For your research topic: Choose a topic that is linked to our class theme, which is examining the relationships between citizens and their nation, nation-state, and/ or state institutions. This could include groups both recognized and not recognized by nation-states and/or the international community. The purpose of your paper is to examine their relationship to the state, how this relationship is produced, and how they question or push back against it, if any. How do they craft their identity? How is it produced or performed? Decide what avenue of national production you will examine: music, art, laws, poetry, sports, education, etc.
The final paper should be a research paper based on original and thorough research about a topic relevant to our class material. Length should be between 3,000 and 3,750 words (roughly 12-15 pages), double-spaced in 12-point font (which does not include the Works Cited). Your paper should comprehensively analyze a focused question beyond simply narrating events or summarizing information.
Original research: Your final paper should include a mix of both primary and secondary sources. Secondary sources must be scholarly (articles must be from peer-reviewed journals, either print or electronic), just as in the research proposal. Your research paper will address your research questions and make an argument based on your questions. Much of your analysis and argument will focus on primary and secondary sources. While you will also analyze the secondary sources, those will help you more in providing context for your primary sources or framing the critical issues in your essay. You need to engage with the arguments in your secondary sources and how those fit your interpretation of your primary sources. Use web sources sparingly unless you access electronic journals through the library’s system. Web sources are generally inappropriate for a scholarly paper unless you access primary sources. Most papers will incorporate anywhere from eight to fifteen sources but must include both primary and secondary sources. I would encourage you to have at least two primary sources. Do not group your sources by category, but provide a list alphabetized by author or, if there is no author, by title.
Argument: Your argument should center on your sources and what they tell you about your topic. How do your sources help you address your research questions and make an argument about
your topic of choice? Your primary sources should speak to your central argument. Most of the paper will analyze your primary and secondary sources to make your argument. An argument involves claiming a specific topic that you support with your
sources. The most compelling arguments are generated from your interpretation of the evidence/sources you find. Find your meaning in your sources, given those you examine. Some are debatable or contestable and often examine relationships or interactions; they go beyond pro/con viewpoints. That is too superficial for most intellectual arguments.
Source Documentation: All sources must be documented appropriately following MLA/APA or Chicago guidelines described in the Purdue OWL on D2L. All information in the paper from other sources must be documented with in-text citations. This includes both paraphrased information and direct quotations.
Part of My Research Proposal:
For
my research paper, I chose to examine the impact of French secularism and how
it affects Muslim women’s identity and expression. French secularism, often
referred to as laïcité, has been deeply rooted in French identity since the
1905 law separating the church from the state. This law aims to exclude
religion from public life so that the state remains neutral and religious
practices do not compromise civic duties. However, these principles have been
the center of heated debates, especially about religious expressions in public.
At the heart of this debate are Muslim women who choose to wear hijabs or other
Islamic clothing, like the abaya, publicly expressing their religious identity.
French
secularism, considered the foundation of France’s moral society, has led to the
creation of numerous laws and regulations banning or forbidding any expression
of religion in the public, particularly in schools and other public
institutions. The 2004 ban on conspicuous religious symbols in public schools
and the 2010 law prohibiting wearing face-covering veils are two extreme
examples of the laïcité’s commitment on excluding ‘religion’ from the public.
These two laws affect Muslim women attending schools in France, considerably
because they strip them of their ability to wear any religious symbols and
fully express their religious identity.
Research
Questions:
·
How do French secular policies influence the
identity and expression of Muslim women in France?
·
How do Muslim women resist and negotiate
these policies in France?
This
research paper explores the relationship between secularism and religious
expression in France. By focusing on Muslim women, my paper will offer insights
into how state policies shape personal identities and how individuals navigate
and resist these influences. It would provide greater insight into the dynamics
between national identity, secularism, and religious differences in today’s
nation-states.
Feedback was to examine the 1905 law and the evolution of the laws and see how they have come to target Muslim Women in France.