Dissertation Ideas - Help Needed

Tweek_1984 · 20 Sep 2006 at 22:14

I'm in a bit of a pickle.

Im just starting my final year as a human geography student and the proposal for my dissertation is due a week on Monday.

Now, originally I wanted to do something about how the working classes relate to where they live, geographically, and why they live where they do in Northern British areas. However, after talking to my tutor he thought the idea was ok, but far too broad and he wanted me to narrow it down. He suggested including much more specific issues such as the manifestation of the working classes through certain spaces and places.
I was worried that things may become too sociological.

I need a clear issue with lots of literature available, with the opportunity of both quantitative and qualitative research.

I'd like it to be associated with social class, but importantly, which is linked geographically.

I've already suggestions such as: Is criminal behaviour a by-product of working class housing estates?

I need more suggestions though. I've got to pitch some ideas to my tutor tomorrow and get on with my proposal quick sharpish!

Cheers,

mattx2 · 20 Sep 2006 at 23:19

What about somthing along the lines of what came first the cheap housing estates or the working class families. ie did the building of the estates and tower blocks in cities attract working class families or where they built as reaction to a sharp increase in working class population ?

Tweek_1984 · 20 Sep 2006 at 23:50

mattx2 said:
What about somthing along the lines of what came first the cheap housing estates or the working class families. ie did the building of the estates and tower blocks in cities attract working class families or where they built as reaction to a sharp increase in working class population ?

Maybe thats a bit too obvious. I mean, I think most people would assume the working classes came first.

But, you've given me another idea about high rises. Where they are located, who occupies them and why. Maybe?

mattx2 · 21 Sep 2006 at 00:46

Tweek_1984 said:
Maybe thats a bit too obvious. I mean, I think most people would assume the working classes came first.

But, you've given me another idea about high rises. Where they are located, who occupies them and why. Maybe?

perhaps you could also touch upon why they have also started to become fashionable again with some becoming listed buildings and attracting young professionals.

another possibility would be the location of new immigrants where are they coming from and why the UK?

or the groupings of various ethnic minorities, do people of the same ethnic backgrounds tend to live in the same areas?

Tweek_1984 · 21 Sep 2006 at 01:33

mattx2 said:
perhaps you could also touch upon why they have also started to become fashionable again with some becoming listed buildings and attracting young professionals.

Yea, I've just done a bit of searching on it. It seems interesting but I'm unsure whether I could get 10,000 concise words out of that subject. Its definately something I'll consider though.

mattx2 said:
another possibility would be the location of new immigrants where are they coming from and why the UK?

I was actually discussing Polish economic migrants with my tutor today. The thing is though, because its relatively new, I doubt there's much literature on it.