Coleman
Essay 2
Spring 13
Shifting Ideologies in Visual Media: Causal Argument
Important Dates:
 March 26, 2013: Works Cited for all Sources Due for Approval
 April 2, 2013: Thesis Statement and Outline Due in Class
 April 18, 2013: Essay # 2 Due
References: BG Chapter 8: Explaining Causes and Effects (135-153)
BG Chapter 14: Responding to Visual Representations (285-300)
Assignment: For this assignment, you will be writing a causal argument paper. This entails proposing that a
situation, state of being, or idea has certain causes (what led to this situation/state/idea) and effects (what
has happened as a result of this situation/state/idea). Your job is to argue that some shift in American
ideology has caused a change in the representation of one of the topics listed below. Then you will
consider the effects of this changed representation. You can’t jump into arguing possible causes or effects
before you establish that an ideological shift has indeed occurred; thus, you must establish the existence
of this ideological shift towards the beginning of the paper. While you will use a limited amount of
research, your paper will be identifying what you think are the causes AND effects of the ideological shift
that are represented in printed visual advertisements and arguing that these causes AND effects have led
to and resulted from said ideological shift.
Choose one of the following topics: Drug Use (Smoking, Drinking, or Other Drugs): Race Relations: Family:
Home: Financial Success: Gender Roles: Patriotism
Once you choose your topic, find two published, printed advertisements that represent this topic: one from before
1980 and one from post-9/11/2001. These advertisements should support your argument and printed copies must
be submitted with your paper. You must also find two periodical (magazine/newspaper) articles to use to support
your ideas (or to establish that the shift exists). Be sure you work with credible and helpful sources, not just the
first two you find. I expect you to make the best possible effort to follow MLA documentation style properly.
Requirements:
 1600-1900 Words in length (word count must be indicated after the conclusion—not including
the Works Cited page)
 12 pt. Times New Roman font
 Left-justified, 1 inch margins all around, double-spaced, single-sided printing
 MLA documentation and format (Works Cited page and in text citation)
 Two article sources from reputable periodicals (magazines or newspapers). These must be fulllength articles. Sources can come from reputable online newspapers (ex. New York Times online)
or magazines (ex. National Geographic Online) that also have printed versions—note, they
MUST also have a printed version to be acceptable. For example, Huffington Post does not have
a printed version, and thus is not acceptable. (Wiki sites, dictionaries, encyclopedias, or social
networking sites are not acceptable; pop-culture magazines, such as Style, Seventeen, and
Maxim, are not acceptable) Note: Sources will be approved/rejected prior to the final due
date. If I reject a source, it MUST be changed to get credit. The sources MUST be academic,
educational, and/or informative in tone.
 Two printed, visual advertisements: one from pre-1980 and one from post-9/11/2001. Both of
these advertisements must represent one of the themes discussed below. A print out of each
visual advertisement must be included with your final draft of the paper
 Must be turned in as a stapled hardcopy, in your two pocketed folder, with all pre-writing
 Must be submitted to Turnitin.com before class on the due date (late papers will not be accepted)
Coleman
Essay 2
Spring 13
Breakdown of Grading Rubric (see syllabus for specific criteria for each section): Points Possible: 150
Content/Focus: 30 Points
Organization: 30 Points
Development/Support: 50 Points
Mechanics/Citation: 40 Points
NOTE: More than five proofreading errors will lead to a minimum 10 point deduction from your paper. Proofreading errors will be
defined as spelling errors, homonym errors (there/their/they’re; its/it’s; witch/which; etc.), lack of possessive apostrophes/inclusion of
possessive apostrophes when not required, extra or missing spaces, capitalization errors, or use of second person personal pronouns.
The successful paper will do the following:
 Discuss a specific ideological shift that relates to one of the topics and speculate about why it might occur and the
effects of its occurrence. Examine specific causes and effects.
 Incorporate two reputable, approved periodical sources and two printed visual advertisements from the
aforementioned time periods
 Demonstrate critical thinking, reading, and writing skills by making sound claims and supporting them with
evidence in an organized and logical manner.
 Present a clear, specific, arguable, and relevant thesis statement in the introduction paragraph
 Stay on topic and be specific
 Have well organized paragraphs with clear topic sentences that relate to the thesis
 Effectively use transitions between paragraphs and ideas
 Support the thesis statement and other claims with textual evidence and examples
 Come to a conclusion that moves beyond summary, considering the larger sociological/political/cultural
implications of your argument
 Effectively synthesize textual material via quotation (from the written sources) and summary (description of the
advertisements)
 Use no more than two quotes per paragraph and NO quotes longer than 3 lines in length
 Present ideas objectively and in the third person in a clear and logical order
 Properly accredit the chosen source using MLA format (in-text citations and Works Cited)
DO NOT DO THE FOLLOWING:
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Use the personal pronouns you, I, my, us, we, our. Personal pronouns are unacceptable in this essay.
Use inappropriate (non-approved) outside sources to inform or support your argument
Use generalities, offensive language, or emotional outbursts in the essay
Use contractions (shouldn’t, isn’t, wouldn’t, etc)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please keep in mind that in this paper you will only be describing the cause of shifts in ideology - you will not be taking a stance on
the morality of said shift. Thus, when describing these changes, you must remain objective. Anybody who uses judgmental language
will receive a significant point deduction. The following examples demonstrate the difference between a good approach and a bad one:
Good: An increase in liberal policies has created a shift from the two parent family system to a single-parent family system.
Bad: An increase in liberal policies has created a shift away from normal family structures.
In this example, the bad sentence posits a biased perspective of normalcy, whereas the good sentence takes no personal stance on the
subject, but instead simply states that certain family structures have become more widely accepted.
Good: A decreasing belief in religion has led to greater acceptance of homosexuality.
Bad: A decreasing belief in religion has led to a rise in sinful behavior, such as homosexuality.
In this example, the bad sentence takes a moral stance on whether or not homosexuality is acceptable by using the term ‘sinful’,
whereas the good sentence simply states that homosexuality has become more accepted, without taking a stance on whether or not this
is a good or bad thing. TAKE CARE TO AVOID MAKING MORAL JUDGEMENTS IN THIS PAPER!