Focused questions are easier to research and easier to write about. For this paper you will use
the issue you wrote about in paper #1, but you will look closely at a focused question, predict an
answer, conduct research into the question and come as close as possible to finding an answer.
First, some examples and some practice:
Example #1: Broad/general question: What causes violence?
This question is difficult to answer because there are many, many different types of
violence, so to try to figure out what causes violence in general would be very
difficult. An easier question to ask might limit the group of people or type of violence, or
might look at a specific location or point in time.
Some examples of focused questions on violence are:
How does poverty figure into domestic violence?
What are some reasons veterans returning from war might turn to violence?
Does the number of incidences of violence changed since Mayor DeBlasio took
office?
Which president had the lowest violent crimes reported during their
administration?
Is there a culture of violence in lower-income areas of New York City?
Example #2: Broad/general question: How do children learn to read?
This question is difficult to answer because there are many factors that influence the way
a child learns to read. It would be a very long, detailed paper.
Some examples of focused questions on learning to read are:
How do beginning readers use paragraphs to follow a story line?
How does the speed at which children read influence their understanding of the
reading?
How do illustrations help children understand what they read?
Does it matter if a child is read to at bedtime?
In order to take a general question and make it more focused, try to add a limiting
qualifier. For instance, a specific range of time, a specific group of people, or a specific
element of your question that will limit your research.
Practice on your own:
Choose one of these broad questions and come up with two focused questions that would be
more specific, and therefore easier to research.
Broad/general question: How has feminism changed society?
Focused questions:
Broad/general question: How has computer technology changed society?
Focused questions:
Your own question
Now consider something you want to know about your issue of public concern from paper
1 and come up with at least 2 focused questions that you can research.
**I advise you to stay away from questions that ask why something is the way it is. Your
research will result in many different opinions and make it hard for you to find a clear answer to
your question.
Something I want to know about my issue of _________________________ is:
A focused question on this topic is:
Another focused question on this topic is
Sample Solution
Prologue to postmodernism, the media and the ‘genuine’ The inexorably mediatised culture we live in today has lead us to be ruled by and subordinate upon the generation and utilization of pictures. Ideas of objectivity and experimentation in the photographic have since a long time ago vanished, however would we be able to at present find our feeling of ‘the genuine’ in pictures? This exposition will utilize numerous hypotheses and thoughts that examine the job of photography, postmodernism and ‘the genuine’ inside the present culture and media. It will begin with a discourse of the thinking for the underlying movement back towards the genuine. This move chiefly originated from postmodernism and the media. Postmodernism managed the possibility of endless reference and the dread about post-present day culture was this endless reference implied that all grasp on reality had vanished. There was a desire to come back to something progressively steady and essential: ‘the genuine’? Picture takers began to attempt to come back to the simply elucidating photography from the occasions before the mass referencing of postmodernism. Because of postmodernism, we are continually scanning for importance and investigation in pictures. This steady examination of pictures has depleted our trust and enthusiasm for the photo; there was a need to make pictures not quite the same as the ones we see each day in the media so as to re-discover our trust in the picture as truth and as craftsmanship. Which will lead onto taking a gander at how, because of advances in innovation and improvements in photography, the new quick changing ordinary picture prompted our connections and feelings getting to be mediatised. We re-live occasions and encounters through pictures, which prompts lost the genuine. We recollect the picture instead of the occasion. The media impact occasions, publicizing even our feelings and connections. I will take a gander at how a few picture takers can have an impact in the control and impact from the media that appears to be such a great amount to control us and shape our reality. In any case, a few picture takers started to step away from the media, and postmodernism, more established, more slow advances started to reappear. The single picture delivered from these techniques for working could bring back the procedures of our memory that have been confused because of the sheer measure of data we get from different advances. This leads onto the primary inquiry presented in this exposition: can we ever (re)find the genuine? What amount is this thought of the genuine affected and molded by the media impact in our reality? Some would state that even photographs that give off an impression of being unmistakable can’t escape being exposed to investigation and put inside a setting of survey. Perhaps they can never be drained of reference and development? Possibly pictures can never give the reasonable, stable rendition of reality that we need from them? Will we keep on being devoured by pictures, or is there a future past the cycle of referencing left by postmodernism? Will we ever (re)find credibility, inventiveness and a genuine type of photography that can guide us to the genuine? How has this influenced our media? Also, how has it affected the media to change and shape our reality? Part One â What made