Here are some media clips completing my research paper :
- Fall Out Boy's videoclip for "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More Touch Me".
- Alexisonfire's "To a Friend"
- Alexisonfire's "This Could be Anywhere in the World"
[more to come...]
Summary of my paper
Title
Emo as a 21st Century Counterculture Drawing from 19th Century English Romanticism
Thesis statement
Using interviews, lyrics and poems, I will compare and contrast the themes and ideas expressed by the North American Emos with those of the 19th Century English Romantics in order to prove that Emo is not a trend, but a new countercultural group.
Summary
This paper is about a relatively new (from 1990's to now) music-related culture which participants are called the Emos. Derived from punk and hardcore, Emo music express a much more emotional aspect of music; through the lyrics of their song, the Emo bands reveal personal thoughts and experiences, from painful love stories to mental disorders or suicidal tendencies, social pressures, feelings of alienation, melancholy, etc.
In the last decade, this counterculture moved from the underground punk scene of Washington and is now almost considered part of the mainstream North American pop culture - with the appearance of the next teenage trend - which drew ridicule and severe critics both from the original Emo musicians and the people from the mainstream. Because of this evolution, which could be more accurately consider a schism scything the movement between a marketed type and an underground type of Emo music, the definition of the very concept of “Emo” is unclear. This paper intend to highlight the ideas behind the music and the far behind the look, ideas similar to those of the 19th Century Romantic movement. It also wants to replace Emo with the sociological concept of counterculture having for basis and expression music.
Note taking
I am sorry, but my note taking system is not appropriate to blog it.
I prefer to print the documents, write in the margins, use different colors, sticky notes, etc. Writing directly on the text, underlining, putting brackets, arrows... this helps me think and organise the information in my head.
If you want to see how I take note, I will gladly show you. You just have to ask ! :)
I prefer to print the documents, write in the margins, use different colors, sticky notes, etc. Writing directly on the text, underlining, putting brackets, arrows... this helps me think and organise the information in my head.
If you want to see how I take note, I will gladly show you. You just have to ask ! :)
Research Paper Proposal
Subject
My hypothesis is that Emo is more than a fashion statement or a marketing operation. I intend to show that it presents characteristics of a “real” subculture; the Emos have ideas and express them according to an original style. Moreover, my basic knowledge of English literature makes me think such subculture has existed earlier in History. Indeed, I suggest that the Emos could be compared to the Romantics, artists representing this literature movement in the 18th and 19th century.
I plan to compare those groups on these aspects:
My working title for this research paper is “The Emos: the 21st century’s Romantics – comparing 18th-19th literature to modern emerging style in popular music".
Audience
My audience is composed of university students and teachers. I should use scientific terms (in sociology and literature, for example), but I have to explain them. Some people might have an idea of what Emo music and culture is, but others have never heard about it. I must pay close attention to the misconceptions (good or bad) the audience might have about my topic. Hence, I need to include a description of the Emo culture, a timeline or a glossary to make sure everybody will be at that same level when reading my paper.
Defence
I think researching about popular culture is interesting. We tend to think the quality of popular arts is less than traditional, classical ones. I personally believe it is in the popular forms than we can really get a sense of a particular society’s ideas, values, organization, etc. Popular art helps you immerge in people’s everyday life. By showing the similarities between a known and established art movement and a new style of popular music, I hope to decrease these prejudices toward pop art.
Also, the Emos have only been visible for a couple of years now, it is an emerging subculture that has existed in the last decade only and it implies mostly our North American youth. Examining such subculture and understanding it could be a key to open the dialogue with the adolescent population, discuss important issues and problems they are facing. It could help involve them at school and in the society... and begin this important “operation” right now.
Methodology
My hypothesis is that Emo is more than a fashion statement or a marketing operation. I intend to show that it presents characteristics of a “real” subculture; the Emos have ideas and express them according to an original style. Moreover, my basic knowledge of English literature makes me think such subculture has existed earlier in History. Indeed, I suggest that the Emos could be compared to the Romantics, artists representing this literature movement in the 18th and 19th century.
I plan to compare those groups on these aspects:
- prejudices from society and from the peers
- ideas on themselves, art, love, life, pain, death, society and reality. (etc.)
- means of expression, style
My working title for this research paper is “The Emos: the 21st century’s Romantics – comparing 18th-19th literature to modern emerging style in popular music".
Audience
My audience is composed of university students and teachers. I should use scientific terms (in sociology and literature, for example), but I have to explain them. Some people might have an idea of what Emo music and culture is, but others have never heard about it. I must pay close attention to the misconceptions (good or bad) the audience might have about my topic. Hence, I need to include a description of the Emo culture, a timeline or a glossary to make sure everybody will be at that same level when reading my paper.
Defence
I think researching about popular culture is interesting. We tend to think the quality of popular arts is less than traditional, classical ones. I personally believe it is in the popular forms than we can really get a sense of a particular society’s ideas, values, organization, etc. Popular art helps you immerge in people’s everyday life. By showing the similarities between a known and established art movement and a new style of popular music, I hope to decrease these prejudices toward pop art.
