Essay about east asian stuides
vivian123
EAS.docxPlease choose ONE of the essay questions below:
1) The act of writing history cannot transcend history and often is itself history. How does the way in which historical narratives are written allow for different understandings? Using examples from in class readings and lectures, discuss who is writing, from what position, and for what purpose may change the way historical narratives are presented and/or understood.
You may want to consider some of the following topics: opium trade in China, Japanese colonialism in East Asia, conflicts between opposing political forces in China and Korea, among others. Why do authors choose particular examples and how do they support their arguments? And, what are the utilities and limits of primary sources?
OR
2) Imperialism and colonialism are among the common themes throughout this course. How do we understand and evaluate their impacts and historical legacies? In his highly controversial article “The Case for Colonialism” (assigned reading for the Feb 26 class), political scientist Bruce Gilley contends that colonialism was generally “both objectively beneficial and subjectively legitimate in most of the places where it was found. … Anti-colonial ideology imposed grave harms on subject peoples and continues to thwart sustained development and a fruitful encounter with modernity in many places.” What would be your response to an argument like this? Please draw from the East Asian historical experience from this course to support your reasoning.
Your essay should be 3-4 pages single spaced. Please note that this is not a research paper and extra reading/citations are limited to maximally TWO. The essay should reflect your own understanding and analysis of the readings, textbook, lectures, and tutorial discussions. Your thesis statement should be a direct response to the assignment question, which asks you to make connections across readings and lectures.
Proper citation of sources is a fundamental essay writing skill expected of all university students. Please use Chicago style. Any essay submitted without adequate citations will be penalized.
