Help me narrow down my thesis topic

Hatemywig

Tue, Jan 09 2018, 11:19 pm

I wasn't sure where to write this, so I figured you smart working ladies would be a good choice of location Smile

I am writing my first thesis ever. It is for a college English 1 class. I can choose any topic I want. I have chosen to use 'Happiness', however, my professor has suggested that I narrow it down as it is too broad a topic.

I am toying with 'Laughter' and 'Joy', I can't seem to find a reasonable topic containing those elements that doesn't feel limiting.

Suggestions?

DrMom

Tue, Jan 09 2018, 11:30 pm

I assume by "thesis" you mean a central argument of an essay, correct?

If so, neither "Happiness" nor "Laughter" nor "Joy" (which is pretty darn similar to happiness) don't sound like theses to me. They are just topics. A thesis of an essay would be a statement such as "Happiness is a choice," and then you would write an essay to support that proposition.

[I assume you don't mean "thesis" as in "dissertation topic."]

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jan 09 2018, 11:46 pm

Hatemywig wrote:

I wasn't sure where to write this, so I figured you smart working ladies would be a good choice of location Smile

A rich person is one who is happy with his lot.

amother

Azure

Tue, Jan 09 2018, 11:49 pm

When you say you're working on a thesis, most people will assume you mean you are working on a doctoral dissertation. You might want to change the thread to "college essay" or something similar.

A thesis statement is an idea that you plan to prove (or disprove) in an essay. For example - people who live in warm climates are happier than people who live in colder ones; relative wealth correlates with happiness more than absolute wealth does; married people claim to be happier than singles. Something like that will be more manageable. Good luck!

imasoftov

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 2:19 am

amother wrote:

When you say you're working on a thesis, most people will assume you mean you are working on a doctoral dissertation. You might want to change the thread to "college essay" or something similar.

That's what I thought.

OP, my suggestions are

1) describe the assignment. Perhaps you were given more instructions than "write something".

2) describe the course with more precision than "college English". Is this a writing class? A class for non-English speakers to prepare them to study in English? A foreign language class taught in another language?

3) tell us what you want to write about happiness. Don't write the thesis, essay, or whatever, just tell us what you plan to put into it.

PAMOM

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 8:54 am

1. I absolutely second the idea of checking out your college’s Writing Center. I’m pretty sure they have one. They will have professional or peer tutors to help you.
2. How long is the paper supposed to be?
3. You’ve gotten good pointers here about the nature of a thesis. You need an umbrella point for the paper. What are you trying to say/demonstrate/convince us of? It doesn’t have to be an argument (you don’t need a “should” point like “Everyone who gets federal/ state benefits should have to take monthly drug tests”—and I do NOT agree with that point). You can talk about the benefits of group sports, the necessity for kids to have down time, how your apartment is a reflection of who you are, why you like to read, why you’re back in school. Typically, your thesis is in your first paragraph. The easiest format is one where you introduce your topic, give a sentence or two of explanation or background, then state the specific point you’ll make in the paper.
4. Do you have a textbook for this course? It will have examples.
5. Google “what is the difference in a thesis and a topic.”

Again—the Writing Center is your ideal source of help.

debsey

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 10:35 am

To everyone suggesting a Writing Center, not every college has one.

OP, are you in a frum program like Reizel Reit? Or are you in a standard brick-and-mortar school? If you're in a program like Touro, they have a Writing Center somewhere - but it may not be anywhere near your program.

Your professor wants you to make a thesis statement and then defend it with arguments.

For example, if you are writing about happiness, you can be ironic and write a thesis statement about how money DOES buy happiness.

The point of an essay is to make an argument and provide some evidence for your argument. It sounds like you are thinking of writing what only Bais Yaakov schools call a "composition" which is some loosely connected paragraphs about some amorphous topic (if the ones my daughters write and get As on are any indication).

Don't think "composition" think "debate." It's your job to prove something. Do you have any deeply held beliefs about happiness (or joy) and what does or does not provide happiness? Start by brainstorming about your deeply held beliefs.

The best way to learn how to write is by writing and getting feedback, so just get started!

seeker

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 10:46 am

Basically, you want to summarize in about one sentence what your main point is. So "happiness" is a subject but it's not a point - what is it that you want to say about happiness?

Don't worry about being limiting. Your next goal will be to pull up enough things to say about whichever idea you choose. OR, you can start your research first, and then choose what to focus on based on what you're coming up with.

You can try starting by thinking about what question you hope to answer in this writing. Your thesis statement will be the answer to that question. So if you're starting your research with a question like "is happiness important?" then your thesis might be "Happiness is necessary for healthy human development." I'm randomizing here just to make a point.

Hatemywig

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 12:25 pm

I am studying at a city college. Thank you for all the pointers, there are multiple methods of help at the college including learning centers. We have been given guidelines for writing the essay. The official title of the assignment is "writing a research paper". The goal of the class is to teach us how to do that.

I am looking for various suggestions for more specific topics within the joy-happiness-laughter subjects.

naomi2

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 12:29 pm

Hatemywig wrote:

You arent giving us enough information about the requirements about the paper.

PAMOM

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 1:04 pm

So is this paper supposed to lead into the research paper, or is a totally separate assignment? Are you expected to use research for this assignment? It would help to know the instructions/rubric for the paper.
What do you want to say about happiness, joy, or laughter that will be interesting to a reader who doesn’t know you? Did your professor go over pre-writing activities with you? Try sitting down and just writing whatever comes into your mind about happiness. See if you end up with any points that you can use for a paper to make a point. The poster who said that a thesis can be the answer to a question made a useful point. Ex: If you ask yourself what happiness is, the answer could be your thesis. However, you’d need to be able to explain the parts of the answer (with examples) so that a reader would understand exactly what you mean. For a very preliminary writing activity, your thesis would typically have 3 points; the paper would then devote a minimum of 1 paragraph to each point. Five-paragraph esssys are models for organization, not final goals though. As you progress in the course, your thesis and development will become more complex and detailed.
If you were my student, I’d insist that you work hands-on with someone in a learning center. It will be much easier and useful for you than posting here.

seeker

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 1:31 pm

Hatemywig wrote:

I am looking for various suggestions for more specific topics within the joy-happiness-laughter subjects.

There were several suggestions mixed in with the general advice above. Also some tips on how to come up with a more specific topic that talks to you.

tichellady

Wed, Jan 10 2018, 1:44 pm

You need to ask a question- here are some examples. You need to be specific

1. Are people with children happier than people without children?
2. Is joy contagious?
3. Can a person become happier through meditation?
4 does forced laughter still have therapeutic effects on the body?

LisaS

Thu, Jan 11 2018, 2:13 am

tichellady great suggestions!

Hatemywig, since this is leading to a research paper, think of what you would like to learn more about. If you're going to have to research happiness/laughter what angle of it are you interested in researching?