Japn, Chin, Asia 499W	Japanese/Chinese/Asian Studies Senior Seminar	Spring 2011
R. Loftus Walton 144		Email: rloftus; voice mail 6275

Course Description and Requirements

This course is the combined senior year experience for majors in Japanese Studies, Chinese Studies and Asian Studies. The objective of the Senior Seminar is to develop a senior project that will consolidate and integrate the student's knowledge of Japan/China or Asian Studies and the field of Japanese/Chinese/Asian Studies. Students will be expected to integrate knowledge from different classes in their field and to demonstrate the core knowledge of and the important issues in their field as a critical reader and writer. Therefore, the Student Learning Objectives for this course will be:

1. Demonstrate basic language proficiency in an Asian language

2. Demonstrate a broad cultural knowledge of China, Japan or other Asian societies

3. Demonstrate interdisciplinary understanding of China, Japan or other Asian societies by completing an interdisciplinary project for this course

4. Demonstrate writing proficency as described by the Writing Rubrics by successful completion of a written senior project

There are four possible varieties of senior project available for the senior's in this seminar. The professor of this course recommends a suitable style for each student after consulting on the student’s topic and readiness for his/her senior experience. The students’ projects will be subject to several stages of criticism and rewritings. The students will defend their research near the end of the semester and, with the final revisions recommended by the committee, a successful defender can submit his/her final work to the professor. The length of your senior paper should be be approximately 25-30 pages. Longer is fine. Since this is a writing-centered class, we will spend time in conferences about your work in process, as well as in reading and revising drafts of your work with peers and with your instructor as well.

Each student will have a second reader other than me whee appropriate, i.e., a member of the Asian Studies faculty who has relevant expertise in your topic area.

These are the four types of Senior Projects on which students can embark:

1. Senior Research Paper
2. Review Essay + Research Questions
3. Biography with Commentary
4. Translations with Commentary

DETAILS on these four varieties:

1. Senior Research Paper (see “Research Paper.pdf” file as an example)
• Original study with a clear thesis and arguments
• Structure
Reviews on previous studies (called “literature reviews”)
Thesis/Hypothesis/Research Question (finding a niche in the previous studies)
Arguments (presenting evidence, analyses and discussion)
Conclusion
• Length – 25~30 pages (double-spaced)
• References (15~20 or more)
• Use of a primary source in Chinese or Japanese is not required but strongly recommended

2. Review Essay + Research Questions (see “Review Essay.pdf” file as an example)
• Summarize different interpretations of the issue in previous studies, comment on them and generate your own research questions.
• Survey existing literature on a certain topic.
• Choose 4~5 books to review. Students need to read the entire book carefully.
• Summarize each author’s main ideas and different interpretations of the topic. For example, “The Road to WWII.”
• End with research questions
• Length – 25~30 pages (double-spaced)
• Reference (3~4 books)
• Use of secondary source, i.e., books in English.

• If students cannot find 4~5 books on the same topic, book reviews for unrelated books might be possible. Consult the instructor.

3. Biography with Commentary (see “Biography.pdf” file as an example)
• Research on a particular person in the field and write a biography of that person.
• Selection of the person
Sufficient written materials in primary and/or secondary sources that the person produced and/or are written about the person are required.
• Writing a biography
Read and analyze the written materials
        Justify your choice of the person by explaining the individual’s significance or legacy
Offer your own unique perspective or insight into the person's life

• Length – 25~30 pages of text (double-spaced)
• References (15~20 or more)
• Use of a primary source in Chinese or Japanese is not required but strongly recommended

4. Translations with Commentary
• Translate materials in Chinese or Japanese into English with your own commentary.
• Translation
Literature (novels, short stories, poems, etc.)
Non-literature materials such as journal articles, academic books, etc.
• Commentary
Introduction (background information)
Significance of the materials to the field (Why did you choose these materials to translate?)
• Length – minimum of 15~20 pages of text for the translation and 5~10 pages for the commentary (double- spaced); details to be worked out with the instructor
• References (5 or more). This does not mean translating 5 or more materials. Five or more references from other sources that will be necessary to write your commentary.

