Help with developing a thesis.

Basic

So I have a research paper to do and I need to develop a thesis.

My research assignment: Research Assignment: Write a research paper in which you examine, discuss, and analyze to what extent are narratives responsible for the construction of the American society's norms and values.

My professor explained to us that we have to focus on a specific part of American culture. I decided I want to focus on immigration, but I am not sure what I want my thesis to be. I thought that I could look into the effects of narratives on the perspective people have on immigration in this country, but that does not sound like it is enough to be a thesis, and I don't know where to start.

RUNN1NGMAN

Usually you don't actually come up with a thesis before you've done a decent amount of research. Coming up with a thesis and then focusing your research on only things that support your thesis leads to a pretty anemic paper.

So just start reading anything you can on the general subject you want to write about, and a thesis will probably materialize on its own.

Basic

Well two are my sources are a near given.

I have to use a chapter from one of the assigned books ("Narratives" from "Building a Bridge to the 18th Century" by Neil Postman) and something from the textbook that we had to read.

The reading I decided to use from the text details the "language melting pot" that immigrants to the US confront when they arrive. The chapter about narratives explain why narratives are important and how they affect things, and I found this nice article about how the Republican party alienated Latinos with their strong stance on legal/illegal immigration. This is part of what it says exactly:

"As a result of that drubbing, the narrative now peddled by Latino activists and their business allies holds that the Republicans doomed whatever slim chance they had in November by taking a "hard line" against illegal immigration. This is a national application of the political mythmaking that Latino activists successfully lab-tested in California fifteen years ago."

So far I am feeling a "Lets look at how narratives about immigration affect their perspectives on various things" kind of thesis.

admanb

Basic wrote: »

So far I am feeling a "Lets look at how narratives about immigration affect their perspectives on various things" kind of thesis.

Right so, do that. When you've done that, see if you can find a theme that runs through what you've found -- the more specific, the more interesting, the better.

What you've come up with so far is a topic; your thesis should come from the research you do on your topic.

SwashbucklerXX

Former essay grader here... none of this "let's look at narratives" kind of stuff. A strong thesis should make some kind of definitive statement. It makes the rest of your paper easier to write, too, because instead of just rambling about a topic, you're spending the paper backing up your thesis with an argument.

You've got a good story there, see if you can find more information on how various immigrant groups have used and responded to government narratives on immigration. Then make a real thesis statement, like, "Immigrant groups can appropriate and use negative government narratives on immigration in order to further their own political goals." But probably different from that one, with more focus on that "narrative" stuff that I know little about. Now you're actually saying something and have a thesis that you can back up with examples. Good luck!

Basic

Quick question... why do some databases have some obviously biased articles?

Elin

Basic wrote: »

Quick question... why do some databases have some obviously biased articles?

History is full of bias. "History is written by the victor" is a very common saying. I'm sure the British account of the American Revolution looks completely different than the American account.

strakha_7

With a research paper the key is to have an opinion and a sufficient broad or narrow focus. Too broad and you're going to long, too narrow and you'll struggle to write enough.

You have a topic. Now form an opinion that you feel you can argue. Now go find sources to back that up. If you can't find sources to back you up, change your opinion to argue or change your topic. I had to do that twice for a paper I handed in today. Good research is time consuming - you can find backup for any topic but it's a matter of time well spent.

The best place to start is with academic journals that may refer you to other texts and ideas. Do you have a primary text to come back to? A novel, an article? Something? That needs to be the focus of what you write.

dispatch.o

Guns Germs and Steel has a pretty good opening that may give you a couple ideas. Great book anyway, but the introduction was really well written.

LewieP's Mummy

Have a look at Goddard, Terman and Yerkes impact on US immigration policies.

Basic

Okay guys.

After much deliberating, I think I got my thesis statement. It's about a very important part of American culture, and it concerns narratives.

I believe that narratives about immigration have a great impact on immigration policy in the United States.

Is that it? Is that good?

Basic

Anyone?

CheerfulBear

That's a very broad and very vague thesis statement.
'Narratives about immigration' in what sense? From one particular country? From anywhere?
What kind of impact? Negative? Positive?
What sort of immigration policy? Restrictive?
How can you quantify great? Is there a negative impact that is much larger now than previously in the country's history?

What you should do is take what you've just said as your starting point and read a lot about this particular topic. Go to the library, ask a library to help come up with a short but comprehensive bibliography on this subject, and just sit down and read as much as you can for a couple days. After reading more about it, and getting a much stronger idea of what's going on, ideas should start to pop out at you that are more specific.

