Initial Proposal for Final Paper (Primary Case: The Soviet Union. Comparative Cases: You might compare it with Yugoslavia's dissolution or with another empire's fall, like the Ottoman or Roman Empires, to highlight similar or contrasting factors in state collapse. Due by 11:59pm on Sunday, November 10 You must submit an Initial Proposal that lays out the topic you wish to investigate and the reason you are interested in studying it, a preliminary research question, and a discussion of the potential case(s) you propose to use to study it, as well as the specific historical methods you plan to use to investigate your question, and why they are appropriate for your research question. The Initial Proposal consists of four sections: (1) your preliminary research question(s), (2) introducing your interest in the question/topic, (3) the potential case(s) you propose to use to answer your research question(s), and (4) the specific methods you are planning on using. Each of these sections should be a sub-heading, under which you write (in paragraphs) the answers to the following questions. Preliminary Research Question(s) Your research question(s) can be a singular question, a series of interrelated questions, and/or a main question with sub-questions about a particular historical outcome. Your question(s) must be how and why questions, not simply what questions; as comparative historical sociologists, we are not trying to merely say what happened in the past, but explain how and why it happened the way it did. You may also phrase your research question(s) as a thesis, i.e., the answer to the question(s) rather than the question(s) themselves. The Introduction You should pick a topic that has interest to you and others. In this section, you should provide a hook for the reader to tell them why your research question is worth answering. This is not a personal reflection, but rather an answer to the dreaded so what question: why should anyone be interested in the project you are proposing to do? The Case(s) What is the case(s) you are using as the empirical evidence to support your claims (the answers to your research question; your thesis)? You must explicitly define the case(s), the case boundaries (what is part of the case and what is not part of the case), and support your decision for why the case(s) you chose are appropriate. Additionally, you must explicitly and directly cite either the readings or lecture from “Getting Started: Questions and Cases.” The Methods What are the explicit comparative historical methods that you will be using to answer your question? Why are these methods appropriate? You must include where you will find your data, how you will analyze the data, and why the data and the analysis strategy are appropriate for your research question. To do this effectively, you must explicitly and directly cite either course readings or lectures on methods. For example, if you are process tracing, you must directly quote the readings or lecture from “Processes and Mechanisms” within this section. Selecting a Historical Outcome/Research Question You should start by choosing a major historical outcome that you want to try to understand in more depth than what you already know. As you proceed in your research, you will clarify the specific outcome you are trying to explain (such as when exactly it happened, where it happened, etc.). For whatever historical outcome you choose, you ultimately must be able to find enough credible sources that provide information about your topic. Thus, before settling on a topic, look for sources to make sure you will be able to research it. Think about basic questions (who, what, where, when, etc.) and look for sources that address these questions. Figure out the specific time (or time range) that the outcome occurred, where it happened, and other basic facts about the outcome. Here I will provide some examples of the types of outcomes you can choose from and how to start learning about them: Events Actions by people that occurred at a particular time (and usually also a particular place). This includes wars, protests, the passage of major laws, economic depressions, etc. Sometimes, events (like wars) can also be broken up into smaller/ events (e.g., battles). For these kinds of outcomes encyclopedia entries are a good starting place. Trends/long-term changes Some outcomes are less something that “happens” at a moment in time, or even a period of time, than a long-term change in some aspect of society – demographic changes like increasing racial diversity, declining rates of marriage, etc.; economic changes like industrialization or globalization of financial markets; political changes like partisan polarization, etc. With these types of outcomes, you want to look for reports or studies that have statistical data that shows the change over time. (Even better are sources that visually display the change-over-time in the form of charts). Cultural institutions, practices, or ideologies Examples are the seven-day week, the prison, the model minority myth, etc. These are trickier to study, simply because they are less linked to a particular time and place than are events or trends. One has to locate the institution, practice, or ideology in a particular time and place; identify its key features; and then work backwards to trace its origins. For these kinds of topics scholarly books are probably going to be necessary to get a grasp on the key features of the thing you’re interested in. Selecting a Historical Outcome/Research Question You should start by choosing a major historical outcome that you want to try to understand in more depth than what you already know. As you proceed in your research, you will clarify the specific outcome you are trying to explain (such as when exactly it happened, where it happened, etc.). For whatever historical outcome you choose, you ultimately must be able to find enough credible sources that provide information about your topic. Thus, before settling on a topic, look for sources to make sure you will be able to research it. Think about basic questions (who, what, where, when, etc.) and look for sources that address these questions. Figure out the specific time (or time range) that the outcome occurred, where it happened, and other basic facts about the outcome. Here I will provide some examples of the types of outcomes you can choose from and how to start learning about them: Events Actions by people that occurred at a particular time (and usually also a particular place). This includes wars, protests, the passage of major laws, economic depressions, etc. Sometimes, events (like wars) can also be broken up into smaller/ events (e.g., battles). For these kinds of outcomes encyclopedia entries are a good starting place. Trends/long-term changes Some outcomes are less something that “happens” at a moment in time, or even a period of time, than a long-term change in some aspect of society – demographic changes like increasing racial diversity, declining rates of marriage, etc.; economic changes like industrialization or globalization of financial markets; political changes like partisan polarization, etc. With these types of outcomes, you want to look for reports or studies that have statistical data that shows the change over time. (Even better are sources that visually display the change-over-time in the form of charts). Cultural institutions, practices, or ideologies Examples are the seven-day week, the prison, the model minority myth, etc. These are trickier to study, simply because they are less linked to a particular time and place than are events or trends. One has to locate the institution, practice, or ideology in a particular time and place; identify its key features; and then work backwards to trace its origins. For these kinds of topics scholarly books are probably going to be necessary to get a grasp (I attached the files two for the evidence for question 3 which are the lecture notes and one is an example of how the proposal needs to look like and also has a good example for question 3) Each question except for #1 needs to be a paragraph.
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