Eric Mar

Ethnic Studies 220

 SFSU - Spring 2001 

Office: Psych 106 - ericmar@att.net

4/5/01

ETHS 220 - Important! Instructions for Panel Presentation & Research Paper:

1.                   SELECT AN ISSUE:  From class discussions and the course text books select an issue impacting Asian & Pacific Islander communities.  Look to the bibliographies at the end of each chapter for suggestions for research sources.  Examples of issues could include - anti-Asian violence, 1990’s exclusionary immigration laws and policies, garment worker organizing, the impact of globalization on API communities, or educational rights for immigrant students and communities.  Email or call me if you have questions about potential issues to write about.  Draft a short proposal [50 words or so] outlining your proposed paper – due in class on Tuesday, April 17.

2.                   PANEL GROUPS:  In class during the week of 4/16 - you will be placed into groups of 5-7 based on your project subject matter.   For example, students who have chosen issues related to immigration will be grouped together.  Those that have chosen work/economic issues will be grouped together, etc.  While your written papers are individual projects, these panels are group projects in which you will receive a group grade.

3.                   PREP TIME IN CLASS:  You will have time in class during a number of our class sessions between 4/17 and the end of the semester) to meet with your groups but I also suggest that each group try to get together outside of class as well to prepare their panels.  I suggest that in your first meeting during the week of 4/17 that each group choose a facilitator to make sure everyone participates as equally as possible in the group.  You might want to exchange phone numbers and email addresses to better communicate with one another as well.  Remember, the best panel presentations are those where people work in an organized manner as a team and draw from their creativity to make it interactive and educational for all of us. 

4.                   PANEL PRESENTATIONS [in class during the weeks of 5/7 & 5/14]

a.       Each group must choose a broad common theme based on all of the various issue topics chosen by the members of the group.  A suggestion about process for decision-making in your groups: if all members of the group cannot come to consensus, then try to call for a vote where the majority's decision will carry.  Do your best to get everyone's input before making decisions.

b.       Basic instructions:  prepare a panel discussion for the rest of the class that analyzes the broad theme that you have chosen.  Main focus – present the lessons you have learned from your research and relate it to the main topics of our course.  Try to include how race, class and gender all affect the community in relation to your broad theme.  Lastly, present your group's suggestions for how you and Asian American community groups and others could better address the short term and root causes (look to history) of the issues/problems you raise.  Be creative!

c.       TIPS:  Do your best to plan for an educational and interactive type of presentation rather than a simple "lecture" format.  It would make it more meaningful and fun for the rest of the class.  I encourage groups to use video, audio and/or other visual materials to enhance your presentations.  Lastly, try to be "constructively critical."  Be sensitive to the extremely complex nature of the issues we will be dealing with.  Try to analyze them in a systematic manner.  Keep questioning yourselves and the conclusions we come up with in class.  It's all a process with no "right" or "wrong" answers.

d.       Presentation time = # persons in group times 5 min. per person maximum.  So, a group of 6 people would have to prepare a 30 minute presentation.  Please budget into your presentations enough time for questions/answers and dialogue with the rest of the class.  I suggest at least 5 minutes of time for questions and answers, etc. for each panel.

5.                   Field Project Paper Requirements:

Unlike your panels which are a group project, your research papers must be written individually. Papers are due in class on May 17 and must be typed, double spaced and at least 1500 words (about 6 pages).  Do your best to cite your sources where possible and to include a short bibliography at the end of your papers. See the course website for the format for citations and bibliography. http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~ericmar/references.html.

Your paper should include the following:

·         Short definition of the issue

·         Some historical background

·         Analysis of how race, class, and gender of the API community are impacted

·         Root causes for the problem

·         Potential solutions

·         short bibliography [list of sources used for the research].

6.                   GRADING:  I will hand out evaluation forms during class during the weeks of 5/7 & 5/14 and you will all be asked to fill them out to "grade" your classmates on their panels.  The panel grades will be based on your evaluations of each other.  I will grade your field project papers and make your grades available probably a few weeks after the end of the semester.

7.                   Take home finals:  In class on Thursday 5/17 I will hand out your take home finals.  They will be due in my office by Friday 5/25 at 5pm.

Again, I suggest you email or phone me if you have any questions or if I can be of any help in these projects.  Good luck!