Research Paper Prompts

Here are the prompts for you research paper due July 22nd:

The Dieting Industry
Americans are said to spend upwards of 30 billion dollars a year on weight-loss products. This is not surprising given our society’s obsession with appearance, but it is a staggering figure nonetheless. What is the lure of the dieting industry? And how have they positioned themselves to command so much influence? Investigate the American dieting industry, including their techniques for recruiting new clients and sway in the public forum.

School Lunches
In recent years, a spotlight has been turned on the nation’s school lunches. Many have pointed to lax dietary standards, budgetary issues, and the prevalence of processed foods, as indications that kids’ school lunches are routinely nutritionally shortchanged. Indeed, standards for student meals haven’t been updated since the Carter Administration. What is the state of the American school lunch and what is now being done to ensure the nutritional needs of our school children are being met?

Endangered Foods
A byproduct of the climate change debate has been the emergence of so-called “endangered foods.” Due to everything from overharvesting and depleted environments to drought and disease, foods as diverse as cocoa beans, salmon, and bananas, may be threatened in the coming decades. For example, in North America, sugar maples (a major source of maple syrup) are now considered one of many threatened native species. What would be the impact of losing some of these foods? Profile three threatened foods (plant or animal), examining both the cause for their decline, as well as efforts to save them.

Food Customs and Rituals
For many, it’s unthinkable to mark a birthday without a cake or to propose a toast without champagne. In fact, many of our country’s customs and rituals are entrenched in food. For example, what would Halloween be without candy, or tailgating without BBQ? Examine three food-based American customs or traditions, and explore how they evolved to have eating as a key component.

Food and Social Class
Do the foods you eat say anything about your social standing? For example, can a correlation be made between the types of foods you eat and your income level, access to health care, and education? Likewise, is it a foregone conclusion that rich people eat better than poor people? Why or why not? Illustrate the links between social class and food in America, including the effects on the society as whole.

Make Your Own Prompt
1. Choose a relevant food-related topic
2. Fashion it into a prompt using those above as models
3. Via email, submit it to me for consideration by midnight on Monday the 22nd