Page 190 - HKSYU Prospectus 2023-24

Shue Yan University Prospectus 2023-24

will find, on the one hand, ways in which social conditions shape our understanding of art as
well as the self-understanding of artists. On the other hand, we will see how artists strive to
engage the society with a view to changing it through their works.

SOC 259 Race and Ethnicity
1 Term; 3 Credits
With colonization, globalization and migration, societies have become much more
heterogeneous than before. Even countries that are not migrant societies now have to deal
with ethnic minorities and the challenge of multiculturalism. This course examines social
differentiation based on notions of race and ethnicity. Such notions will be explored in both
colonial and postcolonial contexts, as well as societies that claim to be relatively homogeneous.
The course will introduce major theories, issues, controversies and policy implications related
to the governance of multi-ethnic societies. It will also examine the relationship between
ethnicity, culture, heritage and identity. At the same time, students will be encouraged to reflect
on the existence of ethnic minorities in the contexts of China and Hong Kong, and the
challenges this poses for both state and society.

SOC 260 Food and Society
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course aims to explore food issues and foodways in various societies from the
perspectives of sociology and anthropology. The course will empower students to look at food
beyond food science and human nutrition and to locate food and eating in meaningful social
and cultural processes. Also, this course will showcase how to apply various theoretical and
conceptual approaches, such as cultural interpretations, symbolism, identity, gender analysis,
social exchange, religious taboo and ritual, and globalization, to the analysis of food and eating.

SOC 261 Conceptualising Arts and Culture in Modernity
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course offers a sociological approach to exploring the relationship between arts and
culture within wider social contexts. It conceptualizes how art is considered a cultural practice
and a reflection of the material and/or symbolic conditions of society. By integrating modern art
works and art exhibition into sociological debates, it introduces Walter Benjamin’s concern for
the loss of ‘aura’ of art works in modern age, Weberian concept of demystification of art and
culture, and Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital. It also examines how artists and curators
respond to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time through art works and art
exhibitions. With a focus on modernity, it explores the power and function of art from the
emergence of industrialisation and capitalism to the 21st century, presenting the
commercialization process of arts, characterising sequential ethical issues in art industry,
including art crime and arts black market, and discussing the phenomenon of recently
developed art forms such as NFT in the digital age.

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