In your final assignment you are expected to take an analytical approach that focuses on a single theme or issue that was raised in either the readings or lectures and class discussions, expanding the analysis according to your own particular interests. This assignment demands that you present a sound and logical argument and harness relevant and informative evidence for your statements; this is a research paper.
Your topic should be informed by the assigned readings and course themes but you are also expected to locate and use sources external to the course readings including industry trade journals or archival material. Identify the project’s core theme — the main research problem or issue under interrogation — and provide a sense of your essay’s general thrust and organization. I am expecting you to provide a clear statement of purpose; this means describing your specific topic and the underlying research questions that you will address, providing me with a sense of the argument you are advancing. You must also include scholarly or academic sources (this includes academic books or journal articles; remain aware of their publication dates to ensure that your sources are timely and relevant to your topic). Please note that Wikipedia citations and encyclopedias are only marginally appropriate. Furthermore, a simple list of non-academic online sources will not suffice but these, along with articles from the music or mainstream press may be employed sparingly.
***The topic I chose is Popular Music and Gender
