Monday, December 1, 2008
Sarah's Prospectus
Pat's Abstract
Nick's Abstract
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Lee's Abstract
Sam's Abstract
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tiffany's Prospectus
Elizabeth's Abstract
Chapter 11 is a section of NAFTA that allows foreign corporations of NAFTA countries to sue NAFTA governments that threaten them or their profits. There is a tribunal meeting held to determine the outcome of these cases but these meetings are closed to the public. The tribunal cannot force the governments to change their policies, but they can award huge uncapped financial compensations to the corporations.
I am going to research the reasons why big corporations need chapter 11 to protect themselves from governments. I want to research the situations in the past where governments have directly tried to cut the profits of corporations without a just reason. I want to research all the ways in which chapter 11 helps businesses to make a profit. I also would like to look at the results of chapter 11 for the average American consumer, who is not involved in the Tribunal meetings to determine the outcome of their own government’s policies. I am going to look into the cases that have already been brought against the government and the implications of the results.
Laura's Abstract
Kelly's Abstract
I would also like to focus on how the enitre world does not have free expression on the internet. I want to show what kind of progress is being made in the world to get people their rights of free expression on the internet. I would like to learn more about this topic and help those who read my essay to learn just how much free expression affects society and the world.
So. I would like to focus on freee expression, what it is, who has it, who doesn't, and how people are helping those who dont have it to get it.
Carl's Prospectus
My topic is on the study of how writing history through narrative affects the interpretation of that history. I am trying to find out exactly how narrative writing distorts reality, to what degree, and how to discern truth from fiction. Possibly to narrow down the topic I will use what I learn in an example and analyze parts of a narrative on Genghis Khan. The idea is to help my reader understand the complexity of history and how history cannot be taken at face value, especially the narrative, even when it is written as “fact” like Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Although I focus on narrative writing in history, I want the paper to show how much there is in regards to how history is written so that the reader goes away thinking more critically of historic sources and so that they know in the end, they are the ones that must decide which historic interpretation they wish to accept. Other ways to narrow down the topic might be to take a specific event that is told in multiple narratives and analyze that, or to look at one part of the historic narrative that is especially significant in the telling of history.
Ryan's Readjusted Prospectus
My research paper will be an investigation of the interplay between advertising and personal values. The broad background is the psychological affect ads have on us. First, I want to learn about how advertising uses and/or manipulates American values in order to sell goods and services. I will uses outside research and studies and hopefully several ads themselves to demonstrate how ads use what we hold dear in order to satisfy our desires (or make us want to satisfy a fictional desire). Advertising, by definition, makes us want to buy things. But I think Americans are looking for something when they latch onto advertising. We are looking for advice, reassurance, and comfort in advertising, and ad manufacturers take advantage of these desires and values. So, the second dimension of the paper is that advertising in turn reinforces, adjusts, or perhaps even recreates some of our personal values. Although this topic essentially has a broad basis, the paper will be looking more at how advertising affects our values as individuals. I would like to argue that advertising can shape values. (I may bring in international sources here to prove that ads affect values in general, not just Americans’ values.) I will analyze ads from different media, but I would like to focus on television, magazines, and “brand names.” The fundamental point is that ads do more than just encourage us to buy things. I will try to prove that advertising, both obvious and non-obvious, has a profound effect on our values, but one that we might not always see right away.
Sylvia's Prospectus
John's Prospectus
There is much talk in the American media of China’s status as an emerging global superpower, of China’s rapid economic growth and of its expanding political influence in Asia and throughout the world. Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, and National Geographic have all dedicated entire issues in the past couple of years to the subject of China’s rise, and the implications that its growth will entail for America’s position in the world. But the rhetoric employed by the American media when it discusses the rise of China does not lead the reader to a complete and accurate picture of the significance of China’s rise. Rather, the American popular media frames China’s rise as a problem that Americans should fear. The negative language and the constant associations employed by the American media between China’s ascension and America’s decline create a subconscious anxiety in the American public concerning the subject of China and its growth. The American media uses a rhetoric of fear and foreboding when writing about China’s rise, and the American public thus learns to associate China with danger.
Scott's Prospectus
I am going to argue that teens need to get more sleep. Doctors, researchers, and parents have all told teens that they need to get more sleep. Sleep affects a person’s information processing, memory deficits, attitude, and ability to carry out complicated jobs. This seriously affects a person’s academic performance. When a student doesn’t get enough sleep, their work suffers. Grades go down, attention waivers, and they miss things from falling asleep. Experts are trying to get schools to start later to allow students to get more sleep.
Most people think that as a person gets older, they need less sleep. This is not true, because as teens move through their teen years, they need increasing amounts of sleep. The recommended amount of sleep to avoid sleep deprivation’s affects is nine hours.
Tyler's Prospectus
I believe that the academic issues that stem from being a part of major college athletics are due, for most cases but not all, on taking the easiest academic path. I also believe that academic advisers to athletes are, unfortunately, working more to help athletes maintain eligibility and not focusing on advising for the athlete’s future outside of sports. The rules regarding eligibility of college athletes, I believe, are inadvertently pushing more athletes to pursue easier majors so as to retain eligibility. This trend is having a negative affect on the future of college athletes.
