CTE Summer Grant Final Report
September 18, 2014
1. Sun-Hee Yoon
Department of History
First Year Seminar
2. Elites and Elite Cultures in East Asia sets a number of elite cultural practices from
footbinding to the elite tourism in their historical context. As a First Year Seminar, the course
aims to help incoming students develop analytical tools to read and write critically about the
nature of East Asian elites. Thematically organized, the course explores in depth the historical
foundations of various cultural practices and related institutions to understand how elite cultures
were crucial to social distinction, how they represented the power and prestige of the elites vis-àvis subordinate social classes, and how these practices were adopted by non-elite sectors through
a civilizing process. The course material includes primary and secondary sources, written and
visual materials. It also has a research component. Students will learn how to read closely, write
clearly and critically, and finally produce a research paper.
3. I participated in 5 workshop modules in May 2014: Core Course Design, Information Literacy,
Text and Context: Helping Student Develop a Rhetorical Awareness of Audience, Purpose, and
Genre, and Developing Reading and Writing Assignments for Your Class. The Core Course
Design improved my understanding of the goals and characteristics of the First Year Seminar.
The other modules helped me reflect on my teaching strategies especially when it comes to
organizing course materials and designing assignments in order to create a rigorous and effective
learning environment.
4. This First-Year Seminar is not intended to be taught by other instructors.
5. I have developed an Integrations Course entitled, “Popular Culture in East Asia”. The course
has already been approved.
6. I have not taught the class yet but I have included writing workshop (which will be taught by a
writing instructor) sessions in the syllabus.
7-9. N/A
10. Nothing special. It is a standard FYS course designed to meet academic LMU standards.
11. Course Syllabus (see attached)
First-Year Seminar
Elites and Elite Cultures in East Asia
Loyola Marymount University
Spring 2015
Faculty Instructor: Sun-Hee Yoon
Office : UNH3427
Email: syoon5@lmu.edu
Office Hours: M3:00-4 :00
T&R 1 :00-2 :00
Writing Instructor: TBA
Office :TBA
Email : TBA
Office Hours: TBA
Course Description
Elites and Elite Cultures in East Asia sets a number of elite cultural practices from footbinding to
the elite tourism in their historical context. As a First Year Seminar, the course aims to help
incoming students develop analytical tools to read and write critically about the nature of East
Asian elites. Thematically organized, the course explores in depth the historical foundations of
various cultural practices and related institutions to understand how elite cultures were crucial to
social distinction, how they represented the power and prestige of the elites vis-à-vis subordinate
social classes, and how these practices were adopted by non-elite sectors through a civilizing
process. The course material includes primary and secondary sources, written and visual
materials. It also has a research component. Students will learn how to read closely, write clearly
and critically, and finally produce a research paper.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the course, students will:
* Be able to identify key historical events, periods, figures, institutions and cultural practices.
* Be able to situate various elite cultural practices in appropriate historical contexts.
* Understand the relationship between power, social status, and cultural practices.
* Be able to analyze how different social classes negotiate power, what cultural hegemony is,
and how it served as a powerful tool of elite domination over subordinate social classes.
* Know the difference between primary and secondary sources.
* Be able to extract useful information while critically assessing perspectives (biases) in primary
and secondary sources.
* Acquire research skills including use of the library catalogue and electronic databases.
* Be able to make an argument using both primary and secondary sources.
* Be able to think critically about their own cultural practices.
Required Texts:
1. Cong Zhang, Transformative Journey: Travel and Culture in Song China, University of
Hawaii Press, 2010.
2. Dorothy Ko, Every Step A Lotus, University of California Press, 2001
3. Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things: Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern
China, University of Hawaii Press, 2004.
4. Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, St. Martin’s, 2004.
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5. Articles and Primary Sources (On Blackboard)
Requirements and Grading:
1. Participation (10%)
2. Information Literacy Exercise (5 %) (To be completed by April 7)
http://bit.ly/public1
http://libguides.lmu.edu/FYS
3. Reading Summary Portfolio (10 %) (Due April 21)
You are expected to bring your reading summary to every class. These reading
summaries will go into your portfolio which will be collected at the end of the semester.
It will be graded based on the summary, quality of comments and questions, and evidence
of improvement.
