ESSAY 1
PROBLEM-POSING
VS.
TOPIC-STATING
CORNERSTONE OF ARGUMENT
POSE A PROBLEM,
DON'T STATE A TOPIC
What is your Topic?
TOPIC
Spin
• An Abstract Concept? Ex: Forgiveness, Rudeness, Indifference
• A Controversial Issue? Ex: Porn Use, The School Shooter
• A Slang Word? Ex: A Derogatory Word for Women
• Familiar, but Poorly Understood? Ex: Consent, Fatness, Fatherless daughters, the Child
• Something marked by Generational Change? Ex: Respect, the Weekend, Notion of
Leisure, Dating for Upward Mobility, Survivorship, Masculinity
What is your angle on the topic?
• "By tracing the socio-economic roots of forgiveness,..."
•"While pornography use seems to be merely recreational, ...
• "Although the "B-word" remains inappropriate, the day
AOC was called ... revealed that this word is not only fueled
by the threats of ... but also ironically celebrated by the
commercialized .... Caught between A and Z, the B-- remains
America's central expression of .... in a time when...."
What 'better understanding' is (surprisingly) gained?
• "By comparing collective hate to indifference, peace seekers today can better
understand that...."
• "By seeing the child as not just a 'natural' being, but rather a social construction,
essential American workers today can not only contest the policies that set up
generational traps of failure and despair, but more importantly participate in the
liberatory practices that ensure...."
HOW TO STIR UP 'GOOD TROUBLE':
PITCHING PROBLEMS
BRAINSTORM
4-Part Moves
On your own paper, draft a topic by
'ballparking' your POINT like this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
"I am working on the topic of...
...in order to better understand why / how...
...so that...
Thesis: "By ...[doing X], [specific AUDIENCE 'A'] [sees Y]."
Most 'problems' you write about in college & grad school are conceptual problems -the 'failure to better understand.' --Joseph M.Williams
ox
Out of the b
Thinking
Tip: Add in Costs &/or Benefits of
accepting your 'shift' in thinking!
Sample Conceptual Problem:
1. I am working on the issue of the
predominance of Social Media "Influencers”
2. ...in order to find out more about why so
many young people “follow” them to their own
detriment…
(So What?)
3. So that I/we/ they can better understand
the larger impact of “average citizens” in a
society that is increasingly interlinked by
technological, social, and political forces.
Sample 4-Part Intro: 'better understand...'
Facetuned Capitalism:
How the Social Media Influencer Imitates Supreme Capitalist Control
Add a subheading
[I.COMMON GROUND] In September of 2018, Urban Outfitters prepared for the upcoming Halloween
season by releasing “The Influencer Costume Set,” their take on the online “influencer.” The costume consisted
solely of a sports bra and athletic leggings, essentially the same clothing items they sell year-round, with the
model pictured wearing sunglasses, a black hat, a long blonde wig, and white Balenciaga knockoff sneakers (Hitt).
Such familiar images can be seen all over social media platforms like Instagram or YouTube (Influencer Costume
Set). With such a basic design, this “costume” perfectly represents the unoriginality of the social media influencer
that is [II. DESTABILIZING CONDITION] so often ignored by the social media users who feed on their lives.
This manufactured “originality” that fundamentally characterizes the influencer [III. COST] has not stopped the
“esteem”-starved public from giving in to the appeal of the media mogul’s “self-actualized” success (Maslow).
Brand deals, promotions, and personalized products propel the influencer into a hyper-competitive market
based on likes, followers, and subscribers. [IV. THESIS: PITCHED AS “SOLUTION” to a “PROBLEM”] By tracing
the motivations that launch the influencer’s success, we can better understand the all-too-familiar modes of
exploitation and manipulation that the so-called self-made influencer ultimately relies on.
Build Your
Root in Common Ground
• Go BIG: Integrate "classical" or
"assigned" sources.
2
Disrupt Common Ground
• Drop SMALL: Use a "Quick-Drop Fact"
(QDQ) or 'number bomb' to Pivot
Spell out Costs/Benefits
• What are the costs to your reader of
not shifting views? Any benefits to shifting?
Pitch Your Thesis as a
Solution to the Problem
LET'S
THINK
the general prompt
BACKGROUND:
In either implicit or explicit ways, many of our first assigned authors show that a radical shift in
perspective is necessary if we mean to make positive changes. For example, Vaclav Havel rejects
the importance of the ‘God of Technology’ as our answer to contemporary problems and instead
asserts his “deep conviction that the only option is a change in the sphere of the spirit, in the
sphere of human conscience.” Just as Havel tells us we need to shift our perspective from outside
‘stuff’ (new technologies, new institutions, etc.) to inside matters of consciousness, so too does
Salman Rushdie claim that the Muslim world needs to shift its perspective to the sphere of the
personal and “take [personal] responsibility” for the problems they face rather than “blame… the
West.” Martin Luther King and Thomas Jefferson both help us rethink the roles of "patient
sufferance" and a "Marvelous new militancy." In essence, many of our authors suggest that the
‘landscapes’ of their chosen topics are shaped by perspective, by thoughts, and that a shift in
thought or in the way we speak may be the solution to the particular problems various groups face.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
In an MLA-formatted essay of 3-5 pages (or more), redefine or reframe a particular concept, term,
historical or contemporary issue, agency, place, problem, or cultural phenomenon.
