I.     Identify the subject/event/phenomenon

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A.     Explain the problem

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Here, “problem” is intended very broadly. Think of the “problem” as something that invites and, in your view, requires understanding. This understanding can only come from detailed, careful analysis of primary sources or a case study.

 

This is a block. Begin by writing a few short sentences and quickly move on to the following sections. Plan on revisiting this part frequently to flesh it out as your project matures through research and writing. Keep tinkering with it until completion of the paper. This should be the last part you change before submitting your work.

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Examples:

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Female artists are seldom remembered when we compile histories of certain popular culture music genre. This is true of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, and Grunge, among others. We should understand how and why this happens.

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B.     Provide background information

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Here, your goal is to inform your reader of the context in which the “problem” manifests itself. The most obvious context will be historical, but cultural context will be equally important, as will the relevant ideological frameworks. You will identify and define historical, cultural, and material categories relevant to your case study.

 

This is a block. Begin with a one-sentence paragraph for each category (historical, cultural, material, ideological) and then gradually flesh them out with more detail. Some categories may require multiple paragraphs to be properly illustrated.

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Examples:

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What is Grunge? When and where did it appear as a cultural form? Is it a movement or just a style? What influenced it? How is/was it expressed as a set of consumer preferences? Was it a distinctly “masculine” phenomenon, or did it defy gender categories? How did it relate to consumer culture and the music business?

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C.     Frame a thesis statement or statement of purpose

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The thesis is a specific claim, a special idea about your “problem.” To avoid vague claims, make sure you select a concrete case study from which to draw concrete examples. For instance, scenes from a film; bands from a genre, place or period; narrowly defined social groups (music or sports fans, cohorts, morning train commuters, bar or venue regulars, street performers…); and so forth. In the initial stages of the project  it is advisable to develop a “working thesis”; the true thesis will most probably be discovered in the course of writing.

 

This is a block. Begin a clear, concise claim. You can expand it later. This claim will be the last sentence or group of sentences in this block/paragraph. Now that you know where you are leading, write the first part of the paragraph by connecting some or all the categories from the previous section (background information) to the thesis statement. Speak in general and avoid details. Those are already present in the previous section. This is about ideas.

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Examples:

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Although the grunge subculture and music has promoted a message of gender equality, grunge fans have largely forgotten female artists, recoding the genre as conventionally masculine.