Instructions:

In her TED talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Nigerian author Chimamanda NgoziAdichie (2009)explains how the media often “create a single story, show a people as one thing.“Adichie arguesthat “the single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete,“robbing people of their dignity and making our recognition for equal humanity difficult. Adichie believes thatstories matter, but the fact is that we often operate in our daily livesfrom the perspective of hearing and knowing a single story — about a people, a place, or a culture. As an outsider looking into Chinese society, how have you understood China as a single story? Do you have any preconceivedconclusions?In this assignment, you are required to write anintrospective, first-person narrativeessay on your reactions, feelings, and actions about whether and how this class helped you understand China beyond a single story.

Structure:The essay should contain the following sections:

1. Introduction: reflective background and context (2.5 points)

The first part of your essay should briefly provide background and context about the “single stories” you encountered. Specifically, think and answer the following questions by narrating the experiences and highlighting the settings:

• What are“singlestories”you have believed about China, Chinese people, or Chinese culture, prior to taking this course?

• Where do these stories come from, andwho tell these stories?

You should provide enough information for the readers to understand what the single story (stories) was (were), where you heard about it (them), and how you believed about it (them). This section should expressthe central messageof your essayin terms of what you want the readers to know, believe, or understand after they finish reading your essay.

2. Body: reflective interpretation (3 points)

In this part of your essay, you can be personal, critical, and creative in expressing how the course content and learning experiences influenced or altered your feelings, beliefs, assumptions, or biases about China, Chinese people, or Chinese culture, helping you understand China beyondthe “single stories.”It is important to include specific examples drawn from the course content and your learning experiences (e.g., lectures,readings, films and video clips, guest speakers, activities, shared life experiences by the instructor) to explain how your perspective was challenged and/or changed and why, and/or introspectively state your current or new feelings, opinions, or beliefs about that experience.For instance, you may choose a few common stereotypes about China, Chinese people, or Chinese cultureyou encountered and explain how each one, even if partially accurate, does not represent the entire story.Particularly, youmay reflect upon some of the following questions:

• What is the “danger” in these single storiesof China, Chinese people, or Chinese culture?

• In what ways do “single stories” impact our own identities, how we view China, Chinese people, or Chinese culture, and the choices we makerelated to them?

• What can we do to eliminate single stories of China, Chinese people, or Chinese culturefrom both our lives and the lives of future generations?Can we expect our media to change their course and supply multiplestories in this regard?

You may employ a comparative approach to do the reflective interpretation. For example, if you have ever thought that Chinese food is orange chicken, or what you get from Panda Express, you may reflect on how your research onthe assignment of cooking a Chinese dish helped you change your mind. Or if you have ever heard claims by politicians that China steals American jobs, has a corrupt government, is a place of noxious air pollution, and full of human-rights violations, you may elaborate on how you have learned that it is globalization and the decisions of Corporate America that lead to the loss of American manufacturing jobs in the past decades,and issues of government corruption, pollution, and human-rights violationsoccurredand are occurring herein the U.S. and other countries, past and present.

3. Conclusion (2 points)

The conclusion of your reflective essay should provide a summary of your thoughts, feelings, or opinions regarding what you learned about China, Chinese people, or Chinese culture that go beyond “single stories”resulting from taking the course. You may consider addressingsome of the following questions:

• What is the impact of the experiences you have had on yourlife personally and professionally?

• How will you take the experiences of this course and incorporate them into your future professional practice and career?

• How have your previous knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes been challenged through taking this class? What new insights have been obtained? What false informationor misconceptions have been cleared up?