Also, the Emos have only been visible for a couple of years now, it is an emerging subculture that has existed in the last decade only and it implies mostly our North American youth. Examining such subculture and understanding it could be a key to open the dialogue with the adolescent population, discuss important issues and problems they are facing. It could help involve them at school and in the society... and begin this important “operation” right now.
Methodology
- Preliminary research on the internet and in the library.
- Online polls (primary source) on my research weblog
- Reading - Selection of most pertinent sources - Review of the literature
- Reading – Note taking and summaries
- Redaction
- Revision of draft – Correction
- Final version
Questions on English Grammar
a) What are the most important differences between British English and American English? (provide a few examples also)
The difference between these dialects of English lies mostly in vocabulary and idioms, either because the same word has different meanings in British English and in American English or beacause the same idea is conveyed by two different words. For example, in England people use the underground to go to work. In New York, people take the subway. Americans eat french fries while British eat chips. If you read in the New York Time that "the president is mad", it means he is angry. If the Sun titles "the prime minister is mad", it means he is crazy !
There are also grammar and spelling differences. British would never say "I have never really gotten to know her", but American uses that form. Amoung spelling variations, these are well-known :
the ending -or in American and -our in British (color/colour, neighbor/neighbour)
the ending -er in American and -re in British (theater/theatre, liter/litre)
the ending -ize in American and -ise or -ize in British (realize/realise, baptize/baptise)
Finally, although American and British prononciation are sometimes very different, people can usually understand each other.
b) What is standard English?
Standard English is what is used in official documents, in gouvernment, law, business, education and literature fields, for example. Which dialect becomes "standard" in a question of convention influenced by historical elements more than one of correctness. In our case, we consider the English spoken in London and the East Midlands as the "official" dialect.
c) What is a dialect?
A dialect is any form of a language that may have a different grammar or different words than the standard. It is not a bad way of speaking the language, since it does have an precise grammar that rules the dialect. However, it is important to remember that standard English sometimes suits better in many situations, formal documents or meetings, for example.
d) What are the characteristics of formal English as oppose to informal or spoken English?
In informal English, the use of contractions (I'm, he's, it's, we've, etc.) is frequent, but it should not be used in formal writing. Informal English is also a little more permissive with preposition; they can be placed at the end of sentences. "Where do you come from ?" is not to be heard during formal meetings. The use of relative pronouns are prescribed in formal English, but unecessary in everyday speech. We also often see ellipsis in conversations between friends, but rarely in situations where formal English is preferred.
Moreover, vocabulary may give important hints to recongnize formal English than informal English. For example, the words fix, OK or start are the informal pendants of repair, satisfactory and commence.
The difference between these dialects of English lies mostly in vocabulary and idioms, either because the same word has different meanings in British English and in American English or beacause the same idea is conveyed by two different words. For example, in England people use the underground to go to work. In New York, people take the subway. Americans eat french fries while British eat chips. If you read in the New York Time that "the president is mad", it means he is angry. If the Sun titles "the prime minister is mad", it means he is crazy !
There are also grammar and spelling differences. British would never say "I have never really gotten to know her", but American uses that form. Amoung spelling variations, these are well-known :
the ending -or in American and -our in British (color/colour, neighbor/neighbour)
the ending -er in American and -re in British (theater/theatre, liter/litre)
the ending -ize in American and -ise or -ize in British (realize/realise, baptize/baptise)
Finally, although American and British prononciation are sometimes very different, people can usually understand each other.
b) What is standard English?
Standard English is what is used in official documents, in gouvernment, law, business, education and literature fields, for example. Which dialect becomes "standard" in a question of convention influenced by historical elements more than one of correctness. In our case, we consider the English spoken in London and the East Midlands as the "official" dialect.
c) What is a dialect?
A dialect is any form of a language that may have a different grammar or different words than the standard. It is not a bad way of speaking the language, since it does have an precise grammar that rules the dialect. However, it is important to remember that standard English sometimes suits better in many situations, formal documents or meetings, for example.
d) What are the characteristics of formal English as oppose to informal or spoken English?
In informal English, the use of contractions (I'm, he's, it's, we've, etc.) is frequent, but it should not be used in formal writing. Informal English is also a little more permissive with preposition; they can be placed at the end of sentences. "Where do you come from ?" is not to be heard during formal meetings. The use of relative pronouns are prescribed in formal English, but unecessary in everyday speech. We also often see ellipsis in conversations between friends, but rarely in situations where formal English is preferred.
Moreover, vocabulary may give important hints to recongnize formal English than informal English. For example, the words fix, OK or start are the informal pendants of repair, satisfactory and commence.
Summary of my Research
The Emo culture is a relatively new phenomenon; it has mostly evolved in the last decade, around a style of music derived from punk music. However, in the last few year North America has seen an explosion of the Emo style, mostly in its young population, not only in music but also in fields such as fashion, literature, etc. The media has carried an image of Emo, at once defining and blurring the basic elements of this subculture, so that very few people could give a precise or accurate definition of what is Emo.
