Research Topic

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The topic hat I want to explore for my research paper is how YA (young adult) literature assists in the development of young readers and how it influences their sense of self and allows them to explore life experiences and realities. Focus Questions: 1. What are common life experiences. (love, death, assault..) 2.  Is America prompting diversity?3. Who are some under represented cultural groups in literature?4. What makes a character "different"? 5. How is racism a reality? How is discrimination a reality? 6. How does these novels go against common stereotypes?I selected this topic because this semester in my African American Literature class we have learned about poets, and authors that I have never learned about and should have been taught in middle and high school. I believe that this is the same for many other cultural groups as well as social groups. Even now I am not exposed to diverse authors, and I fear that future young readers will not bother to explore past assigned authors. Racial and social tensions are so high in America and most of that comes from the opposing side not truly understanding the life experiences and realities that the oppressed side goes through. By providing more diverse books, readers get a glimpse of life from a different point of view and can appreciate the similarities that both experience. While researching this topic some of the resources that I will be using are going to be scholarly articles and journals to prove that the argument that many publishers believe diverse books wouldn’t be marketable, thus making them less profitable is false. Some obstacles I see while researching this topic would be how authors from different backgrounds create characters and present them as being "diverse" when in reality they are harmful. Books I plan on using:The Secret Lives of Bees: Lilly could not truly understand racism until she experienced prejudice,and being the "minority" also how she handles deathThe Hate U Give: what being a "thug" is like and being a witness to death Dante: love 

Comments

  1. Carter McGillNovember 15, 2019 at 8:36 AM

    Tiara, I love your research topic because it is very similar to what I'am going to be focused on as well. I think through these novels adolescents can see how it's okay to be themselves even when everyone is telling them that's not okay. Also, I like your focus questions as well and I think they will help guide you through this paper.

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