By early February, students will make an initial presentation on their research design. After Spring Break, we will have a second round of presentations accompanied by a first rough draft of 8-10 pages and a bibliography. During the course of the semester, there will be a total of 8 weeks--or more than half of the semester--without regularly scheduled class time (though one of those weeks will be dedicated to conferences with students on their progress). Having these kinds of significant blocks of time for reading, reflection, research, and writing is what should make the Senior Seminar different from all the courses you have taken up until now. If somehow, you do not use your time well and wind up devoting only the same amount of time you would devote to a large paper in another class, then you have robbed yourself of a valuable experience. It is time you will never get back!! Therefore, it is critical that you do not procrastinate and squander this valuable time. Consider what the great Japanese writer Natsume Soseki had to say about senior thesis writing in his early 20th century novel Kokoro.

Do you want your senior project to hang over you "like a curse?" Of course not! There are two keys to avoiding this fate:

1. Pick a topic/project that you are passionate about.

2. Adhere to the following key dates:

1. Feb. 3 Student Submission/Presentations of their Preliminary Research Designs--one or two parargraphs describing your project and your preliminary bibliography

2. March 3 First Rough Draft due -- 10-12 pages; 3 copies: 1 for me, 2 for Peer Review; you may like to show your 2nd reader a copy, too.

3. April 5 1st Rough Draft Due; 3 copies: 1 for 2nd Reader, 1 for me, and 1 for Peer Review by a class member

4. April 19th complete 2nd Draft Due with 3 copies again

4. April 28 and May 3, 5-10 minute Presentations of Final Research Project with 5-10 minutes for Q&A/Defense of your thesis

5. May 3, Final Paper due by class time, 12:50 pm. We will gather in the classroom. Please send the final draft of your senior thesis WITH A COVER PAGE to Janet Jobes<jjobes> as a Word Attachment by 12:50 Tuesday April 29

To recap, your first rough drafts will be due shortly after Spring Break.

Your final, complete, but still "rough" draft will be due April 19.

The revised, final version of the paper will be due in class on Tuesday, May 3.

Schedule

Jan. 18 Initial Meeting: Bring Paragraphs and Bibliographies for 2-3 possible projects

Jan. 20 Library Session with Doreen Simonsen <dsimonse> feel free to email her your tentative topic ideas

Jan. 25 Read and discuss some of the Sample Projects available on WISE.

Jan 27 Read and Discuss "Japan the Ambiguous and Myself" Oe Kenzaburo's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, a PDF available on Wise under "Resources"

See Kawabata's Nobel Speech, "Japan, the Beautiful, and Myself" for reference

Possibly a Second essay by Oe, "Japan's Dual Identity: A Writer's Dilemma" a PDF if there is interst

Watch short excerpt from a video? "Virgin Road" Long Vacation "Long Vacation"??

SPRING BREAK MARCH 21-27

April 5 First complete rough draft due in class: 3 copies for Peer Review, etc.

Please bring 3 copies of your first draft to class, one for me and one each for two of your peers.

April 7 Continue Working in Class on Rough Drafts

Sunday April 10 Senior Summit

 

********************************************* For the next week, revise and develop your first draft into a final draft, NO CLASS Apr. 12 Revise Apr. 14 Revise   ********************************************

 

Apr. 19 Complete Rough Drafts Due to Loftus and 2nd Reader

April 21-26 Final Consultations/Revisions

April 28-May 3 In-Class Defense of Senior Projects/Course Evaluations

Please send your final draft of your senior thesis electronically as a Word Attachment WITH A COVER PAGE to me and to Janet Jobes <jjobes> by 12:50 Thursday May 5. The department will bind each thesis and retain one of these bound, clean copy for our files. We will provide you with one bound copy. If you wish extra copies for yourself, please take it to the Copy Center with the copy request form signed byJanet or myself and arrange to pay for the extra copies yourself.

"I was free at last."
Soseki, Kokoro

"My professors apparently did not have as high an opinion of my thesis as I did.

I was, however, allowed to graduate that year." [Yaaaay!]

Soseki, Kokoro