IntroductionAs discussed in the Week 11 lecture and in some workshops, writing essays is not a natural behaviour, but one learned, often over many years. There are also considerable differences between disciplines1(e.g.history compared to sociology) let alone between Anglophone-culture universities and Chinese and Japanese ones, which often have very different traditions.Asian studies is an eclectic discipline which takes on many disciplines and is inter-disciplinary, but leaningfar moreto the social sciences than the humanities.This influences the sorts of essay writing expected. Below is a general set of guidelinesfor what markers looks for.2You can also get lots of good advice from our Writing Centre https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/resources/writing-resourcesEssay Structures and Explicit & Implicit ExpectationsIntroductions Set the Context(10-15%)3Introduce the Research QuestionIntroduce your argument or hypothesisIdeally, they also set out the evidence to be used, the way the evidence will be handled and what the expected outcome of that treatment will beIf you can, hint at what your main point will be (and discuss it in more depth in Conclusion)Essay Body Expands on the approaches you have laid out in the IntroductionShould be in order –generally from least to most important sets of evidence/reasonsSubheadings or No Subheadings?Referencing –1Meaning using particular research methods, different ways of presenting ideas & evidence -different referencing & bibliographic conventions. Discipline was/is also used to mean learning the research approaches, philosophies and rules –which used to be enforced with much zeal –specific to defined fields of study. 2Guidelines means that these are not necessarily hard & fast rules3This is a general guide only and may vary depending on what your word length is and what you are covering.
Conclusions Brief summary + Why what you have covered/argued is important (10-15%)It is your last chance to make an impression with your readersIntroductions Set the ContextThe Who, What, When, Where, Why/How important relevant the issue and people areIntroduce the Research QuestionEXAMPLE Asia, and especially East Asia, notably China, Japan and Korea for example, play large but often unrecognised roles in our lives via things exported to them from Australia and to us. As Australians we are increasingly likely to deal with Chinese and Japanese students and tourists while we are also very likely to visit these countries as students, tourists or on business of some kind. We also consume many Asian products from these nations, not only food but also cultural products, such as anime, movies, music, games etc. As a consequence, a better understanding of Japanese andChinese culture would help us understand these peoples and societies better and help minimise thechances of misunderstandings.Use the context to lead to aparaphrasedversion of the research(set) questionIntroduce your argument or hypothesisWe want well developed, explicit arguments. The best way to do this is to say:1)I will/This paper argues that .................. 2)Build in the reasons for your argument. I will/This paper argues that .................. because (list reasons) a) ...........b) ........... c) ...........3)By having some brief indication of your reasons/evidence/logic at the outset, you make it clear to the reader you know what you are going to say and the reader hasan idea of what you will cover and the order in which you will do so.EXAMPLEIntro to Asian Cultures argues that even a cursory understanding of key elements of Chinese or Japanese culture and societies helps students to better understand that culture (or both) and enables them to begin to analyse written texts and audio visual materials in much deeper ways, ways that allow them to explain the underlying psychological and/or cultural bases of what they are observing.Ideally, they also set out the evidence to be used, the way the evidence will be handled and what the expected outcome of that treatment will be.EXAMPLE A)Henry’s work on Japanese families and the role of ie(家) in peoples’ minds will be outlined and used to analyse and explain the dynamics of key scenes in the 2013 movie Tokyo Family(東京家族Tōkyō Kazoku). This examination will show that Henry’s ideas are of declining relevance for young Japanese today.EXAMPLE B)In order to show how Japan’s complex attitudes to religion and spirituality, the film Departures, about a young man who gets a job as a funeral director, is analysed in order to show how such different attitudes are manifested. In particular, the use of examples of Buddhist rituals by otherwiseChristian acting families will be used to highlight the odd place of reverence that Buddhism occupies in the minds of many Japanese. A similar approach is used to show how believers in other religions use an eclectic and syncretic approach to what they consider religion, ritual and tradition.Essay Body Expands on the approaches you have laid out in the IntroductionShould be in order –generally from least to most important sets of evidence/reasonsSubheadings or No Subheadings?–Depends on discipline. If it helps, use them. If the discipline rules mean you might be punished for using them eliminate just before final submissionReferencing –See Writing Centre Guidelines One issue discussed in this course was how to use references more effectively, that is, to ensure that their authorial voice came through their writing and that the use of references didn’t undermine this. You have to make it clear in your writing, which elements are yours and which are from your references. SAQsshould not be used. Stand Alone Quotes –Quotes which are neither introduced nor explained but expected to effectively, ‘speak for themselves.’Quotes should be introduced or explained. For example, According to Wang, “Socially shared images of thepast allow a group to foster social cohesion...(Wang 2012: 25).”We can see this principle atwork in the case of X, Y and Z. Passive Voiceis also something to generally be avoided in favour of Active Voice. For example, “It is said that all Chinese are .....”We would need to know who said that. Wang(2012)claims that all Chineseare ....Conclusions Brief summary(maybe)+ Why what you have covered/argued is importantConclusions do not repeat introductions and rarely introduce any new material. They might sometimes sum up key elements of the argument and evidence, particularly if the paper is a long one. Conclusions are your last chance to convince your reader of your argument and evidence.EXAMPLE: Introduction to Asian Cultureshas covered a wide range of psychological and cultural issues and introduced students to a wide range of common behaviours and concepts used in China and Japan. Students were also introduced to the use of video materials and shown how to first succinctly describe the behaviours on screen then analyse these using cultural concepts, ideas and concepts we had covered. As a result, students were much clearer about the differences between analysis and description as wellas how to identify key behaviours in Chinese and Japanese contexts. As much as possible, we tried to show how fundamental ideas, like hierarchy, face, and statusnot to mention emotions like shame and humiliationwere relevant in many different contexts, from the everyday to international relations.While far from comprehensive, ASIA 1104 students should be confident that as a result of what they learned in this course, they will have a more insight into many Asian influences on their lives, from how they should handle business cards to the origins of Pokémon!