Reading Harry Potter in China
Study Questions

Directions: After reading through the website, answer the following questions.

1. The Soviet Union and China have both gone through tremendous changes in the last 20 years. How have these been different in each area? What lessons did the Chinese learn from the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union?

2. What factors account for China’s previous isolationism and skepticism of the contribution of foreign cultures?

3. In what way does China’s massive rural to urban migration aid the rise of manufacturing in the cities?

4. Explain how China’s enormous population has been an asset and a liability in China’s growth as a world economic power.

5. In what way does China’s One Child Policy augment the effects of economic growth on urban youth?

6. Describe the McWorld and Global/Local models of globalization.

7. Does the popularity of Harry Potter in China mean that China’s traditional culture will disappear altogether? Why or why not.

8. This web project suggests that the content of the Harry Potter books addresses the anxieties of Chinese urban youth as they adopt a culture very different from that of their parents. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this argument? In what ways could this theory be tested?

9. Explain how the neglect of Intellectual Property Rights can stymie innovation, research and development. What might an economy that violates IPR look like in 20 or 30 years?

10. What role do you think the 2008 Beijing Olympics might play in China’s development?

For further research:

India is another growing economic power in the world. After researching globalization in India, compare and contrast it with China in terms of the tension between global popular culture and traditions, outsourcing, Intellectual Property Rights, and democracy.