Research Paper Guidelines
Your final assignment for this class will be to produce a research paper on a subject of your choice. You may write on any topic, so long as it pertains to the major issues addressed by this course, i.e., youth culture and youth rebellion.
One approach to this paper would be to study in greater detail one of the episodes that we are already looking at in class (e.g., the Roaring Twenties, the Zoot Suit Riots, the Sixties). Another approach would be to examine one of the representative 'images' of youth rebellion that we will be considering (e.g., the flapper, the hippie, the slacker). Finally, you might examine some broader theme that touches on the issue of youth culture (e.g., youth rebellion in film, representations of youth in the mass media, juvenile justice). These are just broad suggestions; the scope of your research will be bounded only by your imagination (within the parameters given above).
Since this is a research paper, I will expect you to utilize sources in addition to the ones that I have already provided for you (although you should be able to put some of our course texts and readings to good use). Given the suggested length of the paper, I would expect at least half-a-dozen sources of your own vintage. Also I expect you to include at least one representative primary source (in addition to whatever secondary sources you might use). You may, of course, include more sources as you see fit (no paper can ever be too thoroughly researched!). Remember, all sources should be properly cited throughout the text (if you need a complete citation for one of our course readings and I haven't already provided it for you, ask me).
In order to help you begin work on this assignment with enough time so that you don't have to rush, I am asking for a formal 'research paper proposal' early in the semester. Proposals should include a working title and a brief description (1-2 paragraphs) of the subject you plan to study. These proposals will be returned to you with comments/suggestions. Research paper proposals are due in class on February 4th.
The research paper should be 10-12 pages in length (double-spaced) and it should be typed (and spell-checked if you're using a computer). You should include endnotes and a bibliography (title page is optional). Research Papers are due in class on May 1st.
The research paper is worth 30% of your final grade.
Examples for citing sources:
for books:
Joseph F. Kett, Rites of Passage: Adolescence in America, 1790 to the Present (New York: Basic Books, 1977).
for articles:
Kenneth A. Yellis, "Prosperity's Child: Some Thoughts on the Flapper," American Quarterly 21 (Spring 1969): 44-64.
Return to A201 syllabus