A lot of prejudices tag what are called “the Emo kids”. The emotive side of their music and their particular style (thigh black clothes, long hair, make-up) are ridiculed; they seem too melodramatic so some, too dark and depressing to others. People think it is a nothing but a soon-to-die trend.
My hypothesis is that the Emo subculture exists and that such subculture has existed earlier in History. Indeed, I suggest that the Emos could be compared to the Romantics, artists representing this literature movement in the 18th and 19th century.
A lot of prejudices tag what are called “the Emo kids”. The emotive side of their music and their particular style (thigh black clothes, long hair, make-up) are ridiculed; they seem too melodramatic so some, too dark and depressing to others. People think it is a nothing but a soon-to-die trend.
My hypothesis is that the Emo subculture exists and that such subculture has existed earlier in History. Indeed, I suggest that the Emos could be compared to the Romantics, artists representing this literature movement in the 18th and 19th century.
Introduction
Hi everyone! Welcome to my first academic weblog ever.
This blog will be used within the framework of my Written Communication II course in which I am required toproduce, in addition to these webnotes, a research paper, step by step, according to the rule book. Thanks to Professor Saint-Yves' initiative to bring the new medias and technologies into the classroom, you will be able to follow me and see my progress through this project.
But before we start with the research, let me introduce myself...
I am a 21-year-old university student from Quebec, Canada. I am presently in the middle of my third year (of four) in order to obtain a bachelor's degree in International Studies and Modern Languages, with a focus on communication, English and German, at Laval University. I also study Portuguese at Laval, at the same time.
As you can guess, my interests are very broad as I am a very open-minded person, but I must admit I have a special feeling for topics of art and culture. Languages has been my passion for... basically as far as I can remember ! Indeed, I have received a scholarship from the Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy to attempt the Languages and Translation program, where I have studied English, Spanish and German. In this program, I have also had the opportunity to participate to 2 exchange programs thanks to which I visited Spain and Germany.
However, I must say the English language stays my favorite throughout the years. I like its history, its literature (all Shakespeare fans, raise your hand!), its linguistics... In a group, I am always the little bizarre one who shrieks in delight at the announcement of a grammar lesson. My friends also know me as the "wacky phonetics lover", since I have discovered this discipline last year. Haha !
On a more personal level, as I said I am very interested in arts (including the popular forms), mostly literature, music, design and photography. I also like advertisement a lot. I dream of travelling to Australia and Brazil, among others. With that said, my heart belongs to the island of Newfoundland, where I have spent the most wonderful summer of my whole life, and the Maritimes. I am not sporty, merely intellectual and artistic; I prefer a nice philosophical chat with friends over coffee to... let us say, a football game... but I do pratice fencing for 3 months now and I have immersed myself into it, body and soul.
In the future, I do not exactly know what I want to do yet. The problem is always the same: too many interests, not enough of nine lives... I might consider another degree, in linguistics or in mass media communication. Let us see what my next discoveries will be!
This blog will be used within the framework of my Written Communication II course in which I am required toproduce, in addition to these webnotes, a research paper, step by step, according to the rule book. Thanks to Professor Saint-Yves' initiative to bring the new medias and technologies into the classroom, you will be able to follow me and see my progress through this project.
But before we start with the research, let me introduce myself...
I am a 21-year-old university student from Quebec, Canada. I am presently in the middle of my third year (of four) in order to obtain a bachelor's degree in International Studies and Modern Languages, with a focus on communication, English and German, at Laval University. I also study Portuguese at Laval, at the same time.
As you can guess, my interests are very broad as I am a very open-minded person, but I must admit I have a special feeling for topics of art and culture. Languages has been my passion for... basically as far as I can remember ! Indeed, I have received a scholarship from the Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy to attempt the Languages and Translation program, where I have studied English, Spanish and German. In this program, I have also had the opportunity to participate to 2 exchange programs thanks to which I visited Spain and Germany.
However, I must say the English language stays my favorite throughout the years. I like its history, its literature (all Shakespeare fans, raise your hand!), its linguistics... In a group, I am always the little bizarre one who shrieks in delight at the announcement of a grammar lesson. My friends also know me as the "wacky phonetics lover", since I have discovered this discipline last year. Haha !
On a more personal level, as I said I am very interested in arts (including the popular forms), mostly literature, music, design and photography. I also like advertisement a lot. I dream of travelling to Australia and Brazil, among others. With that said, my heart belongs to the island of Newfoundland, where I have spent the most wonderful summer of my whole life, and the Maritimes. I am not sporty, merely intellectual and artistic; I prefer a nice philosophical chat with friends over coffee to... let us say, a football game... but I do pratice fencing for 3 months now and I have immersed myself into it, body and soul.
In the future, I do not exactly know what I want to do yet. The problem is always the same: too many interests, not enough of nine lives... I might consider another degree, in linguistics or in mass media communication. Let us see what my next discoveries will be!