Basic

Thanks will do.

Also, I have realized I am not cut out to be an English major. Ever. :O

Bendery It Like Beckham

have you considered doing the standard MLA 3 point 5 paragraph essay? What level of school is this?

A thesis is pretty easy once you understand the makeup of one, and that seems to be what is missing.

I believe that narratives about immigration have a great impact on immigration policy in the United States.

Alright, I'm going to go about and tell you what's wrong with this bit by bit, after i explain how you should arrange your paper.

First, take your sources, and come up with 3 REASONS why narratives had an impact on immigration.

we will call them A B and C because i have no idea what they are.

Now your paper should be arranged like this

Intro paragraph
 -intro (your grabber)
 -Some background tell us a little about the topic
 - Your thesis
 

Topic A B C
 - Lead in to your topic sentence
 - Topic sentence
 - (P)oint (What you want to say)
 - (I)llustration (your quote to support what you want to say)
 - (E)xplanation/example (How your quote relates to what you want to say in practice)
 - Lead in to your next paragraph/topic sentence
For a good solid paragraph you want to use at least 2 P.I.E. since you have 2 sources try and use them both at least once per paragraph

At the end of your C paragraph, you need a lead in to your conclusion

Conclusion
 -A brief overview of what you explained
 -Your closing thoughts, and what it all means now that you've given us all this information, reword and restate your thesis here
 - A last piece of advice/somthing to close us, maybe a little bit of new information, but nothing ground breaking. Be very careful here, you don't want us to think this is another body/topic paragraph

End

-

Okay, for constructing your thesis, you need your topics that you picked out, A B and C

I believe that narratives about immigration have a great impact on immigration policy in the United States.

First off I believe

No, this is your research. believe implies faith, meaning there is knowledge missing that you aren't sure of. In a research paper you are trying to convince us to see things your way, you can fix this simply by omission.

narratives about immigration

This isn't necessarily wording you want to use, narratives of immigration, while subtle is stronger wording.

have a great impact on immigration policy in the United States.

We are getting somewhere. You can keep this, but modify it. Like this

 have a great impact on immigration policy in the United States by A,B,C

for example, if my thesis was 'Cookies are the best thing in the whole world' and my 3 body paragraphs were

'because they are delicious, made with chocolate, and my mommy serves them with milk' my thesis would be

'Cookies are the best thing in the world due to the fact that they are delicious, made with chocolate, and my mommy serves them with milk'.

So in conclusion, your thesis should look like, "Narratives of immigration have had a great impact on immigration policy in the U.S. by A,B,C."

I hope this helps, everyone else is able to tell me how wrong I am. Feel free.

CheerfulBear

Basic wrote: »

Thanks will do.

Also, I have realized I am not cut out to be an English major. Ever. :O

Well, it's not really a question of being an English major, it's about how you approach any project and the sorts of questions you ask yourself as you go along. Even if you're in political science, economics, biology, etc. every step of the way you have to be conscious of the methodology you're using. I don't know what year you are, but start looking at research projects like this as investigations that require you to constantly produce queries about what you're doing.

What field am I studying? More specifically, what do I want do study within that area?
What have other people written about this particular topic? What have they suggested could be possible further research? What are some possible things I could add to something that someone has already done in order to strengthen that position in general?
Are there differing positions that exist? How do I go about choosing one of those positions?
If I began to make an argument on a subject, what are some of the ways that I could be wrong? If someone were to attempt to disagree with what I'm saying, what are some of the issues that might come up and how can preemptively I address those problems?

Concision and rigor are difficult to achieve, and it takes a lot of work. But I think that even being aware of a goal like that can be very fruitful, and it can really strengthen your research.

Bendery It Like Beckham

Also, while an mla 5 paragraph seems a little confining, this is easily one of the most useful things I learned in high school. Since hitting college I've never gotten lower than a 92% on an essay, through english 124 now and I can shit out a 12 page essay in a matter of hours. It can be modified to being an infinite amount of paragraphs, but once you get this basic skeleton of an essay down and are comfortable writing with it, it will serve you well and you'll be able to toy with it and make it work for you down the road.

Basic

Whoa that layout makes everything super simple. :O

Thanks.

Bendery It Like Beckham

No problem. Glad it helped, if you need someone to proof read you can PM me your essay later.