EALC Internships through VPUE Undergraduate Research Grants

Faculty Mentor: Yoshiko Matsumoto
Project Description:
This project seeks to continue the research project that explores conversational strategies that encourage verbal interaction between older and younger individuals through observations during an intergenerational haiku-making activity. The previous projects were funded by grants from the H&S (Changing Human Experience) and the Office of Community Engagement, whose grant periods ended at the end of August, 2023. Older individuals (especially those living with cognitive impairments) are reportedly subject to social isolation, which can lead to decline associated with the lack of stimulus. Young individuals may feel socially awkward to speak to older adults, although they reportedly also suffer from loneliness.  Intergenerational interaction through a humanistic activity such as haiku-making can benefit both groups and contribute to building inclusive communities. In this project, older and younger participants create their own haiku after a brief introduction about haiku–a short poetry form originating in Japan–and talk about their poems with their intergenerational participants.

The undergraduate research assistants are expected to carry out this hour-long activity 6-9 times during each quarter, coordinating with community collaborators, digitally (video- and audio-)record the activities, transcribe some relevant parts for analysis and conduct analysis, in addition to transcribing and analyzing the existing recordings. Some students are also assigned to add information to the project’s website. Experience of transcription is a plus, and knowledge of (or interest in) Japanese and haiku is welcome.  

Quarter(s) intended for project and number of desired undergraduate researchers:

Winter, Spring, Summer: 2-4 students each quarter, $1500 stipend (~10 hrs/week)

Faculty Mentor Name: Dafna Zur
Project Description:
In preparation for a book-length project on the music industry in Korea, I need a student to compose a detailed catalog of Korean pop musical forms according to musical structure, as well as according to use of language (multilingual instances and code-switching). This quantitative and qualitative research will serve as a foundation for an extensive project that will have a fieldwork component in 2024-5. 

Quarter(s) intended for project and number of desired number of undergraduate researchers:

Winter, Spring, Summer: 1-2 students each quarter, $1500 stipend (~10 hrs/week)

Faculty Mentor Name: Yiqun Zhou
Project Description:
I need a student to compile an annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources on the subject (in Chinese and English), and also to translate select pieces from Chinese into English. This work will primarily benefit my seminar “The Use of Classical Antiquity in Modern China,” which I offered during 2021-2023 and plan to teach again on a regular basis. I intend to give a major overhaul to the syllabus (to devote much more attention to primary sources in the reading assignments, and to update and expand the list of Suggested Further Readings) before teaching it again. The bibliography will also be helpful to the research project that I will be developing into a book. 

Advanced modern Chinese and some knowledge of classical Chinese required. 

Quarter(s) intended for project and number of desired number of undergraduate researchers:

Spring, Summer: 1 student each quarter, $1500 stipend (~10 hrs/week)