4. A Critical Review of a Monograph (5 pages) (10%) (Due Feb 12)
5. An Analytical Paper (5 pages) (20 %) (Due March 12)
6. A Research Paper (8 pages) (25%) (Due May 5)
i)
Proposal and Annotated Bibliography (Due April 7)
ii)
Outline and First Draft (Due April 16)
7. Oral Presentation (10%) (Weeks 14&15)
*In order to pass the course, students are required to complete all the assignments.
Grading Scale:
95-100:A 90-94:A85-89: B+ 80-84: B
70-74: C+ 64-69: C
55-59: D
<55: F
75-79: B60-65: C-
Class Rules
Attendance:
If you miss more than five classes, it will result in a 10 percent deduction in your final grade.
When you do miss class for any reason, you are responsible for finding out what you missed and
obtaining any handouts. Repeated tardiness and leaving classroom will be considered as absence.
Participation:
Participation in class discussion is an important part of the seminar. You are expected to come
to class fully prepared. Your participation grade is based on the quality of your comments and
your contribution in class discussion.
Written Assignments:
Written assignments should be typed and double-spaced, with 1" margins and 12 points font.
Papers may NOT be emailed. They must be submitted at the beginning of class on the day they
are due. No exceptions will be made for any reason other than a documented medical emergency
or serious family crisis. Late papers will be penalized a full grade point.
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Readings:
You should ALWAYS bring assigned books and articles along with your notes/summaries to
class. Failure to do so will result in a deduction from your participation grade.
Electronic Devices:
The use of electronic devices such as cellular phones and laptops is strictly forbidden. Once class
is in session, you should stow them in your bag and may not have them on the desk or in your lap.
If you are found texting during the class period, your participation grade will be compromised.
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty will be treated as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences
that can range from receiving no credit for assignments/tests to expulsion. It is never permissible
to turn in any work that has been copied from another student or copied from a source (including
Internet) without properly acknowledging the source. It is your responsibility to make sure that
your work meets the standard of academic honesty set forth in the “LMU Honor Code and
Process” which appears in the LMU Bulletin 2010-2011. For more information, please visit
http://www.lmu.edu/about/services/registrar/Bulletin/Bulletins_in_PDF_Format.htm.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Students with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act
who need reasonable modifications, special assistance, or accommodations in this course should
promptly direct their request to the Disability Support Services Office. Any student who
currently has a documented disability (physical, learning, or psychological) needing academic
accommodations should contact the Disability Services Office (Daum Hall Room 224, 310-3384216) as early in the semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please visit
http://www.lmu.edu/dss for additional information.
Class Schedule
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(Subject to minor changes)
Week 1 Course Introduction
Jan 13 Course Introduction
Jan 15 Power, Elites, and Elite Cultures
Required Readings:
Pierre Bourdieu, “Introduction” from Distinction: A Social Critique of Judgment of Taste,
Trans., Richard Nice, 1984, pp.1-7. (My LMU Connect)
Born Rich, Directed by Jamie Johnson, 2003. (Documentary)
Honey Boo Boo (Youtube video clips)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RY2rsvWock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu_A9rosQqs
Write a one page analysis: First identify examples from the document and discuss how they
support Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of distinction, taste, consumption.
I.
Elite Tourism: Literati and Travel
Week 2 Scholar-Officials and Travel in Chinese History
Jan 20 Scholar-Officials in Chinese History (Scholar-official)
Required Reading:
Cong Zhang, Transformative Journey: Travel and Culture in Song China, University of
Hawaii Press, 2010,1-42.
Jan 29 Examination system and Imperial bureaucracy
Required Reading:
Cong Zhang, Transformative Journey, 43-110.
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Week 3 Elite Travel in Song China
Feb 3 Travel in Song Dynasty
Required Reading:
Cong Zhang, Transformative Journey, 111-153.
Feb 5 Elite Identity and Travel in Song China
Required Reading:
Cong Zhang, Transformative Journey, 154-210.
Week 4. Academic Writing
Feb 10 Writing Workshop I
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How to write a critical review of a monograph
--Summarize the argument
--Describe what kind of evidence author used to support the argument
--Give examples
--Evaluate the author’s argument and the use of evidence
Organization
Citation
Plagiarism (make students sign the honor contract)
Information Literacy Tutorial
Feb 12 Revise and Edit
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Checklist
Grammar and Mechanics
Critical Review of Transformative Journey Due (Feb 12)
II.