Kari's prospectus
For my research paper, I am studying the effect of the internet on the psychological health adolescents and teenagers, specifically its impact on depression. I will be investigating this topic to determine whether the internet leads to a more connected society or causes teens to have feelings of isolation and loneliness. In the process of this research, I want to delve deeper into determining the psychology behind these feelings. The paper will focus on the phenomena of cyber bullying and the psychological impact that it has on adolescents. I hope to explore what particular aspects of the internet contribute to the hurtful and destructive behavior can that result from the internet. I will also explore a study that links internet usage to depression and loneliness. The paper will also link current instances of cyber bullying such as the recent suicide that took place in front of a live audience over webcam and the mother who bullied her daughter’s friend over MySpace. I hope to help the reader to better understand not only the ways that psychologists classify and diagnose behaviors that signal depression, but also come to a conclusion about the role that the internet plays in mental health areas such as depression.
Mike's Prospectus
Alright, I'll be honest, I'm still not entirely sure. On one hand, I could focus specifically on the new atheism of recent years, in America. However, I don't know if I'll be able to find a whole lot on the specific qualities and causes of this 'movement'. I could, however, just use this new stuff as an introduction in which I'd delve into the whole history of atheism in the Western world. I'm afraid that part might be just a little broad, though, and I'm not quite sure what argument or environment I'd focus in on.
Whitney's Perfect Prospectus!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Scott's Research Topic
I'm gonna do my paper on the effects of racism on society. I will be arguing that racism has a negative effect on society.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Tiffanys Research Topic
Whitney's Wonderful Wacky Research Topic! AHAHA!
sarah's research paper topic
Friday, November 21, 2008
John's research paper topic
Democratic vs. Republican Rhetoric
Video game death
this goes all the way back to when we were talking about the affect of video games...
Elizabeth's research paper
Tyler's Topic
Lee's paper topic
Carl's Working Research Topic
Ryan's Paper Topic
I would REALLY like someone's feedback on this...is it too broad? Should I only do the second part? Or is there a better way to blend both parts of my paper?
Kelly's most probable Research Topic
Comments are welcomed, and most appreciated...unless they are mean!
Sylvia's Final Research Paper Topic..........
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Mike's Super Awesome Research Paper Topic
Sam's Research Paper: The Final Nail In My Facebook Coffin
...
Oh, who am I kidding? I would like to write my paper on Facebook. It is, after all, an environment in which all of us except our buddy, Carl, exist. (And more power to you, my friend.) I understand that, realistically, I'll probably have to expand beyond Facebook as there is more literature to be found on online social networking in general. (In other words, Facebook and MySpace.) That will not change my main interest for the paper. In class discussion of more than one article, we have touched on Facebook as an ever present identifier of our generation, and I would like to identify and analyze its many effects on our culture. Clearly, communication among our generation is quite different from that of our parents, and online social networking has had a hand in the change. Is this a positive or negative difference between our generations? What about Nicholas Carr's questioning of Google: how has Facebook affected our focus? How does Facebook fit into the activity on a college campus? Can it be used positively or is it just the distraction that kept this post from going up Monday night instead of Thursday night?
The possibilities are endless. I've really briefly flipped through some articles on the topic and think there are a lot of effects to be explored. Facebook is a force to be reckoned with. Ideas/critiques/suggestions/[further synonyms for these words] welcome! :)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Internet and Psychological Health
Any related issues or ideas for refocusing the thesis are welcome!
Pat's Research Paper Topic
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Krissy's Research Paper Topic
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Laura's Research Paper Topic
Are there thoughts about this? Is it too broad? (I was initially going to limit myself to discussing how living together before marriage effects the outcome of the relationship, but I feel like that is too narrow for a ten page research paper.)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Change?
While thinking of topics for the final blog post of the semester, we reviewed the previous posts and realized that the campaign and election were largely ignored on an overall scale. Although we discussed specific issues that related to the election, we never fully delved into the campaign promises and the future of the country. Both campaigns were full of rhetoric and slogans meant to persuade voters. The common theme between the two parties was the idea of “change,” something that we heard repeatedly from both candidates.
With all this rhetoric about change, we were wondering what direction our nation is heading towards for the future. Talking about change is one thing, but bringing it about can be a complicated and slow-moving process. The idea of change provides a sense of hope to Americans and has caused many Americans to become more involved in the political process. In a time of economic struggles and other hardships, change is the logical solution that voters flock to.
Some critics contend that change is not necessarily always a good thing and have taken extreme views on President-elect Obama’s strategies and policies for bringing about change. For example, Congressman Paul Broun has drawn comparisons between Obama and Hitler. He accused Obama of having Marxist ideologies because he expressed his support for ideas that are similar to those of Hitler, such as a “national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded [as the military].” Although Broun has since apologized for his statements, there are probably others that hold this same extreme viewpoint of Obama’s strategies.
With Barack Obama taking over the presidency in January, what kind of change can we expect? Will the change have a positive or negative effect on the country? Do the radical opinions of critics like Congressman Broun have any basis in fact, or are they merely meant as scare tactics?