For my final research paper I would like to discuss how religion can affect child development. I wasn’t raised strictly into a religion and I believe as a result I am now very open, not just in regards to religion, but to almost everything. I really want to see if there are any hardcore differences in the way we develop depending on our religious environment. Hopefully I can make this more specific, maybe check for certain traits related to religious homes and traits related to non religious homes. The affect of religion, if not solely on child development, is just something I have always been interested in so I really want to try and do something with it.
Dear Jocquelle,
This is a very promising topic, but it needs focusing, as at the moment it is so vast that it would be difficult to do any meaningful research about it. Remember, the best research focuses on specific questions. Remember, too, that this course deals with issues of cross-cultural impact, so there needs to be a cross-cultural comparison in your research paper.
A more focused question that could emerge out of your memoir would be a comparison between the educational experience of African-American children raised in families that are Muslim vs. those raised in Christian families. Professor Clarence Taylor, in the history department, has done a lot of work on education and race in the U.S. and might be able to point you way to some valuable sources for further information on this subject. If this topic doesn’t appeal to you, come and see me on Thursday and we’ll try to develop a more focused topic that corresponds to your interest.