Title: A Roundtable Discussion on Holcombe’s A History of East Asia (Pre-Modern Period)

Professor Holcombe, author of A History of East Asia, is considering revisions of this textbook to better suit university students. Before making changes, he seeks feedback from scholars in various subfields of East Asian history through a series of roundtable discussions. For the pre-modern period (Chapters 1-5), he has invited three scholars: Professors Evelyn Rawski, Kiri Paramore, and Lynda Shaffer. Task: Imagine and draft a roundtable discussion in which the three invited scholars offer critical feedback and suggestions regarding the textbook. Professor Holcombe will respond to their comments. Requirements: • Length: 1000 to 1500 words (excluding footnotes/endnotes/in-text citations and title). Points will be deducted for deviations from the word limit. • Use first-person narration rather than third-person description to convey the scholars’ perspectives. Points will be deducted for not using first-person perspective. • Articulate each scholar’s perspective, scope, and framework for interpreting East Asia, using specific references from their works to support their feedback and suggestions for revision, as well as their responses to those suggestions. • Their discussions should critically reflect on the problems and assumptions in the understanding of East Asian history, particularly within the North American context, while keeping student learning outcomes in mind. • Use only the listed sources. Do NOT consult external published book reviews. Points will be deducted for using unapproved sources. • Demonstrate engagement with course materials. • Grading will focus on how accurately you represent each scholar’s main ideas, scope, and perspective. It will also assess your selection and description of evidence, the relevance of that evidence, the clarity of your reasoning, and the critical depth of their communications throughout the discussion. Each scholar’s contribution will be graded separately, with a total of 5 points available for each. Citation Examples (use footnotes or in-text citations in doc. or docx. file): • Textbook: “Textbook, pp. x-x.” “Textbook, p. x.” • “The Northeast Frontier in Chinese History”: “Rawski, p. x.” • “Confucianism as Cultural Capital”: “Paramore, p. x.” • “Southernization”: “Shaffer, p. x.” • Other readings: “Module 2, Reading 2, p. x.” • Lecture slides: “Module 2, Lecture 1, the title, slide x.” • Video sources: “Module 2, Video 2, the title, 23’40”.” • PSA sources: “PSA 1 Source.” • PSA sources in this exam: “Final Exam [Source x].”