scholarly community, the issue of Chinese nationalism is relatively new as a tool for influencing international relations.
We also discussed why, although previous leaders stayed away from manipulating nationalist sentiment openly, President Xi seems to be significantly more willing to use it as a “stick” in relations with America and its allies. I suggested that it could partially be due to the decline of communism as an ideological binding force, and he added that it could have something to do with Xi’s privileged upbringing. The latter could be a partial explanation, but my suggestion does not account for why open (often anti-Western) nationalism seems to have spiked in the past 5 or so years (something that could be a possible puzzle worth exploring). Our meeting ended with book recommendations: A Nation-State by Construction by Suisheng Zhao(1), and Powerful Patriots by Jessica Chen Weiss(2).
My main concerns about my project right now involve finding a puzzle with which I can work. Moreover, I’m worried that my topic is too broad, but this issue could remedy itself as I circle in on a specific puzzle. Another source of anxiety is my selection of a research method. Dr. Zhang suggested that this subject lends itself to small-n case study analysis, but I am eager to consider other options as we do a more in-depth analysis of each method in the coming weeks. As far as my worries about switching topics (as well as my next steps) go, Dr. Zhang suggested that I read the books over the next two weeks and use that experience and time to consider my topic. Thus, in the two weeks between now and our next meeting, I intend to use the two books to hone in on one or more puzzles and to consider the topic itself and whether I can move forward on this project in its currently planned form.
(1) Zhao, Suisheng. A Nation-State by Construction: Dynamics of Modern Chinese Nationalism. Stanford, CA: Stanford Univ. Press, 2004.
(2) Weiss, Jessica Chen. Powerful Patriots: Nationalist Protest in Chinas Foreign Relations. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Overall it sounds like you had a very productive meeting, Jack, and that you are thinking about the right things for your next steps.
Although it probably seems like you are facing a whole bunch of choices right now (puzzles, methodologies, and more!), remember that the purpose of our course material and our discussions in 206 is to help you navigate these choices. Keep thinking about the connections between our course material and the reading/thinking you do on your own topic, and hopefully you will gain a better sense of how you will manage the choices/tradeoffs that are part of the research process as we go through 206. Indeed, each of the methodology modules later in the course will allow you to experiment with what your project might look like from different methodological perspectives, so that should help you in evaluating which methodological approach you might take in 306. Overall, remember that you still have some time to consider the tradeoffs and options before making any final decisions on your research. Lastly, remember that you can always stop by office hours if you have questions!