Footbinding
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Week 5: Origins of Footbinding
Feb 17 Footbinding, Gender, and Social Status
Required Reading:
Dorothy Ko, Every Step A Lotus, University of California Press, 2001, 9-77.
Feb 19 NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK)
Week 6: Experience and Perspective
Feb 24 Footbinding as Experience: Class and Gender
Required Reading:
Dorothy Ko, Every Step A Lotus, 78-147.
Feb 26 Victimized or Empowered?: Chinese Women’s Perspective
The Vanishing Lotus or The Three-Inch Lotus (Documentary)
Week 7: Different Interpretations of Footbinding
Mar 3 Perspectives of Western Missionaries and Feminists
Required Reading:
“Small feet of the Chinese females: remarks on the origin of the custom of compressing
the feet; the extent and effects of the practice; with an anatomical description of a small
foot.” Chinese Repository 3 (1835): 537-539. (My LMU Connect)
Andrea Dworkin, “Gynocide: Chinese Footbinding,” in Women Hating, A Plume Book,
1974, 95-117. (MY LMU Connect)
Mar 5 Information Literacy Session
Class meets at the Library.
Week 8 Writing Workshop II
Mar 10 Writing an Argumentative Paper
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Formulating a thesis
Use of sources
Organization of the paper
Citation
Page #
Title
Mar 12 Revising a Draft

Revise and Edit (Peer Review)
Analytical Paper Due (Mar 12)
Paper Topic: “Chinese women were victims of the brutal and barbaric practice of footbinding
that subjected them to male domination.” Write a well-organized essay (5 pages, double spaced)
evaluating the above statement. In writing the paper, you must use the following sources:
Every Step a Lotus (Book),
Vanishing Lotus (Documentary),
“Gynocide: Chinese Footbinding,” (Article),
“Small feet of the Chinese females: remarks on the origin of the custom of compressing the feet;
the extent and effects of the practice; with an anatomical description of a small foot.”
(Missionary Report)
III.
Material Culture, Consumption, and Taste
Week 9 Commercial Wealth and Social Status in Ming China
Mar 17 Ming Social and Economic Changes
Required Reading:
Feng Menglong, The Pearl Sewn Shirt, (My LMU Connect)
Mar 19 Connoisseurship, Defining Taste, and Power
Required Reading:
Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things: Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern
China, University of Hawaii Press, 2004, 1-39.
Week 10 Cultural Hegemony and Power of Elite
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Mar 24 Commodities, Consumption and Status Anxieties
Required Reading:
Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things, 40-74.
Mar 26 Commodities, Consumption, and Status Anxieties
Required Reading:
Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things, 75-115
****Research Topics MUST be approved by the instructor by Week 10.
Week 11 NO CLASS
Mar 31 Cesar Chavez Day
April 2 Easter Break
Week 12 Researching and Writing
April 7 Writing Workshop III
Writing an Annotated Bibliography
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Writing a Proposal
Organization of longer Paper
Thesis
Narrativity vs. Analysis
Use of Sources—Primary and Secondary
Citation
Research Proposal with Annotated Bibliography Due (April 7)
April 9 Writing a Draft
Required Reading:
Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things, 116-140.
Week 13 Writing Workshop III
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April 14 Writing a Draft with Outline
Required Reading:
Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things, 141-165.
April 16 Revision with a Checklist
First Draft Due (April 16)
Week 14 Oral Presentation of Research
Week 15 Oral Presentation of Research
Final Draft of the Research Paper Due (May 5 by 11 AM)
Choose a cultural practice that illustrates the relationship between power, social status, and
culture in East Asia. (Suggested topics include tea ceremony, garden-making, Noh theatre,
literati painting and calligraphy.) Topics should be approved by the instructor by Week 10. It is
advised that students meet with the instructor individually before submitting their research
proposals. When writing the research paper, you should use at least 5 different sources (primary
and secondary sources). Your research proposal and annotated bibliography are due April 9.The
first draft is due April 16. After that, you will have two weeks to rewrite and edit your research
paper in view of the submission of the final draft on May 5.
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