individuals lose a feeling of the genuine? Postmodernism rose as a work of art in the mid to late 1980’s and appeared to develop from and identify with the innovator development. Postmodernism just dismissed the possibility of ‘inventiveness’; the ‘first’, new component inside a photo was supplanted with the idea of reference and citation. Discovering something real and unique as a thought was disposed of. Basically, postmodernism is the part of the arrangement as something new inside Postmodernism is viewed as the result of re-joining at least one distinct components from inside an effectively existing society. A picture needs to allude to, use or statement another picture or content, which will have alluded to another picture, which will have alluded to a further unique picture, etc; a ceaseless reference has started and we start to lose a feeling of the genuine. Postmodernist culture appreciated this play with indications of ceaseless reference, where the more you played the less anybody appeared to recognize what reality it was contacting (Bate 2004)(1) Some early Postmodernist picture takers incorporate Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Edward Weston and Cindy Sherman. Sherman’s untitled movies stills allude to trashy Hollywood movies. These early works of hers were cunningly named ‘Untitled’ at that point ‘Film Still no⦠‘ demonstrating that they can be given any significance and could allude to a real explicit existing film. The watcher is given a reference which prompts one more portrayal, not reality itself. In short: ‘here is an image from a film, however I am not going to disclose to you which one’, a message convoluted by the way that the photos were not genuine movies stills. (Bate2004)(2) The factor that was dreaded about postmodernism is that the ceaseless reference implied that all hold on reality has vanished and this lead to a desire to come back to a less complex, increasingly steady and essential method for working. We have lost a feeling of what is ‘genuine’ inside workmanship and culture because of the truth being disposed of for mass between printed referencing. Be that as it may, the dread about post-present day culture was that there no longer a stay to reality by any means, that ‘reality’ had vanished into a perpetual chain of different portrayals. (Bate 2004)(3) There started to be a desire to come back to the estimations of the straight and unadulterated photo of innovation and everything that post innovation had rejected. A desire to come back to something steady and fundamental, a desire to take a simply engaging photo. A few picture takers figured out how to make absolutely elucidating work, a case of this could be Justin Partyka’s work ‘The East Anglians’. This progressing assortment of work about the rustic and farming territory of East Anglia is a simply enlightening investigation of the scene and individuals, who live, work and possess the land in it. Be that as it may, the title ‘The East Anglians’ could allude to Robert Frank’s ‘The Americans’ a post World War II look underneath the outside of American life. Is anyone of work free from this postmodernist snare each picture taker appears to fall into. The ascent in postmodernism lead to photography being utilized more as a fine art, and started to wind up prevalent with the two craftsmen and general society. It was never again a ‘low’ type of craftsmanship and turned out to be broadly acknowledged. Photography was utilized more by everybody thus started to grow further, prompting significant advances in innovation. With the development of cell phone cameras and the web and email, it is anything but difficult to snap a picture and send it anyplace on the planet in a moment or two. These new advances mediatised our connections and feelings. However regardless of the possibility that these versatile advancements present to all of us closer to one another, we are made up for lost time in a logical inconsistency, since they progressively mediatise our connections to each other. To take a gander at something it must be avoided at all costs. (Bate 2004)(4) With computerized innovation today, there is never again a need to trust that photos will be prepared, no compelling reason to hold up until the part of the bargain or occasion to see the photos and a less constrained measure of photos can be taken on that one camera instead of the 24 or 36 with the most ordinarily utilized 35mm negative film. This implies individuals are taking such a large number of photos of everything as opposed to thinking about what especially they might want photos of. A boundless sense has been brought into photography. This has lead to a misfortune in the genuine, and a misfortune in the estimation of photography. Beforehand at a significant occasion, for example, an occasions, birthday events or weddings, families would utilize most likely only one camera and presumably just one or 2 movies for each occasion, a few families utilizing only one film for each year for each occasion, bringing about a couple of photos being taken which would then be placed in a collection and frequently checked on. Presently with computerized advances, individuals will in general have numerous cameras per family and at each occasion, little or huge, many photos can get taken, the distinction being these would then be put on a PC and most could never be taken a gander at. This is the place we have lost the estimation of photography, before computerized it was valuable, each photo was considered, pondered and appreciated a short time later. This has likewise lead to us recalling the photo of the occasion as opposed to the genuine occasion. In the event that we go through throughout the day shooting what is happening around us, we will recall only those photos and not what was really occurring; we recollect the picture as opposed to the genuine. Maybe to appropriately take a gander at something you need to make a stride back, away from our quick pace society. The loss of the genuine in postmodernism and now in the computerized period has left craftsman