Outline

Overview

This unit examines the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of studying Asia, including the question 'what is Asia?' The unit examines key Asia-centred approaches to the field, including the critique of Western-centred forms of knowledge. From that basis, students engage critically with significant bodies of literature in different disciplines as the starting point for designing and carry out their own research projects in the field.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Asian Studies
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Asian Studies
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	CHNS3902 or INMS3902 or JPNS3902 or ASNS3902
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Timothy David Amos, timothy.amos@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small continuous assessment	Classwork Discussion of set readings and presentations of others	20%	-	equivalent to 1000wd
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Presentation of research proposal Oral presentation of research proposal	10%	-	equivalent of 500wd
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Draft research proposal n/a	30%	Week 09 Due date: 05 Oct 2023 at 17:00	equivalent to 1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final research proposal n/a	40%	Week 13 Due date: 09 Nov 2023 at 17:00	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	听
Distinction	75 - 84	听
Credit	65 - 74	听
Pass	50 - 64	听
Fail	0 - 49	When you don鈥檛 meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the .

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the .

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a听simple extension.鈥� The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can鈥檛 complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for听special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students,听听includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner鈥檚 Board. The Examiner鈥檚 Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours鈥� preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Week 1 (August 4) Introduction

Mullaney, Thomas S. and Christopher Rea. Where Research Begins: Choosing a Research Project That Matters to You (and the World). Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2022, 152-174.

Week 2 (August 11) Asian Studies: paradoxes and possibilities

Cribb, Robert. 鈥溾€楢 Little Knowledge is a Useful Thing鈥�: Paradoxes in the Asian Studies Experience in Australia.鈥� In What about Asia?: Revisiting Asian Studies, edited by J. Stremmelaar and P. van der Velde, 57-68. The Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press, 2006.

Duara, Prasenjit. 鈥淎sia Redux: Conceptualizing a Region for Our Times.鈥� In Asia Redux: Conceptualizing a Region for Our Times, edited by Presenjit Duara, 5-32. Singapore, ISEAS Publishing, 2013, 5-32.

Week 3 (August 18) Creative Research / Research Ethics

Munro, Doug. 鈥淎utobiography and Faction.鈥� In Bearing Witness: Essays in Honour of Brij V. Lal, edited by Doug Munro and Jack Corbett, 247-272. Canberra, ANU Press, 2017.

Iphofen, Ron. 鈥淎n Introduction to Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity.鈥� In Handbook of Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity, edited by Ron Iphofen et.al., 3-13. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020.听听听听听听听听听听听

Week 4 (August 25) Critical reading and writing

DiYanni, Robert. 鈥淩eading Responsively, Reading Responsibly: An Approach to Critical Reading.鈥� In Critical Reading Across the Curriculum, edited by Robert DiYanni and Anton Borst, 1-23. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

Schostak, John. F. and Jill Schostak. Writing Research Critically: Developing the Power to make a Difference. London: Routledge, 2017, 1-17.

Week 5 (September 1) Theory and engagement

Barshay, Andrew. E. 鈥淲hat is Japan to Us?鈥� In The Humanities and the Dynamics of Inclusion since World War II, edited by David. A. Hollinger, 345-371. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press.

Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Durham: Duke University Press, 2003, 1-13.

Week 6 (September 8) Asia and Methodological Approaches

Morris-Suzuki, Tessa. 鈥淟iquid Area Studies: Northeast Asia in Motion as Viewed from Mount Geumgang.鈥� Positions: East Asia cultures critique 27, no. 1 (2019): 209-239.

Winichakul, Thongchai. 鈥淭he Changing Landscape of Asian Studies.鈥� Ajia kenkyu 62, no. 1 (2016): 1-8.

Tang, Sheila. 鈥淪exuality in cultural studies: Doing queer research in Asia transnationally.鈥� Cultural Studies Review 25, no. 2 (2019): 72-77.

