subject is personal insight
Microsoft Word - AIA300 Assignment 1.docx AIA300 Australia’s Asia Assignment 1 Research and Writing Exercise Length: 1000 words Date Due: Friday 10 August Weighting: 25% Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism is the key theoretical framework for this unit. Drawing on Said’s Orientalism (1978) and at least 4 other secondary sources, write an essay that explains and analyses the concept of Orientalism. Your essay must include: • an explanation of the concept of Orientalism; and • a discussion of the relevance of the concept of Orientalism for understanding Australia’s relationships and engagements with Asia. You will find a starting-point for relevant secondary sources in the list of References and Further Readings in the Topic 1 Study Guide (Introduction: Australia, Asia, Orientalism). Please reference your work correctly, using either Oxford or Harvard referencing style. The criteria of assessment are below. Essays must be submitted through Cloud Deakin. Requests for extensions should be directed to the Unit Chair. Criteria High Distinction Distinction Credit Pass Fail and Needs Significant Improvement Address all parts of the question Question is well and fully addressed with significant insight. Question is well addressed with some insight. Question is addressed, but more was needed. Question is referenced but addressed only vaguely. Essay question is not fully addressed. Analysis of Orientalism Analysis of Orientalism has significant depth and demonstrates comprehensive understanding. Analysis of Orientalism has some depth and demonstrates strong understanding. Analysis of Orientalism demonstrates adequate understanding. Orientalism is analysed; there is some understanding demonstrated. The concept of Orientalism is not well understood and/or analysis is inadequate. Communication and Clear Structure Essay is well structured with a clear logic and each point sequenced in a progressive way. Essay is well structured with a logical sequencing of points. Essay has a comprehensible structure, but could be improved. Essay has an adequate structure/is well structured in parts. Essay is poorly structured and/or without a clear sequencing of points. Quality of Writing Essay has excellent grammar with accurate spelling and eloquent expression. Essay has very good grammar with sound spelling and expression. Essay has good grammar with reasonable spelling and expression, but some improvements needed. Essay writing is adequate but improvements needed. Essay is not well written with poor grammar and/or spelling and/or expression. Presentation and referencing Exceptional presentation with accurate referencing of sources. High quality presentation with strong referencing. Solid presentation with reasonable referencing. Adequate presentation and referencing. Poor presentation and/or inadequate referencing. Overall Score Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Edward Said drew heavily on Michel Foucault's ideas of 'discourse' to build a three strand argument about 'Orientalism.' Very briefly, the three strands (or discourses within the meta-discourse of Orientalism) are: 1) The academic study of ‘the Orient’, predicated on assumptions of 'Western' superiority. In Australia's experience we might think about historical efforts to 'know Asia', which Said (and others) might regard as thought-limiting and needlessly simplistic. 2) Related to this is a system of thought, a Euro-American habit of regarding the 'East' and 'West', (or 'Asia' and the 'West') as existing separately, in a simple, unproblematic, binaristic relationship, not as a Euro-Americo-centric, self-perpetuating (and self-aggrandising) cultural construct in which the 'West' assumes that the 'Orient' is an homogeneous 'other'. Again, thought limiting and needlessly simplistic. 2) The third strand is the behaviours that derive from the above ways of thinking, which seem to justify “dominating, restructuring and having authority over the Orient” such as Euro-American colonialism, imperialism, neo-imperialism, arguably also military interventions, aid distribution and many of the economic and cultural practices of globalisation (i.e. US tech companies and China) - all that sort of thing. Put these together and it would seem that Orientalism offers clues about Australians' past and present responses and engagements with Asia. I'm sure you can think of a dozen examples! Since colonisation (but notably, not before) Australians have behaved in ways that assume Asia to be ‘the other’, they have displayed a sense of superiority in ‘knowing’ Asia, and made assumptions about Australia’s place in Asia. Orientalism was written in the 1970s and the world has changed considerably since then, however, much of what Said wrote still rings true but is now embedded in globalisation. Oh and it could also be worth thinking about Asia's responses to the practices of Orientlsism? In general it has not been, as might be expected, to reject the flawed ideology of an “absolute demarcation between East and West”, but to reclaim 'Asianness' as a rallying cry to self-determination (and sometimes a justification for rejecting processes of liberal democratisation). So I guess that means we're stuck with it!