ENG1100
Fall 2022
Prof. Aaron Kaiserman
Argumentative Essay that uses research
Length: 1500-2000 words
Value: 30% of final grade
Due: December (exact date TBD)
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Write a well-reasoned essay, using appropriate research, to develop a focussed
argument related to the topic.
The essay must develop a unified and coherent line of reasoning. You must use
at least three (3) scholarly secondary sources – these can be used to gather
factual information and to incorporate the arguments of others.
You must cite sources correctly using MLA style or APA style and include a
Works Cited or References page.
Only sources actually referenced to in the paper via quotation, paraphrase, or
summary belong in the References or Works Cited page.
Choose one topic from the options below. Bear in mind that these topics are
designed to help you develop a unique and precise thesis.
These topics are prompts to get you thinking – you may deviate from them
significantly. They are not questions with simple answers, and your essay should
not waste space justifying the premise of the prompt itself.
1. Discuss an issue of concern within your field of study (also referred to as a
discipline). How do you understand it, why is it relevant for people outside your field
of study to know about, or how might you begin to resolve it?
2. What distinguishes serious (classical) music from popular forms; how are the
lines blurred? Why does it matter or what does it tell us about our culture? You may
discuss any genre(s) of music and you may write on some other issue related to
music's cultural influence. You can apply this topic to other art forms as well.
3. How does awareness of intersectionality and other complexities of identity
contribute to a re-evaluation of sympathy/empathy and/or social responsibility?
4. How has a recent social phenomenon, such as Occupy, the Alt-Right, Covid-19,
the Great Resignation, or #MeToo altered our understanding of politics or culture? Or,
how did some much older event do the same (the French Revolution, the Magna
Carta, women’s suffrage, etc.)
5. The Covid pandemic experience and response has challenged some basic
assumptions modern living in terms of politics, ethics, economics, and more. What
opportunities therefore exist for re-evaluation of existing assumptions about work,
education, political representation, individual responsibility, or something else?
DO NOT WRITE A PAPER COMPARING THE MERITS OF DISTANCE AND
IN-PERSON WORK OR LEARNING!
6. You may discuss an alternate topic with me.
Your essay may not be on the following topics:
 Why social media is good or bad
 An argument for or against changing a law
 The transition from high school to university
Note that you may not submit the same essay or a similar essay for 2 different
courses. This is a form of academic fraud.
Please speak with me if you are uncertain about any of the requirements for this
paper.