Argumentative Essay

Assignment Four  Argumentative Essay  Weeks 3-6

Your goal in this project is to read up thoroughly on a particular subject -- I will provide these readings -- and use those materials to make a specific, thesis-driven argument about that subject.

We'll use this assignment to discuss what constitutes strong yet ethical argument, how argument tactics vary based on the particular audience being addressed, and how to use critical reading strategies to develop your own ideas for your writing.

The two possible topics are:

1. Gender and sexuality. For this topic, you'll read a large number of readings in the gender section of the "Things for You to Read" blog, choose a narrower issue within the large topic of gender and sexuality (such as communication between the genders, socialization into gender roles, etc.), develop a thesis about that issue, and develop reasons why a reader would accept your thesis. Your audience for the argument will be people of both genders, who may be gay or straight; you will need to be careful to persuade these various people of your point of view without alienating them.

2. During the last two weeks of June, two incidents regarding race relations in the United States occurred: the Southern cook Paula Deen was let go from her TV show on the Food Network for a number of racially-charged statements and actions, and the Supreme Court handed down a decision that essentially invalidates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Your project here will ask you to learn about these two incidents -- what exactly Deen did and why she was so popular in the first place with her audience; what exactly the Voting Rights Act did, and what is likely to happen now that it has been overturned. I'll provide you with plenty of background readings on these topics. Once you understand the background, you'll write an argument addressing a very specific audience: a group of people who may be fans of Paula Deen but who consider themselves good, honest folks without a racist bone in their bodies. They might very well take the attitude that, through Deen's actions were inappropriate, they were not cause for her to lose her show and endorsements; they essentially think that Deen is a victim of political correctness. Similarly, this audience may think that the Supreme Court decision regarding the Voting Rights Act is really not a big deal. Your job is to argue, to this audience, that these things are a big deal, are important and worth fixing. This audience will be polite but difficult to persuade; but they are a very important audience to engage if you want to try to help this country toward a better, more fruitful conversation about some of the most important topics we need to deal with.

Length: Approximately 1000 words (4 typed pages). Due August 8.

	Developmental Reading English 088
	Summer 2013 Syllabus
	Assignment Four  Argumentative Essay  Weeks 3-6 Your goal in this project is to read up thoroughly on a particular subject -- I will provide these readings -- and use those materials to make a specific, thesis-driven argument about that subject. We'll use this assignment to discuss what constitutes strong yet ethical argument, how argument tactics vary based on the particular audience being addressed, and how to use critical reading strategies to develop your own ideas for your writing. The two possible topics are: 1. Gender and sexuality. For this topic, you'll read a large number of readings in the gender section of the "Things for You to Read" blog, choose a narrower issue within the large topic of gender and sexuality (such as communication between the genders, socialization into gender roles, etc.), develop a thesis about that issue, and develop reasons why a reader would accept your thesis. Your audience for the argument will be people of both genders, who may be gay or straight; you will need to be careful to persuade these various people of your point of view without alienating them. 2. During the last two weeks of June, two incidents regarding race relations in the United States occurred: the Southern cook Paula Deen was let go from her TV show on the Food Network for a number of racially-charged statements and actions, and the Supreme Court handed down a decision that essentially invalidates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Your project here will ask you to learn about these two incidents -- what exactly Deen did and why she was so popular in the first place with her audience; what exactly the Voting Rights Act did, and what is likely to happen now that it has been overturned. I'll provide you with plenty of background readings on these topics. Once you understand the background, you'll write an argument addressing a very specific audience: a group of people who may be fans of Paula Deen but who consider themselves good, honest folks without a racist bone in their bodies. They might very well take the attitude that, through Deen's actions were inappropriate, they were not cause for her to lose her show and endorsements; they essentially think that Deen is a victim of political correctness. Similarly, this audience may think that the Supreme Court decision regarding the Voting Rights Act is really not a big deal. Your job is to argue, to this audience, that these things are a big deal, are important and worth fixing. This audience will be polite but difficult to persuade; but they are a very important audience to engage if you want to try to help this country toward a better, more fruitful conversation about some of the most important topics we need to deal with. Length: Approximately 1000 words (4 typed pages). Due August 8.