LENGTH: 3-5 pages (Works Cited not included in count)
One of the unspoken messages behind the material we are reading this semester is that the decision about how and what we do affect more than just ourselves. As the selections assembled make clear, our actions and choices are but one link in a much larger chain, one that connects us to countless fellow citizens in so many ways.
Using an argument presented somewhere within the thematic readings this term, you will write a 3-5 page academic argument essay in which you explore an issue presented this semester in order to make the appropriate connections for your own position on a single controversial, arguable issue that was addressed in a few readings covered this semester as support by outside research you’ve conducted.
The Classical Argument allows you to explore and research an issue that is important to you, and in turn, use rhetorical appeals and your additional research to convince your audience that your view of the subject is validated and (in the best case scenario) the correct way to approach the problem you are exploring. You will write a 3 to 5 page argumentative essay focusing on an argument presented multiple ways within our coursework’s texts that, in your view, makes the connection between the issue and society more explicit.
The goal of the argument presented within your rhetorical analysis is not to debate pro and con, rehash old arguments or to ridicule those who disagree with you. Instead, academic argument combines truth seeking and persuasion. A strong academic argument considers all the available information and views, realizing that the truth may lie somewhere between two established positions or within a third undiscovered position. In this essay, you will take a stand on an issue, offer reasons and evidence in support of your position, and summarize and respond to alternative views in order to bring your reader to a logical conclusion.
The quality of your research will be integral to the quality of your essay in using both the material we covered as well as sources you find outside of class.
Remember, quality research is defined as such: well-documented information or field-work that is framed to the audience properly (in this case, in the form of a classical argument) and responsibly by using quotes, paraphrasing, and summation. While interviews and observations are welcome in the research process, for this essay, they are not necessary. Therefore, make sure you review the Pearson Tutorials on avoiding plagiarism and the MLA citation style included in all the Learning Units this term in order to prepare for this paper assignment.
You will be required to cite and implement at least FIVE sources for this essay broken down as such:
Incorporate at least one argument explored within an essay we covered this semester from our textbook Rereading America
Identify at least one current events article published within the last few years in a credible news source which highlights the issue found in society in order to demonstrate the timeliness of the issue.
Use at least two academic sources for this essay (periodicals, journals, books, and websites) which support your claim.
Use at least one academic sources for this essay (periodicals, journals, books, websites) which exposes the counterarguments to your claim
You may choose a topic that relates to a theme we covered this term. Below are a list of areas you may explore, or you may select one of your choosing with permission of your instructor.
The topic you choose should explore a problem presented this semester for which you can make the appropriate connections for your own position on a single controversial, arguable issue that was addressed in a few readings covered this semester as supported by outside research you’ve conducted.
Here are some areas you may want to research in order to narrow in on a specific issue you’d like to develop into a paper topic:
Explore how social media impacts the way people perceive romantic or family relationships
Analyze the need, or lack thereof, for social justice movements regarding equality.
Examine how social media and/or the internet impact the way people perceive sexual activity and how it influences relationships and/or the way individuals perceive themselves, their worth, etc.
Explore the idea of assimilation in respect to immigration, education, business or family life and the impact on a culture.
Investigate how social networking impacts ideas about social justice and inclusion. Beyond personal impressions, has this had a broader impact on society? On politics? On popular culture?
Examine how social media/networking impacts people’s perceptions of gender and/or sexual orientation.
Investigate how social networking influences professionalism within the workplace.
Examine how communication is helping or hurting culture.
Scrutinize how well educational institut