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:

• 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

1. Preliminary research on the internet and in the library.
2. Online polls (primary source) on my research weblog
3. Reading - Selection of most pertinent sources - Review of the literature
4. Reading – Note taking and summaries
5. Redaction
6. Revision of draft – Correction
7. Final version