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When I think of a research paper, I feel incredibly overwhelmed, and even incapable of working on such a project. I tend to underestimate how far my capabilities go, so I am hoping that by the end of Spring Quarter that this research paper becomes another one of those things that I am capable of tackling and accomplishing.
Listed below are three primary sources I have an interest in investigating, mainly the first primary source, The Deep by Rivers Soloman.
The Deep
Primary Source 1
On top of having a large interest in science-fiction, I find it fascinating how science-fiction is used to build on the idea of afrofuturism. Afrofuturism itself is a hopeful stand on the painful history of African-Americans, and with the colliding ideas of Science-fiction, I admire how this gives rise to creative and empowering worlds.
The Fosters
Primary Source 2
I believe this show was very advanced for its time, featuring a close-knit family that demonstrated how biological blood does not determine family, rather you choose your family. On top of this, the parental figures are two lesbian moms, which was a fresh perspective to take on family dynamics concerning the LGBTQ+ community. I think the found-family trope can be a large contributor to worldbuilding on a personal level in how people find a home and a family in/with unexpected places and people.
Barbie & the Diamond Castle
Primary Source 3
Barbie and the Diamond Castle is an early 2000’s nostalgic movie that covers themes of friendship and storytelling centered around two friends, Liana and Alexa, who live a peasant life, but find joy and happiness in each other's company.
Brainstorming Research Questions
After spending an embarrassingly amount of time procrastinating my research questions, I came up with some of the few listed below; here I have listed one for each primary source.
The Deep
Primary Source 1
How does Science Fiction contribute the the ideas Afrofuturism in Rivers Solomon, The Deep?
The Fosters
Primary Source 2
How does the found-family trope contribute to worldbuilding on a personal level?
Barbie & the Diamond Castle
Primary Source 3
How do the themes of friendship and kindness play into the nostalgic worldbuilding of Barbie movies?
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After writing out each question and conducting research for a secondary source, I began to realize that in order for my chosen primary sources to be viable enough for a research project, I was going to have to carefully word my research questions, meaning that whatever it is my research question focuses on will determine the type of secondary sources I look for, even if my primary source does not appear to have many secondary scholarly sources on it.
For instance, The Deep by Rivers Soloman unforutanely does not have enough secondary scholarly sources I can work with, however there is plenty secondary sources on the topic of Afrofuturism and science fiction, which are two categories I intend on focusing on for my first primary source, The Deep.
However, even now I am not entirely convinced my research questions are solid enough to build a research project, and I have yet to settle on a primary source from one of my examples listed above.
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