For some people, the fall season means changing leaves, football games, and cozy sweaters. For me and the other American Studies seniors, it means it’s time to finish our senior theses.
When I enrolled in the American Studies program as a sophomore, the idea of committing to such a long writing project seemed daunting, but I was not too concerned because it seemed so far in the distant future. I figured that by my senior year I would be significantly more scholarly and wise, or that selecting a thesis topic would be a simple task. I was obviously wrong on both accounts. After about a year of thought and preliminary reading, I decided to focus my research on the relationship between women’s magazines and society during the 1960s. As a Communications minor and an intern at a women’s fashion magazine, I thought this topic would be a good way to blend my interest in magazines with the sociological, historical, and political implications of such an iconic era. I have a few specific ideas for my thesis, but it is still definitely a work in progress.
That being said, senior year has been incredibly fun, yet stressful. This semester I am taking classes on American Pluralism and TV Comedy, in addition to my American Studies seminar. I also have an internship at a fashion magazine, which is extremely fun but requires a lot of hard work. I have held magazine internships in the past, and no Devil Wears Prada moments yet.
I think the year is off to a great start and I wish everyone the best of luck!
1 comment:
Katie--sounds like a very interesting thesis topic. You may know her already, but if not, you should be in touch with Amy Aronson in the Communications and Media Studies department at Lincoln Center. She's done research on the history of women's magazines (in the 19th century, but still) and is also a former editor at Working Women and Ms. She'll be a great resource for you!
Everyone writing a thesis should be looking to see if there are faculty members on campus who might be able to help them with their topics. There are incredible resources at this university, but it's always possible that you don't know about them--and perfectly possible that I, or Professors Kim or LaBennett, also don't know about them. So ask around!
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