Fionnuala, to follow up on our “backwards-thinking” conversation, I suggest that you consider simplifying your research question. The version of your presentation appears to include a pre-packaged mini-thesis inside: “How have community colleges from the 1960s to the present changed from being institutions facilitating socio-economic mobility to becoming institutions of social reproduction?” The problem with type of pre-packaging is that your intended answer is unavoidable. A wiser approach might be to frame the research question more openly, perhaps like one of these: a) How did the socioeconomic mobility of community college students change during the past half-century? OR b) What factors caused the decline of social mobility among community college graduates since the 1960s? Either of these simpler research questions still allows you to leap into your richer social mobility-to-reproduction thesis, without making it feel as forced.
Jack, at this point I am writing towards a version of question B. I agree that the prior question sort of forces an answer.. my argument kind of falls apart at points so maybe refocusing every paragraph with this question will help.
Fionnuala, to follow up on our “backwards-thinking” conversation, I suggest that you consider simplifying your research question. The version of your presentation appears to include a pre-packaged mini-thesis inside: “How have community colleges from the 1960s to the present changed from being institutions facilitating socio-economic mobility to becoming institutions of social reproduction?” The problem with type of pre-packaging is that your intended answer is unavoidable. A wiser approach might be to frame the research question more openly, perhaps like one of these:
a) How did the socioeconomic mobility of community college students change during the past half-century?
OR
b) What factors caused the decline of social mobility among community college graduates since the 1960s?
Either of these simpler research questions still allows you to leap into your richer social mobility-to-reproduction thesis, without making it feel as forced.
Jack,
at this point I am writing towards a version of question B. I agree that the prior question sort of forces an answer.. my argument kind of falls apart at points so maybe refocusing every paragraph with this question will help.
Thanks,
Fionnuala