VIC150 : School and Society

Sample BroadTopic:

What are the effects of residential schools on First Nations people?

• do more research and ask more questions to narrow your topic, possibly to a particular event or activity
• you decide to focus on the 2008 Apology by Stephen Harper

Ask Questions:

• Did the 2008 Apology address the effects of residential schools?
  • If so, which effects and how?
  • If not, why not?
• For example, ask yourself:
  • What type of effects - Sociological, Political, Economic?
  • Who are you focussing on - women, children, elders, families
  • When did these effects happen exactly - what time period are you focussing on?
  • Why exactly did these effects happen? specific causes?
  • Why are you looking at these effects? What is your hypothesis or growing argument?

Asking these questions will help you to identify an historical context and a conceptual framework for your topic:

Do some more research using this focus and investigate questions such as:

• What was the role of women before residential schools and after residential schools?
• Did the apology address the effects on indigenist women and their role?

My research might include articles and evidence illustrating how the role of women was destroyed by residential schools.

I need to continue asking questions and doing research:

• Did the apology address the destruction of women's roles in aboriginal culture?

If not, then my argument could now include a conceptual framework and become more specific:

Refined Thesis/Hypothesis within a Framework or Methodology:

The 2008 apology wasted time and money in terms of indigenist-feminist healing because it did not address the destruction of women's roles in First Nations culture(s)

Your research will still need to answer the questions:

• What is an Indigenist-Feminist healing perspective?
• From an indigenist-feminist healing perspective, how and why was the Apology a waste of time and money?

You might have to break down your argument in order to research it.