Admission requirements
Admission to the MA Asian Studies (research) or another relevant Research MA. Students from other (regular MA) programmes are kindly referred to the course description of the regular MA course.
Description
Identity is a popular topic which attracts much attention, but is also subject to many questions. What exactly do we mean when talking about identity? And how do identities matter? In this seminar, we explore identity from the perspective of social justice and struggles for recognition and representation. Such approach provides a window on social, political and institutional structures and dynamics which enable and silence different voices and narratives in the context of Asia and the Asian diaspora. As part of the course, students will engage in life story research and interviewing in order to explore the course theme in relation to an issue or specific community.
Course objectives
Understand and apply key concepts related to diversity, inequality and exclusion
Gain insight into the dynamics of social differentiation and discrimination in Asia
Ability to formulate a research question, collect and assess literature relevant to a chosen topic related to identity and social differentiation
Conduct life story research and interviews relevant to the topic of the course, and analyze and present results.
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
Seminar
Attendance
Attendance and participation are obligatory for seminars and language courses. Students are required to attend all sessions. The lecturers need to be informed without delay of any classes missed for a good reason (i.e. due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, family issues, problems with residence permits, the Dutch railways in winter, etc.).
Absence in 3 or more classes will result in a failing attendance grade unless you face extenuating circumstances. In this case, contact the study adviser and Board of Examiners to apply for exemption.
Assessment method
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to be familiar with Leiden University policies on plagiarism and academic integrity.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. It is assumed that students' work is their own work with all sources used properly indicated and documented in the text (with quotations and/or citations). Students may not substantially reuse any work 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.
Assignment(s) must be submitted 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 |
|---|---|
| Attendance, active participatio and presentation | 20% |
| Assignments | 30% |
| Term paper (3.000 words) | 50% |
Final marks
Final marks are formed by the weighted average.
To pass the course, all elements must have a passing grade, and the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Each course is an integrated whole. All assessment parts must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years.
Submission of term papers and written assignments
Students must complete all papers and assignments on time.
Late submissions for all written work for the first or second attempt will result in a deduction of marks as follows:
1-24 hours late = -0.5;
24-48 hours late = -1.0;
48-72 hours late = -1.5;
Submissions more than 72 hours late, including weekends, will receive a failing grade of 1,0 for the assignment.
If students face extenuating circumstances they can request an extension by contacting the Board of Examiners. Note that such a request needs to be submitted four weeks before the deadline.
Word limits
A mark deduction applies to papers which exceed the world limit or word range specified in the course description. Students who exceed this word limit will receive an automatic penalty of 0.5 mark deduction.
Resit
Only if the total weighted average is insufficient (5.49 or lower) a resit is possible.
There is no resit for attendance, participation, assignments and the presentation.
Students who failed the term paper at first attempt can submit their paper for a resit at the resit date indicated in the syllabus.
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
Readings will be provided through the syllabus on Brightspace.
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 information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Herta Mohr.