Week 7 (September 15) History / Asian pasts

Gluck, Carol. 鈥淣ational Pasts as Political Presents: War Memory in East Asia.鈥� In National Memories: Constructing Identity in Populist Times, edited by H. L. Roediger Iii and J. V. Wertsch, 280-299. New York, Oxford University Press, 2022.

Mignolo, Walter. D. Local Histories / Global Designs: Coloniality, Subaltern Knowledges, and Border Thinking. Princeton, N.J, Princeton University Press, 2012, 3-45.

Week 8 (September 22) Politics / Discourse

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. 鈥淒evelopment.鈥� In Political Concepts: A Critical Lexicon, edited by Adi Ophir, et al., 118-130. New York, NY, Fordham University Press, 2018.

Weiss, M. L. and E. Hansson (2018). 鈥淧articipation and Space: Themes, patterns, and implications.鈥� Political Participation in Asia: Defining & Deploying Political Space. E. Hansson, M. L. Weiss and K. Hewison. New York, Routledge: 206-211.

Kingston, Jeff. The Politics of Religion, Nationalism, and Identity in Asia. Blue Ridge Summit: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2019, 1-14.

Week 9 (October 6) Cultural Studies

Chua, Beng Huat. 鈥淐onceptualizing an East Asian Popular Culture." Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 5, no. 2 (2004): 200-221.

Turner, Graeme. Essays in Media and Cultural Studies: In Transition. Abingdon: Routledge, 2019, 145-155.

Week 10 (October 13) Society / Ethnography

Geertz, Clifford. 鈥淒eep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight.鈥� Daedalus 134, no. 4 (Fall 2005): 56-86.

Kano, Ayako. 鈥淭he Future of Gender in Japan: Work/Life Balance and Relations between the Sexes.鈥� In Japan: The Precarious Future, edited by Frank Baldwin and Anne Allison, 87-109. New York: New York University Press, 2013.

Week 11 (October 20) Religion

Bryan S. Turner and Oscar Salemink, 鈥淚ntroduction: Constructing Religion and Religions in Asia.鈥� In Routledge Handbook of Religions in Asia, edited by Oscar Salemink and Bryan S. Turner, 1-14. London: Routledge, 2015.

Jason Ananda Josephson, 鈥淭he Invention of Religions in East Asia.鈥� In Routledge Handbook of Religions in Asia, edited by Oscar Salemink and Bryan S. Turner, 17-29. London: Routledge, 2015.

Week 12 (October 27) Cinema Studies

Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park, Gina Marchetti, and See Kam Tan, 鈥溾€楢sia鈥� and Asian Cinema,鈥� The Palgrave Handbook of Asian Cinema, edited by Magnan-Park, Han Joon Aaron, Gina Marchetti, and See Kam Tan, 1-12. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2018.

Derek Hon-kong Lam, 鈥淐inema and Development: Towards an Ideological History of Asian Cinema as 鈥榃orld Cinema,鈥欌€� The Palgrave Handbook of Asian Cinema, edited by Magnan-Park, Han Joon Aaron, Gina Marchetti, and See Kam Tan, 53-70. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2018.

Week 13 (November 3) Research Close-up

Introduction to Buraku and Outcaste Studies

Amos, Timothy D., et al. 鈥淒oing Violence to Buraku History: J. Mark Ramseyer's Dangerous Inventions.鈥� Japan Focus: The Asia Pacific Journal 19. No.9 (2021): 1-25.

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Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. analyse secondary scholarship well enough to classify the discipline, approaches, and judge the quality of arguments and sources
LO2. apply previous learning to discerning Orientalist narratives and effectively discuss how to undermine corrosive stereotypes
LO3. engage in debates that are based on fact, are professional, ethical, and convincing
LO4. use library and archival resources to identify reliable information; you should also be able to discern how reliable information is based on a variety of factors
LO5. produce a research proposal that draws on relevant scholarship and other sources.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all 爆料王 graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one鈥檚 personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered'

Disclaimer

Important: the 爆料王 regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an .

爆料王

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

爆料王

ASNS3690: Researching Asia

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links