Discover and show what perspective or way of thinking currently or typically shapes your chosen
issue and then propose a solution or better understanding of the issue or problem, showing that the
shift in thinking -- or better understanding -- is beneficial or necessary for your chosen audience.
In detailing both the problem and solution portions of your topic, be sure to look closely at how
language functions: how does ‘wrongful’ or problematic thinking initially shape your chosen issue or
problem? How will a shift in how we frame or talk about the concept solve key problems?
On your Works Cited page and in your text, you must also cite at least six sources other than the
two (or more) assigned authors (from weeks 1-3) you incorporate or briefly reference. So that’s at
least EIGHT (8) sources that you will use in your essay and cite on the Works Cited page.
Remember: you are using two or more of our chosen texts, plus six or more outside sources, to
argue a point that will not be immediately obvious to your readers. Though you will draw upon
these famous authors’ ideas about how thinking shapes various aspects of our world, and you will
use quotations from their texts to help support your claims, you are still making an original
argument as you make a significant connection between our authors and your chosen focus.
3 WAYS TO GROW IDEAS
LOGOS = THE MESSAGE
PATHOS = THE FEELING or EMOTIONS in MESSAGES
ETHOS = THE AUTHORITY of the MESSENGER
ETHOS
LOGOS
PATHOS
Whether we're talking about an assigned reading or
your own writing, all 3 of these "appeals" to the
reader in argumentative writing are perhaps always
present. We will go over them later in more detail,
but for now think about how you can grow your
topic by planting all 3 appeals in your own work.
LOGOS
PATHOS
ETHOS
You appeal to "Logos," or
logic, when you integrate
FACTS and other logical
claims. Using number
facts, statistics, graphs,
charts, maps, etc. are also
ways to appeal to logic. I
recommend that you
have a "Quick-Drop Fact"
(QDQ) in your intro, in
Move 2, when you start to
'pivot' to your P.O.V. Such
"number bombs" are
good for "disrupting"
common ground
thinking.
Using "Pathos" primarily
means you appeal to your
AUDIENCE's EMOTIONS,
FEELINGS, values & beliefs.
You may also use pathos
to convey your own
emotional stance or "tone"
-- through strong or
distinct words choices:
adjectives, verbs, and
orienting clauses to 'frame'
the reader's attitude
toward the main thought
work well to convey your
emotional stance on your
topic and to move your
readers toward your view.
"Ethos" is the "voice" of
authority in a written piece.
You establish your authorial
voice, or credibility, by
showing readers they can
trust your thoughtful
integration of logos and
pathos. Make your essay a
piece that readers can trust
by doing thorough research
for all your writing. To refine
your own 'ethos,' or voice,
use reliable sources -sources that are relevant,
credible, and current. But
don't let them eat up to
much space in your essay,
as that will drown your own
voice in 'old information.'
old
vie
w
w
ne
w
vie
writing!
PICK FROM YOUR OWN
FIELDS OF INTEREST
You have a life with interests, passions, and concerns
of your own, and you are free to shape your topics
while also meeting the expectations of the openended prompt. College is a place to put aside the
reliance on a 'teacher's prompt,' as many college and
university professors don't even give prompts, or when
they do, they certainly hope you do more than just
'answer a question.' Let's pose and respond to
problems that matter to us and our world!
“There's no such thing as neutral education.
Education either functions as an instrument
to bring about conformity or freedom.”
-- Paolo Freire
FOUNDATIONS
IN STEM
•Reframe Role -- Art / Sci:
Argue that reinstating the
arts in public school is way
to foster STEM among
Americans who largely don't
choose STEM studies.
• Reframe Concept -- Bias:
Examine the inherent 'bias'
encoded in Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to explore
whether human and AI
alternatives posed in
'defunding the police'
proposals will alleviate or
further exacerbate statesanctioned violence.
• Reframe Practice -- Data:
Argue that the public's
embrace of 'disinformation'
has made us 'allergic' to
numbers and the promise of
sound data, particularly
animated and visual data.
•
FOUNDATIONS
IN SOCIETY &
CULTURE
• Redefine "rude" in a time
when...
• Reframe the role of
"chivalry" for a generation
that...
• Reframe "fear" and "envy"
as key functions of systemic
racism
• Recontextualize the
'gangster' in girl culture in
order to explain...
