A Thesis-Driven Paper Requiring Research (from Ryan Wepler) In 8-10 typed, double-spaced pages (12 point font), pesform a arowly focused and thoroughly researched analysis of some facet of cute that normalizes indivi into gender identities, In ation to explaining how the cltural example you have chosen contributes tothe formation of gene, your paper should desrie the specific characteristics it contributes to cur ‘overall notions of gender calories. Your tpi shoud allow you to explore ground that is Significantly different from what you have explored in your previous paper. Thouzh ti not reuired, you are encouraged to take an evaluative stance toward your clara example, Rather than simply saying that the example posenss either ponitive or negative social emsequences, would urge you to discuss how the example might be berated from a rigid gender category in ‘ey that, for example, the connotation of pink a feminized and weak is shateed by its ase a the color of female power on the way website, Cariteations 1) By "narrowly focused" mean arrow, Ihave boen pressing you al semester to develop ‘more focused paper topics and olsen wo say let move about ot es Far example, in the mos recetelition of the Journal of American Culture UAC), the topic of one ofthe per isthe way in which Seventcen magazine—the authors entire isertation is on Seventeen migazine— produces a society of young, middle-class, female consumers. By eT mean something like Seventeen magazine. You could choose something like “Country Club Membership and Masculinity” or “The Mating Ritual of Anmeiean Twentysomethings in the Contemporary Romantic Comedy.” To give you an ‘example of how narrow you can go, the same issue of JAC contains the equivalent of 25 gs paper onthe significance ofthe uber ducky in American culture and there are reviews of books (books! on American hoc decorations and the symbolic significance fof the sequoia tee. Lam no, of course asking you to wit lke employed scholars in {your papers, but ti ar rom unreasonable to ask for narow and focused (nd Interesting’) alysis in college essay. You are, afte al, writing for employed scholars, “The fat that your tape ls narrow should not prevent your Meas from beng ambitious 2), By “thesisdriven,” I meen thesis-driven. Somehow afew students always confse the research poper wilh a repost assignment. Reports will not eccive passing grades. You teed Io offer thesis about your lope ha unites your analysand peshes your evidence toward proving a meaningful and contertabe clam 3) Ihave designed this project to encourage bath primary and secondary resource research, Inher words, part of your research will equte you to look a! texts that will improve your ndentanding of your opi self, For example, if your topic ithe way in which adolescent females ate gendered though their consumption of Seventeen magazine, one ‘of your primary sources would hive to be Seventeen magazine isl. In ation to this ‘primary source, you would also have to research what people (hopefully scholars) have leady written about the topic. Inthe case of Seventeen magazine you could use Kelley Masson’ article in JAC. However, i addition to these highly specific atices, you will want o look art some articles abou the broader themes in your topic. Writing an esa) ‘on the genderng of teenage irs though tei consumption of Seventeen magazine, might require you to Took at hooks ike Daniel Thomas Cook's The Commdfiation of CChildhoot: The Children's Clothing Industry and the Rise ofthe Child Consumer, Joseph Kets Alolescence in Aries, 1790 to the Present, Jean Kllourne's Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Fee, or Elen MeCracken’s