and photos wishing to return to less difficult occasions. New workmanship is regularly now comprised of repetitive procedures which are more established and more slow which at that point sets this new artistic expression separated from the pictures and photos we see in ordinary media culture. New innovations are as a rule left for more established and more slow ones which are clearly progressively genuine. Progressively conventional and straightforward techniques for photography appeared to be connected to the idea of the genuine, as they are not quite the same as the photos we see each day on the news and in the media. Hal Foster in his book The Return of the Real says he feels that we have not left postmodernism totally, it has moved toward becoming what is ordinary to us; we have a postmodernism authenticity. The outcome of this that we change the manner in which we need reality to be developed. Cultivate feels that just postmodernism has moved toward becoming démodé. (Cultivate 1996)(5) Photography currently draws on components of film, promotions, postcards and so on to make symbolism that is between printed and referential to those different pictures, these new pictures make the authenticity of this outwardly interceded culture; post-present day authenticity is currently the typical. Alongside the advancement of photography, video and film likewise b>
Prologue to postmodernism, the media and the ‘genuine’ The inexorably mediatised culture we live in today has lead us to be ruled by and subordinate upon the generation and utilization of pictures. Ideas of objectivity and experimentation in the photographic have since a long time ago vanished, however would we be able to at present find our feeling of ‘the genuine’ in pictures? This exposition will utilize numerous hypotheses and thoughts that examine the job of photography, postmodernism and ‘the genuine’ inside the present culture and media. It will begin with a discourse of the thinking for the underlying movement back towards the genuine. This move chiefly originated from postmodernism and the media. Postmodernism managed the possibility of endless reference and the dread about post-present day culture was this endless reference implied that all grasp on reality had vanished. There was a desire to come back to something progressively steady and essential: ‘the genuine’? Picture takers began to attempt to come back to the simply elucidating photography from the occasions before the mass referencing of postmodernism. Because of postmodernism, we are continually scanning for importance and investigation in pictures. This steady examination of pictures has depleted our trust and enthusiasm for the photo; there was a need to make pictures not quite the same as the ones we see each day in the media so as to re-discover our trust in the picture as truth and as craftsmanship. Which will lead onto taking a gander at how, because of advances in innovation and improvements in photography, the new quick changing ordinary picture prompted our connections and feelings getting to be mediatised. We re-live occasions and encounters through pictures, which prompts lost the genuine. We recollect the picture instead of the occasion. The media impact occasions, publicizing even our feelings and connections. I will take a gander at how a few picture takers can have an impact in the control and impact from the media that appears to be such a great amount to control us and shape our reality. In any case, a few picture takers started to step away from the media, and postmodernism, more established, more slow advances started to reappear. The single picture delivered from these techniques for working could bring back the procedures of our memory that have been confused because of the sheer measure of data we get from different advances. This leads onto the primary inquiry presented in this exposition: can we ever (re)find the genuine? What amount is this thought of the genuine affected and molded by the media impact in our reality? Some would state that even photographs that give off an impression of being unmistakable can’t escape being exposed to investigation and put inside a setting of survey. Perhaps they can never be drained of reference and development? Possibly pictures can never give the reasonable, stable rendition of reality that we need from them? Will we keep on being devoured by pictures, or is there a future past the cycle of referencing left by postmodernism? Will we ever (re)find credibility, inventiveness and a genuine type of photography that can guide us to the genuine? How has this influenced our media? Also, how has it affected the media to change and shape our reality? Part One â What made individuals lose a feeling of the genuine? Postmodernism rose as a work of art in the mid to late 1980’s and appeared to develop from and identify with the innovator development. Postmodernism just dismissed the possibility of ‘inventiveness’; the ‘first’, new component inside a photo was supplanted with the idea of reference and citation. Discovering something real and unique as a thought was disposed of. Basically, postmodernism is the part of the arrangement as something new inside Postmodernism is viewed as the result of re-joining at least one distinct components from inside an effectively existing society. A picture needs to allude to, use or statement another picture or content, which will have alluded to another picture, which will have alluded to a further unique picture, etc; a ceaseless reference has started and we start to lose a feeling of the genuine. Postmodernist culture appreciated this play with indications of ceaseless reference, where the more you played the less anybody appeared to recognize what reality it was contacting (Bate 2004)(1) Some early Postmodernist picture takers incorporate Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Edward Weston and Cindy Sherman. Sherman’s untitled movies stills allude to trashy Hollywood movies. These early works of hers were cunningly named ‘Untitled’ at that point ‘Film Still no⦠‘ demonstrating