• Redefine 'fatherlessness' in
a time when...
• Argue the opposite of "X"
is not "Y," but rather "Z"
(opposite of "love" is not
"hate," but rather
"indifference" -- Elie Wiesel
FOUNDATIONS
IN ARTS &
HUMANITIES
• Analyze the role
"madness" in Hamlet
• Compare the types of
"courage" between 3
characters: Macbeth,
Romeo, Hamlet
• Explain Pattern X as an
expression of Y in Novel Z
• Trace the Pattern of
Oppositional characters in
O'Connor's short stories in
order to characterize the
theme of "redemption"
• Argue that Art Form A is
really an expression of B,
and not C, as is commonly
thought.
REDEFINING
YOUR TOPIC
REFRAME/RENAME
My
TOPIC
While I recommend using some ‘snippets’
from “Assigned” and “Outside” Sources, you
are to do more than parrot back what others
have said or thought. Points that pose and
appear to SOLVE a PROBLEM are more
compelling for shared discourse. Since you
may be in college to get into the highest, best
“economic boat” you can possibly earn and
deserve in your chosen field, please try to do
the work of a "symbolic analyst" now: “solve,
identify, and broker” problems that you find
when you read (R. Reich). Don't argue in a
vacuum or write for 'teachers': instead, pose
problems worth solving for real audiences.
If your Thesis is a Solution that is too easily arrived at,
GROUND,
DISRUPT,
MEASURE,
SHIFT
it is most likely weak; that is, if you can make your
point without “looking out” to experts, facts, or
sources, then you are most likely saying something
that people can ‘notice’ on their own in the reading –
something too obvious, too familiar = “old information.”
If your point has “too much “old information” in it, then
your point is probably “pointless.” Points must be
grounded in “old information,” but they must also
move to “new information” if they are to really solve a
problem of understanding. To set up a good POINT,
use “old information” such as assigned reading and
outside sources to “ground” your claims in “smart”
OLD INFORMATION, comment on it as you go, and
then thread it all together to make your NEW POINT
about what you learned or how your view changes
something important for the readers, showing the
relevant cost and/or benefit to readers and/or you in
learning the ‘lesson.' Make points valuable to readers!
THE FOUR-PART INTRODUCTION STRUCTURE
THE 4-PART
INTRODUCTION
STRUCTURE
Dr. Shannon
English 3
PURPOSE
For readers to perceive you have a "point," you have to move beyond what they already
know or believe, beyond what they can easily accept or find on their own. Controlling the
"information flow" -- that is, moving from "old," simple, or familiar information to "new,"
increasingly complex, significant, original information -- is a key writing & revision principle
we will explore in this class.
PART 1: ESTABLISH COMMON GROUND WITH READERS
Start with familiar Anecdote, or views that your readers already typically hold about your
chosen issue. When professors require "assigned" sources to be incorporated into your own
writing, common ground is one of the safes. places to use a "Quick-Drop Quote" (QDQ).
Common ground is basically the place of "old information," so good sense dictates that this
section is not too long.
PART 2: DISRUPT THE READER'S COMFORTABLE
UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR CHOSEN TOPIC
Signal the shift or pivot to your point by using a strong signal word, followed by a
statement clear enough and specific enough to shake your readers from their comfortable
understanding of your chosen issue or topic. Don't just ask a question, as many writers do
when they want to shortcut complexity of thinking. Instead, consider using a "Quick-Drop
Fact" (QDF) -- or "number bomb" -- to dislodge your readers from complacency in their
thinking. Number facts (statistics) have the tendency to feel more "real" to readers than
claims of even experts, which -- sadly -- fewer and fewer Americans respect. Use words
and phrases that signal this pivot to new information: While..., But..., Yet..., However,...,
Despite..., Even though..., ...so often ignored by..., ...so often overlooked..., etc.
PART 3: UNCOVER THE COSTS OF NOT CHANGING
VIEWS AND / OR THE BENEFITS OF SHIFTING VIEWS
Spell out the costs to particular readers if they don't shift views as you suggest; you may
instead of (or in addition to) costs insert benefits that readers stand to gain if they do
switch views. Think about what your audience is most moved by: costs/ threats -- or
benefits/ perks? It is possible to use both costs & benefits. Also, some writers incorporate
the C/B into their Thesis Statement -- to add a sense of purpose.
PART 4: PITCH YOUR THESIS AS A SOLUTION TO THE
PROBLEM YOU JUST POSED IN THE FIRST 3 MOVES
Pitch your Thesis as a "Solution" to the "Problem" you pose through Parts 1 through 3.
