(apologies if this is in the wrong section)
Hi all, this is another one of the many 'I need help picking a dissertation topic' threads floating around here... for context I'm in my third year of a fourth-year Japanese degree at SOAS (currently on my Year Abroad in Japan) and the time has come to start thinking about topics to write about. Obviously has to be Japan-related but given that I could research anything from the language to the culture to the history and politics, etc., it's difficult to know where to begin as it's so broad.
One aspect of Japan that I personally do have quite an interest in is the Visual-Kei movement in the 80s/90s but I'm hesitant to explore it as I'm worried it won't be taken seriously as an academic project because it's related to pop culture.
Any general advice as to where to begin with thinking about potential topics? Alternatively do you think the music/pop culture route is a safe one?
Thanks in advance.
(also: anything relating to the yakuza is unfortunately off-limits, otherwise I probably would have gone with that)
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ZoZo1770
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- 11-03-2018 12:54
Last edited by ZoZo1770; 11-03-2018 at 12:59. -
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- 12-03-2018 19:40
(Original post by ZoZo1770)
(apologies if this is in the wrong section)
Hi all, this is another one of the many 'I need help picking a dissertation topic' threads floating around here... for context I'm in my third year of a fourth-year Japanese degree at SOAS (currently on my Year Abroad in Japan) and the time has come to start thinking about topics to write about. Obviously has to be Japan-related but given that I could research anything from the language to the culture to the history and politics, etc., it's difficult to know where to begin as it's so broad.
One aspect of Japan that I personally do have quite an interest in is the Visual-Kei movement in the 80s/90s but I'm hesitant to explore it as I'm worried it won't be taken seriously as an academic project because it's related to pop culture.
Any general advice as to where to begin with thinking about potential topics? Alternatively do you think the music/pop culture route is a safe one?
Thanks in advance.
(also: anything relating to the yakuza is unfortunately off-limits, otherwise I probably would have gone with that)
As far as general advice is concerned, it goes without saying that you need to choose a topic you are interested in. Dissertation research and writing is difficult enough without getting bogged down in stuff that simply doesn't interest you.
With this in mind, I would suggest you contact an appropriate tutor at your university and ask them straight out about whether the Visual-Kei movement in the 80s/90s that you are interested in would be suitable. That way, if they say yes you can get started on it immediately and if they say no you still have plenty of time to look around for other ideas.
Good luck with it.
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