Research Essay on Bob Marley

Topic: 20th Century Arts and Countercultural Efforts

Argue that a 20th century artist challenged social norms. Pay particular attention to how, in the artist’s work,

form, style, content, and message interact. The norms your artist challenged may be political, philosophical,

economic, racial, behavioral, sexual, domestic, foreign, aesthetic, and/or any socially important rule or

institution.

I mean “art” in the broadest sense, “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination,”

and I mean “counterculture” in the broadest sense too, “a way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at

variance with the prevailing social norm” (American Heritage Dictionary). Whether the artist is a painter,

filmmaker, musician, architect, fashion designer, or inventor, argue why this particular artist should be

considered “counterculture.” What cultural concepts or behaviors is your topic countering, questioning or

challenging? Remember, innovation is not necessarily revolution; a person doesn’t automatically challenge

existing cultural norms just because they make something unusual or original.

You might choose to focus your essay on the movement rather than the artist, but in a short essay like this

you should pick one artist to represent the movement you analyze. When you choose your subject, balance

research wealth with essay potential. Steve Jobs’ life was so recent that scholarly material about him is still

being sorted out and will be hard to find. Conversely, Bob Dylan’s influence has been analyzed so often that

it will be hard to find an original argument to draw about him.

Remember that an essay is not a report; an essay begins with reporting but makes an argument (analysis,

interpretation, criticism, revision, synthesis, opinion, etc.) about the reported material. Remember, too, that

you can get a lot of mileage out of an essay by finding a debate that scholars take sides on and positioning

your thesis among this war of ideas.

Content Requirements

You should touch on all the following points in your essay, though in what proportion and in what order is

up to you. Some you may barely mention, but you should mention them all. Think about which points will

serve your thesis best and write those sections more in-depth:

Description and analysis of the artist’s work and/or the movement they represent

Description of the culture, values, and/or behavior of the time

Competing or contrary artists / movements

Evolution of the artist / movement

Reaction to or effects of the artist / movement

Contemporary or possible future importance or of the artist / movement

Research SourcesI would like you to cite at least six outside sources in your essay. By “outside,” I mean that you must

find materials that supplement the works of the artist you are analyzing. If you are writing about the jazz

composer John Coltrane, for example, you should consider his records sources, and you should cite them,

but you should not cite them as “outside” sources. After all, why would you be writing about him at all if not

for his compositions? Interviews with him or private notebooks by him that help us understand his musical

compositions would be “outside” sources, however.

I do not require that the sources come in particular formats, such as one book, one magazine, and so forth.

Instead, I require that the sources be either primary (from the time period you are discussing) or secondary

(scholarly articles written after the fact). If you would like to use tertiary materials, like reference works or

encyclopedias, you may, but do not count them in your required six sources. Strive to find a variety of source

types, dates, and styles.

I will be considering the quality of your research as seriously as the quantity. Are your sources reliable and

authoritative? Does your research show that you have surveyed the major writers & thinkers on the topic?

Are your “expert witnesses” credentialed enough to influence the “jury?”

Format

You may write the essay according to MLA (Modern Language Association) or CMS (Chicago Manual of

Style).