Research Paper Topics

This following is a list of preliminary, potential topics for your final research papers. This list is by no means complete; therefore, new ideas should be added as comments below. Please feel free to submit new entries over the next few weeks as your topics and theses develop!

Economic

-- inflation

-- the US Federal Reserve Bank

-- the various US government bailouts of 2008-2009

-- the US auto industry

-- overseas economic expansion and domestic job loss

-- corporate greed and the profit machine

-- income tax, sales tax

-- social security

-- debt, credit cards

-- trade agreements

-- advertising and marketing
-- urban renewal and gentrification

Environment/Food

-- global climate change, pollution, etc.

-- pesticide and herbicide use

-- food supply corporatization, monoagriculture

-- fast food

-- Monsanto and other mega-food corporations

-- genetically modified organisms and genetically modified foods  

-- animal rights

-- organic/sustainable farming and co-operative movements

-- urban agriculture

-- greenscaping, eco-architecture

-- alternative energy production

-- electric vehicles and alternative fuels

-- nuclear, biological, chemical weapons (WMDs)

-- world hunger

Gender/Sexuality/Feminism/LGBTQ

-- gender equality

-- female double-standard(s)

-- patriarchy v. matriarchy in society

-- marriage traditions, LGBTQ marriage

-- in vitro fertilization, alternative fertility treatments

-- social affections, acceptance of feminine and masculine emotion

-- gender roles, gender norms, hyper-masculinity and hyper-femininity

-- LGBTQ acceptance and equality, historical and/or current issues and trends

Health

-- mass health care systems v. privatized health care (e.g., Obamacare)

-- welfare and other government assistance programs

-- cancer, and the cancer industry

-- HIV/AIDS

-- pharmaceuticals

-- drug use, abuse, addiction, etc. (e.g., alcohol, crack/cocaine, heroin, etc.)

-- illegalization v. legalization of controlled substances (e.g., marijuana)

-- body image and eating disorders

-- obesity

-- vaccinations and their numerous risks

-- ADD/ADHD

-- mental health and mental illness

-- abortion v. pro-choice

-- sexual health and education

-- cigarette smoking

-- homelessness

-- world health  

Fashion/Style

-- body modification: tattoos, piercings, scarification, implants, etc.

-- trends, fads, and the “viral” nature of cultural memes

Music/Subculture

-- hippies, the 1960s, festivals

-- punk rock and/or metal

-- electronic dance music (EDM) and raves

-- rap and/or hip hop

-- salsa, bachata

Technology

-- television

-- cell phones and smart phones

-- social networking, new social interaction and behavior

-- internet censorship and governmental controls over public access
-- issues concerning privacy and security

-- whistleblowers (e.g., WikiLeaks)

-- artificial intelligence

-- video game violence

Politics/Protest/Rebellion/Revolution

-- bill of rights, especially the freedom of speech and press

-- violent v. nonviolent

-- police brutality

-- hate crimes

-- flash mobs

-- riots

-- protest en masse, the power of the boycott, civil disobedience, the General Strike

-- the Civil Rights Movement

-- TAZs, pirate utopias, and the importance of “space”

-- Arab Spring, European Summer

-- Occupy Wall Street (OWS)

-- the use and importance of social media in cultural resistance

-- politics that don’t look like politics

-- gun control and/or disarmament of the populace

-- gangs and gang violence

-- graffiti

-- workplace discrimination

-- terrorism and the war on terror

-- capital punishment

-- interrogation and torture (e.g., Guantanamo Bay)

-- homeland security, government surveillance  

-- the place/role of religion in the American public/private school system