Chinese Culture as Part of China’s International Vision and Influence (Essay Sample)

Modern Chinese Culture
Course Paper (30%) – Due April 6th
Write a 1,800 word essay which analyses a modern Chinese cultural phenomenon or example of specific cultural output in relation to domestic and/or international historical, economic, social and/or political contexts in China. Include the word count at the end of the main text of your paper.
Choose ONE of the following topics:
 Contemporary hip hop dance and rap music phenomenon
 Chinese culture as part of China’s international vision and influence
 Urban youth 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 – cultural representations of white collar women migrants
 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 – literary allegory and the emergence of modern realist literary critique (Liu E and Lu Xun)
 Socialist realism in visual and performing arts in revolutionary Maoist China
 The Cultural Revolution in film, art and literature
 The Three Body Problem – Chinese science fiction
 Chinese culture during and after Tiananmen in 1989
 High Culture Fever during the 1990s
 Changing cultural norms and the internet and social media in China
 New nationalistic and patriotic representations in contemporary Chinese cinema
 Other topics on modern Chinese culture are also possible, but you must obtain permission from the instructor by March 27th at the very latest.
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 academic and 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. A detailed Guidelines for Referencing has also been posted in the Assessment
Module in Brightspace. While you may not find references about the specific topic of your paper, academic sources on relevant related issues and themes are acceptable. Wikipedia is not acceptable as a source. 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 t hand in the course paper on time will result in a grade of zero for this assignment.
Formatting – double spaced, 1” margins, minimum 12 pt font for Times New Roman or
11 pt if you use Verdana
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.
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.
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) that manipulates revises, corrects or alters your essay, including translation into English
The instructor may conduct an additional oral examination to assess the level of a student’s knowledge and understanding of the work submitted, and to assign a grade for this assignment.
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