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Erin Coggins
Dr. Rieman
1103 UWRT
October 27, 2014
Research Proposal
On Saturday, September 13th, 2014, I sat on a bus with Megan Lemon as we
toured the city of Charlotte. We learned about the history of the city and saw many
ethnically diverse areas in and around Charlotte. As we were riding, the tour guide
pointed out a Dominican Republic restaurant. My roommate dreams about working in
the Dominican Republic, so I have been growing more sensitive to the mentioning of that
country. Thus, my ears perked up, and then, the tour guide proceeded to point out Indian
cuisine, an Ethiopian restaurant, a Chinese grocery store, and a Mexican ice cream shop.
The variety of restaurants and grocery stories from different cultures caught my attention.
I am extremely interested in traveling and experiencing foreign culture, and the idea that
so many people came to Charlotte and brought their identity and culture to this particular
city enthralled me. Thus, I decided I wanted to research how food affects the identity of
a place, specifically looking at Charlotte, NC. I think it is important to understand the
culture and identity of a place to better serve the people that live there. In addition, by
understanding the culture in food of Charlotte, NC, we can better design buildings and
programs to fit the needs of the people. Food is a grand entrance into culture, opening
many doors to serve the city of Charlotte. From the tour, I already know that there are
many different cultures represented through restaurants and grocery stores in Charlotte. I
am also aware of the various effects industrial agriculture has on food choice and how

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that affects culture. Reasonable, practical, and meaningful primary research could
include interviewing the owners of these restaurants to see why they decided to move
Charlotte and what impact they feel they have had on this community. I could also talk
to residents who have lived in Charlotte to see how immigration has changed the culture
and identity of the city. I am also going to try and find secondary sources that discuss
how food relates to identity. I plan to talk to Heather Smith, a professor at UNCC, to see
if she has any insight on this topic. I also plan to contact our original tour guide because
he has done studies on the growth of Charlotte and could have interesting points to
include. Further, I would like to see how accurate the various ethnic restaurants and
grocery shops are when compared to the country of origin.

On October 26th, at 11:15, Taylor Swift released her new album 1989. I was completely
floored by her new sound, and found myself lying on the ground with happy tears in my
eyes. This occurrence made me wonder why Taylor Swift is such a cultural
phenomenon. She has extremely loyal and obsessive fans, beautiful music, and
increasing popularity with each new Instagram post and single. Taylor Swift has been
my role model since 2008, when she released her 2nd album Fearless. I still shamelessly
blast her music and dance around my room in my pajamas. Her song All Too Well is
probably damaging my vocal chords because every single time the bridge plays, I scream
the lyrics at the top of my lungs. I am interested in this topic because I am obsessed with
Taylor Swift. This inquiry project would look at her increasing popularity and her
specific qualities that have made our society fall in love with her, which could be
interesting to people who do not love Taylor Swift. Primary research could include

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surveys, asking people their gender, age, and why (or why not) Taylor Swift has become
a cultural phenomenon. I would also like to look at music critics reviews and magazine
articles discussing her music, as secondary research. She also has a documentary, various
interviews across YouTube, and a segment on 60 Minutes. I am beyond excited to
complete this inquiry project.