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A Sociology 202 student writes: "I am writing a sociology paper on Racial Discrimination in Public Education and I was wondering if you could help me with some of the research. I am specifically looking for research done on the response of children to early discrimination. Perhaps specific cases in which they have retrospectively looked at their education and how they were discriminated against."
Here is the research guide we came up with.
A student in Sascha Goluboff's Anthropology 288 (Childhood) course needed help with this topic:
"My thesis: In this paper, I will discuss how styles of teaching emphasizing obedience, curriculum which privileges the dominant in society, funding methods that reproduce inequality, and unacknowledged family differences reinforces the socioeconomic hierarchy.
For my introduction, I need more general theory on tactics used to perpetuate of power and oppression. Something like oppressors try to control the way the oppressed think, destroy all information about the oppressed, place blame on oppressed and make them feel inferior, etc.
Then I have a style of teaching, curriculum, funding, and family differences section, which I would like to be able to find more specific information on."
Here is the less-than-adequate research guide (still being revised) we came up with.
FWIW -- This is the single most challenging reference appointment topic I have had in years. The (excellent) student plans to expand this research into a Women's Studies/University Scholars capstone project.
A Politics 105 (Global Politics) student is writing a research paper on "the United Nations and the role/effectiveness of imposing economic sanctions on other countries."
Here is the research guide.
A non-W&L researcher writes in an e-mail: "I would like to obtain a copy of Rep. Tom Tancredo's speach on the house floor 9-27-08, which was a special session of the House on Saturday night. If you could help me with the web site so I could print it out it would be appreciated."
I wrote back:
Congressman Tancredo's speech begins on page H10282 of this issue of the Congressional Record.
The easiest way to get to that page is to type H10282 in the "Go to page" box at the bottom of the screen.
The easiest way to find out exactly where the speech is was to use LexisNexis Congressional.
A student in Patrick Hatcher's Introduction to Islam course is researching issues associated with Islam and secularism in France, specifically the concept of laicite (secularism).
We discussed this research guide.
A student wanted help with background material on Native American storytelling for a paper assignment on a particular work.
A brief research guide.
11/11/08
Professor Keen
19 students
Suzanne Keen has taken the students to the library for a tour. They need to write a research paper on a topic of their choice, but concerning Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy.
She gave me 1.5 hours of her time. What luxury.
Professor Miranda
18 Students
The topic is American Indian literature and culture.
Students will have to write their paper in an interdisciplinary way on a topic of their choice.
A student writes: "I am looking for some help for my Politics 105 paper. It is a paper on the Kashmir conflict and I am looking for some bibliographical references on that to finally decide which approach I want to use: rationalist or culturalist."
Here is a quick-and-dirty guide.
A student in POL 105 writies: "We've been studying the theory of realism, which argues that states' actions are a result of them seeking to maximize their own self-interest or power, as opposed to liberalism, which argues that they act to expand democratic values. Its an extension of the theory that individuals always based on what's best for them. I want to say that America developed its space program because it wanted to defend itself from Russia and build international power. I pretty much have the info I need for why this is realist from class readings, but I need background info on the development of the space program and race to space. "
Here is a quick-and-dirty research guide we discussed.
Today is the last class meeting of the JOUR 190 class, a one-hour course which is now taught in conjunction with the Politics 203 course (State and Local Government). There are 23 students in the class.
Here is the syllabus.
Prof. Jirsa
18 students
Nov. 3, 2008
The students are working toward the biggest paper of the term, which needs to include scholarly resources and an annotated bibliography. They have studied the theme of Exiles throughout the history of English literature. Currently they are reading The Tempest.
Two students have to write a paper and make a class presentation on Colombia's drug cartels, especially as they create corruption, influence democratic institutions, and affect other countries in Latin America.
Here is the research guide.