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EACS 158

Sinophone Studies

Winter 2026

Required Textbooks:

All required readings will be posted on Canvas except for the following books, which is available as an e-book at the UCSB Library:

-    Howard Chiang and Shu-mei Shih, eds., Sinophone Studies Across Disciplines: A Reader (New York: Columbia University Press, 2024). [hereafter SSAD]

Course Requirements:

25% Attendance & Participation

25% Group Presentation

20% Reading Response Papers (2 total; 10% each)

30% Final Essay

Attendance & Participation: You are expected to come to class having read the assigned material closely and prepared to discuss it. It is important that our in-class discussions are informed, wide ranging, and open-ended: no comments, criticisms, or debates should become personalized.

Since weekly response papers are not mandatory for this class, you are encouraged to take adequate notes on the readings consistently. Because participation is counted as part of your grade, missing class will negatively impact your grade. Most of our work in seminar is done in conversation with your peers in class. To facilitate this mode of learning, it is important to stay focused on the topic at hand; to avoid interrupting one another or dominating the discussion; to treat one another with respect (even in disagreement); and to bring your book/notes to class.

Everyone is expected to contribute, and this means taking risks and airing your ideas. As your instructor, I will mediate discussions, make room for everyone to participate, and may redirect conversation where needed. Your in-class attendance and participation will count toward 25% of your overall grade.

Group Presentation: During our first meeting, you will be randomly assigned to a topic. On the date when the topic will be discussed in class, your group will assume responsibility in giving a presentation (no more than 15 minutes) on the readings assigned specifically for that session.

Your presentation must introduce the “optional” reading assigned specifically for that session.

Everyone should prepare carefully for these presentations, not just for yourself but for your classmates: your presentation should conclude with three to five questions for further in-depth discussion in class. E-mail these questions to me by 5pm on the day before your presentation.

The PowerPoint format is optional but encouraged. Presentations will be graded generously based on the quality of both the questions and comments your team uses to guide the class, and your classmates’ response to them. That is, your group will be graded in part on the quality of the conversation you are able to generate in class. Your in-class presentation will constitute 25% of your overall grade.

Reading Responses: For two times in this quarter (your choice of two topics except for week 1), you will turn in a reading response paper each based on a critical assessment of the week’s assigned readings. Your responses should be typed in 12-point font and 3-4 double-spaced pages. They are due at the beginning of class as they will be summarized out loud in the seminars. The reading response papers cannot overlap with your presentation topic, but they can form the basis for your final essay. No group work is permitted for the paper assignments. The first paper must be submitted by week 5 at the very latest. Together the two papers will count toward 20% of your final grade (20% each).

Final Essay: A longer paper of 7 to 8 pages is due by the end of the term. This can be informed by your interim presentation but does not have to be so. You have three options: (1) a historiographical essay based entirely on secondary sources, (2) a research paper that draws on primary sources, or (3) a combination of the two. To start, you might consider choosing a “keyword” in Sinophone studies and research on its importance. Your keyword may come from any of the weekly seminar themes, but this is not a requirement. How do you see your keyword as describing and reflecting a particular historical moment or socio-political context? Please see me if you have any questions about any of the three options. You may submit an outline or annotated bibliography in the second half of the quarter for feedback, but this is not a mandatory task. This individual assignment will form 30% of your cumulative grade. Your final essay is due via Canvas submission at noon on March 18, 2026.

The key to the successful completion of this course includes: (1) keeping up with the reading, (2) paying attention in class, (3) synthesizing material as the course progresses, and (4) completing  all assignments on time.  No extensions will be given, and no late papers/exams will be accepted. Violations of academic integrity, including cheating on exams and plagiarism, will result in disciplinary actions according to UCSB’s Student Conduct Code, the document that deals with academic offences.  It is expected that you are familiar with that document.

We will be using Canvas as our principal platform of communication about matters related to the course outside the classroom. All of the readings (apart from the required textbooks listed above) will be available for download under the “Pages” section on our Canvas course portal. So please ensure that you have access to it right away. You are also expected to check your e-mail account registered on Canvas on a regular basis, as that will be my primary way of contacting you.

Device Policy:

Due to the discussion nature of our meetings, no electronic devices such as laptops or mobile phones are permitted in class. You are expected to print out any readings and notes and bring them to class for discussion. Violation of this policy will lower your final grade.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:

The University of California, Santa Barbara, is committed to ensuring equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities.  An integral part of that commitment is the coordination of specialized academic support services through the Disabled Students Program (DSP), located at 2120 Student Resources Building.  The UCSB DSP collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please let me know in advance and initiate your request with DSP at the beginning of each academic quarter.