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ENG 120 Joshi fall 2023

Researching subcultures for an autoethnography essay

Subcultures

Selection from the course assignment:

Another essential part of your autoethnography essay will be 5 secondary sources on the background, history, or connected ideas investigating your subculture.

At least 2 of these will be scholarly sources.

You will be expected to work independently on looking for relevant sources of pre-existing research on your subculture. The library presentation and research guides should be helpful in this part of the project. You will also be including a ‘Works Cited’ page at the end of your autoethnography in MLA format.

Primary and Secondary Sources

Specific Examples

 

Primary Source

Secondary Source

Music

“I’m so Bored with the USA” (1977 song by The Clash)

Magazine article about the historical significance of the band The Clash.

History

Recorded interview with members of a 1970s Wiccan coven in the American Midwest

Book about late-20th Century Wiccan or Pagan religion in the USA

Literature

Letters exchanged by two Beat poets in the 1950s

Journal article about the friendships of the Beat Poets

Art

Photographs by Nan Goldin

Book analyzing Nan Goldin’s photography in the context of 1980s Downtown New York

Fashion

A magazine ad for Levi’s 505® jeans from the 1960s

Book about fashion of counterculture in the 1960s