“Internet, social media and changing cultural norms in contemporary China”

Write an 1800 words essay which analyses a modern Chinese cultural phenomenon or an example of specific cultural output in relation to domestic and/or international historical, economic, social and/or political contexts in China. Include the word count at the end of the main body of your paper.

Here’s a reminder of some of the modern Chinese cultural phenomena and examples of specific cultural outputs discussed in the course:

Internet, social media and changing cultural norms in contemporary China

References – You must use at least THREE academic sources (originally published in English) beyond the assigned readings. Include a full bibliography of references (including materials in Chinese or other languages), along with other non-academic sources you may have used, at the end of your paper. Links to information about referencing, citations and bibliographies can be found in the course outline. Detailed Guidelines for Referencing have also been posted on CourseSpaces. While you may not find references about the specific topic of your paper, academic sources on relevant related issues and themes are acceptable. Wikipedia is not acceptable as a source.

Other considerations – You are strongly encouraged, wherever possible and appropriate, to make use of images, diagrams, or charts to illustrate your analysis and findings. You will not be marked down for writing a solid paper in essay format.

Originality of topics – Papers prepared for another course may not be submitted. Anyone wishing to work on a topic addressed in another course must obtain the written permission of the instructor at least two weeks before the due date.

Late submissions – Late papers will not be accepted without the prior permission of the instructor and only as a result of exceptional extenuating circumstances. Failure to hand in the course paper on time will result in a grade of zero for this assignment.

Your course paper should include the following components:

1. A brief introduction and overview of the topic of your paper.

2. A statement of rationale (and/or background) which justifies the analysis you plan to undertake. Why is the topic of interest? Why is it important?

3. A statement of your main objective(s), or research question(s) and/or hypothesis. This section should include reference to the relevant ideas and debates in the academic literature. Reference to academic literature may also appear in earlier and later sections of your paper.

4. A short section on methodology which describes how you address your main objective(s), answer your research question(s) or evaluate your hypothesis. What sort of information did you use and how? What methods did you use to analyze and present this information?

5. The main part of the paper will focus on a critical analysis and discussion of your findings or main arguments about Chinese culture in relation to wider historical circumstances or other relevant contexts in China or internationally. This section should include a brief discussion about the limitations of your analysis and findings.

6. The concluding section should briefly summarize your key findings (or arguments) in relation to the main ideas and/or debates – both from class discussions and from the academic literature referred to in earlier sections.

Academic integrity – Preparation of this paper is subject to University protocols on plagiarism and cheating as described in the course outline. Offences will result in a grade of zero for this assignment and may result in a failing grade for the course.