that they can be given any significance and could allude to a real explicit existing film. The watcher is given a reference which prompts one more portrayal, not reality itself. In short: ‘here is an image from a film, however I am not going to disclose to you which one’, a message convoluted by the way that the photos were not genuine movies stills. (Bate2004)(2) The factor that was dreaded about postmodernism is that the ceaseless reference implied that all hold on reality has vanished and this lead to a desire to come back to a less complex, increasingly steady and essential method for working. We have lost a feeling of what is ‘genuine’ inside workmanship and culture because of the truth being disposed of for mass between printed referencing. Be that as it may, the dread about post-present day culture was that there no longer a stay to reality by any means, that ‘reality’ had vanished into a perpetual chain of different portrayals. (Bate 2004)(3) There started to be a desire to come back to the estimations of the straight and unadulterated photo of innovation and everything that post innovation had rejected. A desire to come back to something steady and fundamental, a desire to take a simply engaging photo. A few picture takers figured out how to make absolutely elucidating work, a case of this could be Justin Partyka’s work ‘The East Anglians’. This progressing assortment of work about the rustic and farming territory of East Anglia is a simply enlightening investigation of the scene and individuals, who live, work and possess the land in it. Be that as it may, the title ‘The East Anglians’ could allude to Robert Frank’s ‘The Americans’ a post World War II look underneath the outside of American life. Is anyone of work free from this postmodernist snare each picture taker appears to fall into. The ascent in postmodernism lead to photography being utilized more as a fine art, and started to wind up prevalent with the two craftsmen and general society. It was never again a ‘low’ type of craftsmanship and turned out to be broadly acknowledged. Photography was utilized more by everybody thus started to grow further, prompting significant advances in innovation. With the development of cell phone cameras and the web and email, it is anything but difficult to snap a picture and send it anyplace on the planet in a moment or two. These new advances mediatised our connections and feelings. However regardless of the possibility that these versatile advancements present to all of us closer to one another, we are made up for lost time in a logical inconsistency, since they progressively mediatise our connections to each other. To take a gander at something it must be avoided at all costs. (Bate 2004)(4) With computerized innovation today, there is never again a need to trust that photos will be prepared, no compelling reason to hold up until the part of the bargain or occasion to see the photos and a less constrained measure of photos can be taken on that one camera instead of the 24 or 36 with the most ordinarily utilized 35mm negative film. This implies individuals are taking such a large number of photos of everything as opposed to thinking about what especially they might want photos of. A boundless sense has been brought into photography. This has lead to a misfortune in the genuine, and a misfortune in the estimation of photography. Beforehand at a significant occasion, for example, an occasions, birthday events or weddings, families would utilize most likely only one camera and presumably just one or 2 movies for each occasion, a few families utilizing only one film for each year for each occasion, bringing about a couple of photos being taken which would then be placed in a collection and frequently checked on. Presently with computerized advances, individuals will in general have numerous cameras per family and at each occasion, little or huge, many photos can get taken, the distinction being these would then be put on a PC and most could never be taken a gander at. This is the place we have lost the estimation of photography, before computerized it was valuable, each photo was considered, pondered and appreciated a short time later. This has likewise lead to us recalling the photo of the occasion as opposed to the genuine occasion. In the event that we go through throughout the day shooting what is happening around us, we will recall only those photos and not what was really occurring; we recollect the picture as opposed to the genuine. Maybe to appropriately take a gander at something you need to make a stride back, away from our quick pace society. The loss of the genuine in postmodernism and now in the computerized period has left craftsman and photos wishing to return to less difficult occasions. New workmanship is regularly now comprised of repetitive procedures which are more established and more slow which at that point sets this new artistic expression separated from the pictures and photos we see in ordinary media culture. New innovations are as a rule left for more established and more slow ones which are clearly progressively genuine. Progressively conventional and straightforward techniques for photography appeared to be connected to the idea of the genuine, as they are not quite the same as the photos we see each day on the news and in the media. Hal Foster in his book The Return of the Real says he feels that we have not left postmodernism totally, it has moved toward becoming what is ordinary to us; we have a postmodernism authenticity. The outcome of this that we change the manner in which we need reality to be developed. Cultivate feels that just postmodernism has moved toward becoming démodé. (Cultivate 1996)(5) Photography currently draws on components of film, promotions, postcards and so on to make symbolism that is between printed and referential to those different pictures, these new pictures make the authenticity of this outwardly interceded culture; post-present day authenticity is currently the typical. Alongside the advancement of photography, video and film likewise b>
