Statement of purpose on Asian Studies

This is my SOP for Asian Studies, It is very urgent for me to know how to modify it. Pls tell me your feeling after reading it. Advices are always welcome!!!!

Asia Study SOP

Once at a conference in my department, two philosophy professors hotly argued on the cause of Chinese corruption. "It is Confucianism that led to the severe corruption currently!" one asserted. "It is violating such moral tradition that results in corruption!" maintained by the other. Shocked by their words, I began to reflect what basically causes current problems in Chinese society. Comparative philosophy facilitated ideal society models into my thinking. Also it asked me justify their presupposition combined with reality and make comparison between west and east. Actually, certain universal values such as expression of freedom in western ethics are not supported or even mentioned in Chinese traditional thought. Nonetheless, similar to China regarding traditional thought, Japan is one of the most expression-freedom countries in the current world, which is indicated by its legalization of pornography and demonstration. Hence, I wondered whether regime difference leads to contemporary inconsistency among Asian areas of similar tradition. Specifically, does Chinese authoritarian regime determine lack of expression freedom in China?

Although I perceived expression limitation when I was prevented to spread bad news of my middle school through the school weekly, I have felt increasing expression freedom in past two decades. For one thing, traditional media was more oriented by the market but not solely as propaganda. For another, the internet enhanced the chances to express civic opinion and personal emotion immediately. Even Chinese chairman Jintao Hu talked with netizens through Renmin net this year. Apart from that, online debate as the most prevalent column built on my website for Olympic gave me more insights into growing demand of expression freedom. These incidents seemed to reveal some questions. Will the commercial interest of mass media promote the expression freedom? Will economy power replace political governance or at least be an equal authority to governing China?

By learning macroeconomics, microeconomics, social psychology and Das Kapital, I was trying to find the possible answer. Moreover, trainee in a financial magazine, I was warned not to be disadvantage to the sponsor companies when reporting. Plus, some experts as interviewees asked me not to publish their direct critics to government. I wonder whether media was a mixed entity of two authorities. After 5th July Riot in Urumqi, I couldn't check on the Facebook in China. What was worse, I couldn't check on any other websites except Tianshan net or did SMS when travelling in Xinjiang. Due to that, many internet bars had to close and online trade had to stop there. Does this mean the control from Chinese authoritarian regime work priori to anything else?

With strong passion to figure out these questions, I am learning politic philosophy and Finance Economics now. Primarily, I am looking for free academic environment, comparative analysis, interdisciplinary context and field work for my current thoughts and findings. It just so happens that your curriculum provision carries on my previous interest and offers whatever I want.

Continuously, I dream to be an investigative journalist, who can objectively observe, comparatively analyze and deeply comprehend issues regarding China. Desire for systematic knowledge and European perspectives on China within Asia, I believe two-year studies outside Asian ideological and political control in your institution will shape my future career better. By the way, how wanted I to attend your lunch talk recently to share my experience and discuss Xinjiang issues with you! I really appreciate if you could offer me the opportunity to study at your institution, and I promise to do all my best to make it mutually beneficial to both your department and myself.

This is great! Any school will be lucky to have you.

"It is Confucianism that led to the severe corruption currently!" one asserted. "It is violating such moral tradition that results in corruption!" maintained by the other.

Shocked by their words, I began to reflect on what...

Specifically, does Chinese authoritarian regime determine lack of freedom of expression in China?

Although I perceived expression limitation when I was prevented from spreading bad news...

Will economic power replace political governance...

With a strong passion to figure out these questions, I am learning political philosophy and Finance Economics now.

Thanks a lot Susan, yet my friends suggested me to broaden my theme. Do you think expression freedom was too limited to match the Asian Studies programme???

Comparative philosophy introduced ideal society models into my thinking. Also, it forced me to me challenge their presupposition combined with reality and make comparison between west and east.

No, I do not think you need to broaden the theme. It is already an enormous and complex topic. You are doing a great job. I wonder, though, what would you do to broaden it if you had to?

EF_Kevin
Thanks a lot for your suggestion. The essay below is my another version of sop on Asian Studies. Which one do you think is better?? Why?

Sitting in the corner, ragged and tremulous, an old beggar was reaching for money. Feeling heavy and sympathy, I, at the age of ten, asked my mom:" why could my grandparents enjoy their life in comfortable sofa, while these begging elders had to lie on the street, kotow and beg for their life? Calmly, mom said: "it is just the realistic society." "Yeah, it is exactly Chinese reality, but do they deserve it? Can't they change?"

No more answer from my mom, I began to find the answer by myself. From campus journalist in middle school to trainee journalist in China Youth Daily, I devoted myself to knowing more about reality, and improving it in my way. Through high click-through report on students' detainment and the professor's ambivalent feeling, I promoted my university to prevent a welcome professor's resign. To make people supervise policy's operating better, I revealed how graduates' employment connected to the political achievement. Prior to all the contribution I probably made, the urgent request from common people most motivated me to meditate what we should change, and how to change. During my interviewing, Heng Sun, the chairman in "Home for Chinese Mingong", couldn't help crying out "What is our figure in mainstream media, thief, hoodlum or rapist? Since we live a life by hands as others, why are we always stopped to enter the high-level shopping mall or even be supposed as dangerous to public? Since we are the creators of the high mansions, why can't we afford a shelter in the city?" Strongly, I felt his anger and helpless. Deeply, I was aware of my own responsibility. With a continuous dream to be a good journalist, I desire to investigate the unfairness and inequality in Chinese society. I hope to wake everyone's consciousness of being responsible to others' happiness or misfortune. I pursue to spread what is a better society.

Thanks to my major, comparative philosophy, I moved forward from simply phenomenal investigation to theoretical thinking. Theories of freedom, democracy and equality in ethics, as well as Confucianism, Legalism and Mohist in Chinese moral philosophy, gave me more insights into social ideals. Besides, learning from other disciplines such as economics, sex and city, and social psychology, promoted me to analyze Chinese realistic issues under basic interdisciplinary frame. Nonetheless, it is far away from enough. Oversea call for Chinese democracy, transnational supervision on Chinese human right, and international trade regulation of Chinese economic participation, expose China under a globalized circumstance. In this way, I necessitate to facilitate international perspectives and comparative analysis into my concern on China.

Fortunately, as a big chance, **** is coming to help achieve my goal. Developed social system and high-quality academic environment in Europe will not only offer me a firsthand experience of democracy and free marketing economy, but also contribute objectivity and creativity to my research outside Chinese ideological and political control. It just so happens that your courses satisfy what I want, carry on my previous interest, and help shape my future career, a Chinese investigate journalist. Believing in power of communicating, I will strive to be an emissary between China and Europe to spread advanced ideas from both sides. What's more, I will hence achieve my final goal: to lend strength to those lacking it, and enable pessimists to push forward.

Wow! What I would really like to see is a combination of both. I love the beginning of this one, because it is a question to which everyone can relate. Is it possible for you to incorporate your discussion of Chinese social practices, your goals for the future, and so forth?

If I had to choose one, it would be this second one, but I really believe that parts o the first essay would fit well with it. What do you think? Can you cut out some parts and combine these? Start with the opening para of essay #2.