2000 esssay

PASS 151 – Modern Chinese Culture

Course Paper (30%) – Due in class Thursday April 4th

Write an essay of no more than 2000 words which analyses a modern Chinese cultural phenomenon or an example of specific cultural output in relation to

domestic and/or international historical, economic, social or political contexts in China. Include the word count at the end of the main body of your paper.

Here’s a reminder of some of the modern Chinese cultural phenomena and examples of specific cultural outputs discussed in the course:

 Words, messaging, visual representations and ideas of the China Dream

 Road to Revival exhibition at the National Museum of China  Contemporary hip hop dance and rap music phenomenon  Belt and Road Initiative, China’s international vision and Chinese culture

 Urban and rural in contemporary China and Chinese culture  Shanghai Baby – gender, market and consumer culture in Chinese cities  Chinese avant-garde art and artistic practices in China and overseas

 Ode to Joy – White collar women migrants and “beauties at work”  Shanghai Foxtrot and the emergence of modernist literature  Ballroom dance and jazz music craze in 1930s Shanghai

 The Travels of Lao Can, Call to Arms and the True Story of A Q and the emergence of modern realist literary critique

 Maoist revolution, elite politics and socialist realism in visual and performing arts

 The Cultural Revolution in film, art and literature  The Three Body Problem  Reforms and opening, Democracy Wall and High Culture Fever

 Implications of Tiananmen Square 1989 and it’s aftermath for Chinese culture  Internet, social media and changing cultural norms in contemporary China  China’s sharing economy and the shifting culture of consumerism

 New nationalistic and patriotic representations in contemporary Chinese cinema  Analysis of other modern Chinese cultural phenomena or specific cultural outputs

is also possible, including literature, visual and performing arts, and other media

References – You must use at least THREE academic sources (originally published in English) beyond the assigned readings. Include a full bibliography of references (including materials in Chinese or other languages), along with other non-academic

sources you may have used, at the end of your paper. Links to information about referencing, citations and bibliographies can be found in the course outline. Detailed Guidelines for Referencing have also been posted on CourseSpaces. While you may not

find references about the specific topic of your paper, academic sources on relevant related issues and themes are acceptable.

Other considerations – You are strongly encouraged, wherever possible and

appropriate, to make use of images, diagrams, or charts to illustrate your analysis and findings. You will not be marked down for writing a solid paper in essay format.

Originality of topics – Papers prepared for another course may not be submitted.

Anyone wishing to work on a topic addressed in another course must obtain the written permission of the instructor at least two weeks before the due date.

Late submissions – Late papers will not be accepted without the prior permission of

the instructor and only as a result of exceptional extenuating circumstances. Failure to hand in the course paper on time will result in a grade of zero for this assignment.

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Your course paper should include the following components:

1. A brief introduction and overview of the topic of your paper.

2. A statement of rationale (and/or background) which justifies the analysis you plan to undertake. Why is the topic of interest? Why is it important?

3. A statement of your main objective(s), or research question(s) and/or hypothesis.

This section should include reference to the relevant ideas and debates in the academic literature. Reference to academic literature may also appear in earlier and later sections of your paper.

4. A short section on methodology which describes how you address your main objective(s), answer your research question(s) or evaluate your hypothesis. What sort of information did you use and how? What methods did you use to analyze and

present this information? 5. The main part of the paper will focus on a critical analysis and discussion of your

findings or main arguments about Chinese culture in relation to wider historical

circumstances or other relevant contexts in China or internationally. This section should include a brief discussion about the limitations of your analysis and findings. For example, you should identify any assumptions, and/or strengths and limitations

of your interpretations. 6. The concluding section should briefly summarize your key findings (or arguments) in

relation to the main ideas and/or debates – both from class discussions and from

the academic literature referred to in earlier sections.

Academic integrity – Preparation of this paper is subject to University protocols on

plagiarism and cheating as described in the course outline. Offences will result in a grade of zero for this assignment, and may result in a failing grade for the course. The instructor reserves the right to use plagiarism detection software or other

platforms to assess the integrity of student work.

Practices that are NOT acceptable include: X Persuading or paying someone else to write your essay, or otherwise presenting

someone else’s work as your own X Downloading essays or articles from the internet and submitting part or whole as

your own work

X Copying and pasting passages from books, journals, online resources or other sources, and presenting them as your own work

X Citing only a portion of a quotation, and presenting the remainder as your own work

X The use of an editor – either as an individual or service, whether paid or unpaid – who manipulates revises, corrects or alters your essay

Grading – The marker will be looking for:

 Knowledge and understanding of the modern Chinese cultural phenomenon or specific cultural output chosen for your analysis, and how it relates to the relevant wider context in China or internationally

 Solid critical analysis and discussion of your findings or main arguments  Relevance and appropriate use of academic literature, including complete,

correct and consistent citations and referencing

 Clear and appropriate structure and organization  Clear evidence of your knowledge and understanding of the ideas and debates in

the academic literature relevant to your selected topic

 An A+ paper must offer original insights and/or go beyond expectations

Formatting – 1” margins, double spaced, minimum 12 pt font (11 pt for Verdana)