J7A Essay Process (Fall 2012)
Step 01: Confirming topic OR switching topic OR proposing new topic
You need to choose between three options. If you want to propose a new topic, it will require some early research, so budget your time accordingly.
Assignment of mentors and topics
When you are assigned a mentor and a topic, that will be announced.
- Your mentor's name is listed on bSpace, under a grade titled "Mentor" that has a "grade" of 999 and that has the name of your mentor in the comments box. The email address of your mentor is on bSpace, if it is one of the two GSIs. Mentor's are assigned more or less randomly, with me skimming down the list and selecting each third name then assigning a mentor to a student that is NOT the student's section GSI. This is the basic rough rule, but there are some variations that slip into the process. You cannot change mentors.
- Your assigned topic is also listed on bSpace, under a grade titled "Topics" that has a "grade" of 999 and that has the topics in the comments box. Your initial topic is assigned more or less randomly but I group topics with mentors so that all students working on a particular topic have the same mentor. I also split known groups so you are not working on the same topic as a friend of yours. This is your default topic. You can keep it, switch to another of the listed topics, or propose a topic. If your proposal fails or if your switch request is denied or if you do not submit Step 01 on time, your initially assigned topic becomes your permanent topic.
- The full topics list is on bSpace, in a document that is inside a folder "J7AFa12 Essay Process".
I have assigned topics to give us an initial fall back position to keep the process moving forward on time. It does not suggest that I think this is the best topic for you or that you "should" do the initially assigned topic. It is just a predetermined position if nothing else happens.
Many of you have topics on things we have not yet covered in class. Some of the most interesting course concepts do not come up until the last couple weeks of the course and, in most cases, students find it easier to work with Middle Period and Edo Period texts and concepts. Thus, by assigning you a topic from that time period, I am encouraging you to go in that direction. It will not take you long to get a good sense of the course concept and art entity involved. Don't drop a topic simply because it is foreign to you at first read.
Topics cannot be changed, once decided
All topic choices soon become PERMANENT so look now into resource issues. "I can't find anything on my topic" is a completely ineffective argument later in the game. I like permanent topic assignments primarily because the entire essay process is promoting the concept of extended work on your topic, not a rushed paper written in a few hours. I am inflexible on this point, so chose your topic with care. Look into it now.
Switching to a different topic on the list
If you want to switch just use the form to tell me so. Your switch will be approved in most cases if there are not too many others who have already selected that topic and if I believe you are not working with someone you know on the same topic. A good reason might help convince me to make the switch. Looking into a new topic and showing you have done some research on it (not 15 minutes of Web reading, but going to the library or finding academic sources and such), is helpful, too.
Proposing a topic not on the list
If you want to propose a different topic, look at the full list. The topics give you a good sense of the principles behind the expected topic and, at the top of the columns there are specific statements on what can and cannot be considered as a component of your new topic.
One way to propose a topic is simply to use a topic from the list but do a substitution for the course concept or the art entity. This is not required, however.
Basically I would like you to apply a course concept to some sort of high-culture art entity in a way that is credible and interesting. "Interesting" here probably means something along the lines of "wow, I hadn't noticed that but, yeah, now that you point it out it helps me understand or enjoy or probe the entity" or "well, I had thought that was important but I had not noticed how important and you have convinced me that this is a very good thing to think about when considering this entity"—that sort of thing. You are not proving a point, you are giving us interesting and credible ways to explore and better understand the object you have selected.
Remember that your topic, if not approved, will default back to your initially assigned topic so make a good proposal if you really want to make a change. You cannot propose a new topic, have that refused, then make a second request to switch to a different topic on the list.
You will need to do some reading for a new topic. Look over my Web page Research Resources. It gives you links to academic articles and books online, search engines, and so on, including: JSTOR, EBSCO, ProjectMUSE, eBrary, Oskicat and so on. It includes notes on how to set up an off-campus proxy and what to do if you are not a Berkeley student.
You might also take a look at a folder I made for this class which brings together a stack of books on topics that might interest you. I have had some problems navigating eBrary with the Chrome browser in that some books which provide full access with Safari are listed as only preview mode (first two pages of each chapter) with Chrome. Here's the folder: J7A Course concepts, text anthologies, etc.
Bushido, the Soul of Japan (Inazo Nitobe, 1899) is a very interesting read. Yes, it was written in 1899, outside the framework of our class and, yes, there is a lot of Meiji in that book. Nevertheless, it is one of the most intelligent considerations of the bushido code and I accept it for this class. It is available in full English translation, for free at Project Guttenberg: Nitobe's Bushido.
How to submit
This is a REQUIRED submission for all students.
To whom do you submit?
Me, and your mentor. The two of us only. Please try to make sure we are both on the "To" line of the email. (Technical reasons at my end for this request.)
What subject line should you use?
J7A_S01_LASTNAME_classname notice
Forms
For proposing a topic not on the list, cut-and-paste the below, DO NOT ATTACH ANY DOCUMENTS TO YOUR EMAIL.
My old topic was: typehere
My proposed topic. (Explain in three hundred words or less how you think the the course concept might help make a credible and interesting exploration of the entity you have selected. Include, in standard bibliographic form at the bottom of this email submission, the resources you have looked at and plan to use, including electronic links for us, if there are any.)
typehere
Any additional comments you might want to make:
typehere
Bibliography
typehere
For switching for your assigned topic to a different one on the list, cut-and-paste the content of this form, DO NOT ATTACH ANY DOCUMENTS TO YOUR EMAIL. I will review your request and notify you whether or not I accept the switch.
My old topic was: typehere
I would like my new topic to be: typehere
Reason: typehere
Any additional comments you might want to make: typehere
For staying with your assigned topic to a different one on the list, cut-and-paste the content of this form, DO NOT ATTACH ANY DOCUMENTS TO YOUR EMAIL.
I will stay with the topic you assigned me which is
typehere
Any additional comments you might want to make: typehere
Late penalties
Beginning exactly 30 minutes past deadline with no additional grace period, your submission will be refused, your essay category grade will be reduced by 5%, and your topic is the one originally assigned to you.
How Step 01 is graded
Step 01 is not graded, except for late penalty as described above.