Admission requirements
Admission to the MA Asian Studies (research) or another relevant Research MA. Students from other departments are kindly referred to the course description of the regular MA course.
Description
This course aims to provide students with a multidimensional and diverse understanding of national and global preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) – customs, rituals, festivals, and other intangible cultural expressions – and its impact on the cultural landscape of local communities in East Asia. Furthermore, we shall look at recent developments and possible futures of the current preservation frameworks.
During the first part of the course, we shall establish some baseline understanding of several themes related to the preservation of culture, such as the distinction between high and low culture, the definition and significance of folk culture in present times, notions of tradition and nostalgia, and the sense and non-sense of cultural authenticity. We shall then shift focus to concrete processes of heritage preservation in East Asia both in situ and through institutions such as ethnographic museums, conflicts that arise from these practices, and conclude with a critical assessment of where heritage ‘belongs’ and what shape it will take in the future. Themes touched upon will include the relation between local systems of cultural property preservation and changes brought about by the global frameworks of UNESCO, the implications of “ranking” various cultural expressions on heritage lists, and the impact of national and international tourism on local (folk) cultures.
The regional focus of the lectures will be on East Asia (in no particular order: China, Japan, Korea), but comparison with other regions (Europe and North America in particular) is always within reach, and students are free to explore other regions as well. The aim is to obtain a broad but critical perspective on processes regarding the objectification of cultural practice and the preservation of intangible cultural expressions in East Asia and throughout the world.
Course objectives
Development of insight into the larger governing principles and backgrounds of the study of (in)tangible cultural heritage in East Asia.
Research and analyse problems related to the designation and preservation of cultural heritage, including generating options to solve these problems based on existing literature and self-study.
Development of critical reading and reviewing skills through the analysis of existing research.
Development of oral communication skills through class discussion, and writing/presenting skills through paper writing and class presentations on topics relevant to the course.
Practice in designing and applying complex analysis at an empirical and a theoretical level.
Expansion of organizing skills to combine primary and secondary sources into a piece of research output.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
The deadline(s) in MyTimetable is/are set for administrative purposes only. The actual date(s) will be communicated by the lecturer(s) in Brightspace.
Mode of instruction
Lecture/Seminar.
Weekly classes will consist of lectures and discussion with the convener of the course, combined with student-led clarification and exploration of the reading materials through a 30-minute discussion session.
Assessment method
Academic integrity
Students should familiarize themselves with the notion of academic integrity and the ways in which this plays out in their own work. A good place to start is this page. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students may not substantially reuse texts they have previously submitted in this or other courses. Minor overlap with previous work is allowed as long as it is duly noted in citation. For information on plagiarism (in the context of academic writing at large), see clips 4-5-6 in this series of video clips.
Students must submit their assignment(s) to Brightspace through Turnitin, so they can be checked for plagiarism. Submission via email is not accepted.
ChatGPT: What is possible and what is allowed? Dos and Don'ts.
Assessment and weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Weekly preparation (10 x 1.5%) | 15% |
| Midterm essay | 35% |
| Final paper | 50% |
Weekly preparation
Prepare your thoughts and questions on the reading materials for that week in a short and critical reading response. Each week, one team of students will prepare discussion based on their response to the readings + extra materials and examples. Hand in on Brightspace.
Midterm essay
Exploratory short academic essay (2500 words ± 10%) that reflects on the statement: “Cultural heritage in East Asia needs to be protected.”
Final paper
Research paper into a case study related to the course materials. Length 5000 words (± 10%). Inclusion of at least one academic article in a source language (CJK) is required.
Deadlines
Assignments may be submitted before the deadline, but not after. Late submission may result in a deduction of 0.5 grade point per day for the grade of that assignment.
The final mark for this course is formed by the weighted average.
To pass the course students must receive an overall mark of 5.50 (=6) or higher and/or a passing grade for the Final Essay assignment (5.5 or higher).
All categories of assessment must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years.
Resit
Only if the total weighted average is 5.49 or lower and this is the result of a paper graded 5.49 or lower, a re-sit of the paper is possible (50%). In that case the convener of the course may decide to assign a (new) topic. The deadline for this version will be determined by the course convener, after consultation with the student. A re-sit for other course components is not possible.
Inspection and feedback
Feedback will be supplied primarily through Brightspace. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the assessment results, a review will be organized.
Reading list
There is no required course text. Readings are listed in the course syllabus, which will be distributed in the period immediately preceding the beginning of the class.
For the Research MA students additional reading will be determined by the convener at a later stage taking into account the students’ fields of interest. Extra sessions will be organized to discuss this extra literature.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr