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Literature & Language
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Binding Modernity and Tradition Literature & Language Essay

Essay Instructions:

In terms of themes and issues, the Final Essay is comprehensive but with a heavy focus on the material from the second half of the semester.
You should be able to:
Address the complexities involved in discussing concepts such as "religion" and "modernity."
Draw on your knowledge from the first half of the semester (up to and including October 20) in order to help explain and elaborate on your argument.
Focus primarily on content from the second half of our semester, including details from class lecture videos and at least three required readings from our course that were assigned after October 20.

ESSAY QUESTIONS
Select only one of the following two essay questions and respond to it according to the directions below.
For each of the following questions, imagine the following scenario. A popular online magazine has dedicated an issue to the relevance of “traditions” in the modern world. Having heard of your expertise, they have asked you to write an article for them on Confucianism in the twenty-first century. They have given you two choices for your article.

Question One: Historical Analysis
For this option, the magazine has asked you to write an article stating your view on the question: what form does Confucianism take in the modern world and why is this (arguably) different from the form it took in the past? Your response should discuss the concept of “modernity” and address the ways that the Confucian tradition has changed, adapted and/or taken form as a response to modernity.
You should be able to draw on your knowledge of the history of Confucianism from our course video lectures and readings in the first half of the semester.
You should focus more heavily on the content from the second half of the semester and make use of a minimum of three required readings (from three different days) assigned after October 20 in your response as well as information and larger thematic issues and questions discussed in course lecture videos from after this date as well.
OR
Question Two: Opinion Piece
For this option, you should write an opinion piece responding to the question: does Confucianism have any relevance or value in the 21st century. They do not want a simple “yes” or “no,” but instead would like an essay that considers the complexities of this question. Your response should discuss the concept of “modernity” and address the ways that the Confucian tradition does or does not have a place in the modern world.
You should be able to draw on your knowledge of the history of Confucianism from our course video lectures and readings in the first half of the semester.
You should focus more heavily on the content from the second half of the semester and make use of a minimum of three required readings (from three different days) assigned after October 20 in your response as well as information and larger thematic issues and questions discussed in course lecture videos from after this date as well.

How will this assignment work?
You should select only one of two questions listed above then write an essay that responds to your selected question.
Your essay should have an opening paragraph containing an argument/thesis and a body that makes use of course material (including assigned readings) to support and expand on your argument. You do not need a concluding paragraph, but you are free to include one if you like.
Requirements
Your essay should be a minimum of 1200 words in length and should preferably be no longer than 1700 words.
Should have an opening paragraph that contains a thesis statement/argument.
The body of the essay should draw on specific course information, including assigned readings, to support and expand upon your argument.
Any references to course readings should contain a basic citation. Any citation format is fine as long as it includes information to help me find the quotation or reference -- e.g. a page number (if there is one).
You do not need to add any bibliographical citation for any information taken from lecture videos, but your essay should demonstrate thorough knowledge of information learned from these lectures.
Your essay should make use of a minimum of three required readings from the course assigned after October 20, which should be from three separate days (in other words: if you select two readings that were assigned for the same class day, this will only count as one of the three required readings you need to examine for this essay).

Assessment
Although grammar and spelling are not major concerns for this assignment, evidence of a lack of attention or care could affect your grade, of most likely no more than a penalty of 5% to your final grade for the assignment. Do keep in mind that I can only grade you based on what you have presented in writing, and so a failure to communicate your ideas clearly can potentially affect your grade).
Your grade will be based on a rubric looking at three specific elements of assessment, which can be seen below. Overall, your essay should demonstrate engagement with the course, and show knowledge of both our larger course themes and questions, as well as specific contents from our lecture videos and readings. Assignments that do not demonstrate knowledge of course material are not likely to receive a passing grade.
The grading rubric is meant as a guideline, and your grade can be affected by other factors such as: a failure to meet certain requirements (e.g. word length) which will usually result in a penalty of at least 10% to your final grade

Essay Sample Content Preview:
[Name]
[Professor]
[Course]
[Date]
Binding Modernity and Tradition:
Family and Confucianism in the 21st Century
Introduction
For every generation, culture and practices develop according to what suits the people. Simultaneously, some of those practices die from being forgotten because no one is left to pass them. That is why some languages die; cultures get modified, and people move on to another set of traditions. Some cultures survive because there are people who keep them alive. They would make sure to pass down the customs to the family members to keep it practiced.
Modernity and innovation would sometimes get in the way of traditional practices and beliefs. For instance, in some cultures, it is a tradition to make delicacy with the family members. “They are presented on a large plate accompanied by vegetables and fruit” (Ebrey 17). Nowadays, some families would skip tradition and focus on other things separately because they can buy a ready-made one. If the value of making food together is to keep the family bond together, skipping it means skipping the value. Modern families are more career-driven, especially in a society that has a high demand for a living standard. To them, if there is a way to shorten a task, it is better.
Some families would still carefully value traditions and cultures because they are brought up to do so. Their families inculcated in their upbringing the relevance of their traditions for them to keep it to heart. As a result, they strictly pass it down to their future families. Anyway, you will lose nothing from performing traditional practices. If anything, you may earn the blessings or luck that older people believe to be true.
Modernity and traditions may seem to disconnect at times when people refuse to practice them together. However, traditional learnings and beliefs may still be applied in our everyday situations. We have to be critical to apply them accordingly and not to how we want them to be. With that, let us look at how much traditions can meet modernity in some aspects.
The Traditional Family
Family is the basic unit that we put so much value in society. Primarily, we look more affectionately at our family members because we are of the same flesh and blood. Our nuclear family is the one that shelters and feeds us first before anyone or even ourselves could. For most cultures, families come first before other people. We would always be taught to give enough attention to our families. Traditionally, a Chinese family means “four generations under
one roof” (si shi tong tang)” (Meyer 171). It means that first up to third-generation family members can live the family of the fourth-generation family member. Some Asian countries also embrace that definition of family. In countries like the Philippines, Malasia, and Japan, families take in their grandparents in the family house. It is contrary to the western practice that homes for the aged are widely recognized institutions. That is why Asian families are more family-oriented because they have a close relationship with every member.
The Confucian ideology recognizes filial piety as a strong foundation of one’s character and goodness (Ebrey). The Confucian doctrine teaches &ldquo...
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