ENGLISH 1302 WEEK NINE Analysis of Logical Support

ENGLISH 1302: WEEK NINE Analysis of Logical Support and Underlying Assumptions

EXERCISE Directions: From the three op-eds you should have brought to class today, select which one you believe has the strongest argument. Read over this op-ed and on a piece of paper write down the following: The author’s purpose (What do they want their audience to believe or do? ) How the author supports their claims (do they rely on researched data, opinion, personal experience, logical associations? ) Assumptions the author makes about their topic (what common beliefs regarding the topic would they expect their audience to share? )

CLASS OVERVIEW Argument Exercise Introduction to the Researched Argument Brief Assignment 5 Directions Claims and Argumentation Reasons and Logical Support Analyzing Ideology and Assumptions Homework

INTRO TO THE RESEARCHED ARGUMENT The researched argument Draft 2. 1 will focus on a scholarly topic of your choice (must be approved via a topic proposal) and should be supported by at least six scholarly sources. One of the sources must present a clear counterargument to your thesis claim. You will need to support your claim with clear lines of argument, logical support, appeals (if applicable), and consideration of alternative views. Your argument’s primary claim should be debatable; you will need to find a source that argues the opposite of your stance. You cannot make up a counterargument or simply summarize several of them; doing so creates a fallacious argument. Find a single scholarly article or work.

BRIEF ASSIGNMENT 5 Choose one of the three articles (listed in Raider Writer for BA 5), and in a 600 -750 word essay, identify and analyze the author’s use of support to make his or her argument. For this assignment, stick to the Raider Writer directions and answer the questions asked. Make sure that your intro and thesis clearly identify the author’s audience, purpose, and any assumptions and support the author uses to accomplish their purpose. When you analyze, make sure to use textual support (paraphrase, partial quotes) to back your analytical claims about the text. Use MLA citations and include a Work Cited entry.

CLAIMS AND ARGUMENTATION A strong, argumentative claim should: § § § Have a clear stance on a topic or problem Focus clearly on an audience Be debatable Not founded entirely on opinion or personal experience Be supportable by reasoning and scholarly evidence A supportable claim usually calls (or implies a need) for a particular change or action: § You should watch Breaking Bad this weekend. § Beloved should not be banned from high school reading lists. § Frequent testing in the Texas primary-education system is detrimental to students’ critical thinking and preparation for higher education. Stronger claims generally take a debatable stance on a problem for which there is no clear answer.

CLAIMS: ARGUABLE OR UNARGUABLE? 1. Women are most frequently the subjects of sexist chocolate advertisements. 2. Frequent mindfulness meditation improves empathy in human subjects. 3. Aerosols contribute to global warming. 4. The NSA should be limited to foreign-subject surveillance only.

REASONS AND LOGICAL SUPPORT Reasons are what we use to support our claims: § You should go to the movies because it will be fun and you need to get out more. § Standardized testing should be lessened at the primary level because it reduces leaning retention and does not emphasize applied, critical thinking in a way that engages students. Reasons can appeal to logic and emotion or even establish credibility. The effectiveness of an argument depends on the quality of its reasoning. Logical appeals often have to do with associations between two effects: think of it like cause and effect. § Going to the movies has been proven to increase empathy and affectivity in young adults. § If video game users show symptoms similar to those of substance abuse, some psychological treatments may apply to both conditions.

ASSUMPTIONS AND CRITICAL THINKING The heart of critical thinking is learning to identify and question assumptions, both written and unwritten.

IDEOLOGY AND ASSUMPTIONS Assumptions are our underlying beliefs, often unwritten, about a particular topic or audience. Assumptions are often grounded in cultural and social norms. Ideology is made up of the underlying values and assumptions we hold that affect how we see reality and make decisions. To understand how assumptions affect an argument, we have to understand how the author portrays: § Themselves § Their audience § Their subject Ideology should be questioned.

WHAT ARE OUR CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS? What is a personal assumption you make about your career goal? How does this relate to your culture? What are some American cultural assumptions about: § § Higher-Education Capitalism Gender roles Law Ask: why do we hold these assumptions? Where do they originate? For what or whose purpose do they serve?

HOMEWORK FOR RAIDERWRITER: § Complete Brief Assignment 5 as directed (due Saturday FOR CLASS NEXT WEEK: § Bring to class the following documents (separate): § A topic proposal outlining (one or two paragraphs) your argument, its potential reasoning (think of “why” someone should take your stance=subtopics for body paragraphs), and some potential sources and support for your thesis claim. § A working thesis for your argument that includes at least two supporting points of reasoning § Ex: The NSA should be limited to foreign surveillance only because of A, B, and C.