MORE SPECIFIC
PROMPTS
Brainstorm
your topic
Research Your
Topic
RESEARCH BEYOND GOOGLE
Search Reliable Sources
For your first essay, you will need to
incorporate a minimum of 8 sources,
and two of your sources need to be
selected from the readings assigned
during the first three weeks of this
course (see the reading schedule). For
your remaining six or more "outside"
sources, you should consider using
more than google. Please consult the
Long Beach City College Library online
database to find at least one scholarly
source to incorporate into your essay.
We will be learning how to make
better use of the online library, but for
now, please just dive in!
Since we are writing research-based
arguments for this class, your essay
must not only draw upon research -other sources, voices, facts, and
possibly even charts, it must also
resist repeating too much "old
information." Even interesting facts
that are "new" to you and the reader
are considered "old" information
simply because it is already "out
there," published for anyone else to
find as well. So learn to CITE sources,
but SNIP them as well, so you have
room in your sentences to expand
upon other ideas.
FOR RESEARCH HELP:
HTTPS://OWL.PURDUE.EDU/OWL/GENERAL_WRITING/COMMON_WRITING_ASSIGNMENTS/RESEARCH_PAPERS/INDEX.HTML
REDEFINING
SEX...
IN A TIME OF X, Y, Z...
Shift a reader's understanding of human
sexuality by looking at how technology
has changed sexual relations today. Look
at the rise of the worldwide porn industry,
the rise of sexbots, trends toward
international dating and marriage sites
that use high tech to bridge people of
varying economic classes and nations.
How will improvements in tech SHIFT our
thinking about human sexuality? How has
rising equality helped to motivate a techcentered sexuality? Are we increasingly
freer or more commodified than ever as
"bodies" and "races" and "genders" now
that X is happening....?
"In the early days of sexbots very few
SOCIAL +
ECONOMIC =
TECH-BASED VIEW
Some possible sources from the
reliable magazine The Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/dailydish/archive/2007/12/the-joy-of-sexwith-robots/222134/
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar
chive/2015/09/the-sex-robots-arent-
people indeed will be able to afford to
buy one. But the robots-for-hire
business model will work. As more and
more people experience robot sex and
communicate their experiences to their
friends, and in the media, so the
demand will increase and the price will
drop. Eventually is a very long time, but
consider television in the early days
very few could afford it, but nowadays
some homes have 3, 4 or more TVs,"
-- David Levy, author of Love and Sex
with Robots: The Evolution of HumanRobot Relationships.
coming-for-our-relationships/407509/
"WHAT IS THE ROLE OF 'X' IN A TIME WHEN 'Y'....?"
REFRAMING
SELF-CARE...
FOR A GENERATION THAT...
Shift a reader's understanding of how popular
"self-care" concerns feed into X, Y, Z,
ironically undermining the ___ (or fueling the
____.)
Sample subsets:
•Topic X feeds into the same destructive
individualism and commercialization behind
addictive "self-medicating" activities like
drugs, sex, eating, etc.
• Topic X taps into the rejection of a tired
feminism, opting for self-promotion and
techno-performances of ___in a time when
____.
Research shows others have tried to 'Shift
Perspective on this topic. Here's a sample:
NOTICE how little words and phrases signal
the shift to new info or unforeseen
consequences, etc.
"I’ve also noticed ― as a journalist in this
space and as a consumer in general ― how
oversimplified self-care guidance really
is....Self-care isn’t some new concept
SOCIAL +
PSYCHOLOGICAL
= COMMERCIALIZED/
PERFORMATIVE
(although Americans have Googled the term
more in the last three years than ever before).
Hell, it was discussed long before I was even
born ― first medically, and then, during the
civil rights movement, more politically. But the
concept of self-care has shifted toward the
notion that improving our well-being is only a
Argue that Topic X (self-care) "without
product away.That’s not nearly adequate to
Y" is just as ______ as ________.
help us survive in the world today.... Self-care
shouldn’t be reduced to..."
Fill in/find more "sub-points" or
SOURCE:
"THEMES"/ "CONTROLLING TERMS" to
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/women-self-
create specific Body Paragraph points.
care_l_5c48d765e4b0b6693676728d
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF 'X' FOR” A GENERATION THAT...?"
REDEFINING
THRIFT STORES
IN A CULTURE THAT...
Shift a reader's understanding or view/
perspective of used clothing by tracing
the economic and geo-political COSTS of
"fast fashion" as well as the psychological
and social BENEFITS of buying Thrifted
Clothing or establishing clothing
exchanges or sharing with friends.
ECONOMIC +
GEO-POLITICAL +
ENVIRONMENTAL =
SOCIAL + PSYCH
PERKS
SEE THE 4-PART MOVES:
"Many think of Berkeley as a very
environmentally-conscious community, but
few Berkeley students understand the huge
impact that the clothing industry has on the
environment. Sarah Ye, Co-President of Garb,
told me about this issue, saying, “a lot of
people here know about things like compost
and reusable straws but nobody really
understands that if you shop at places like
Forever 21 it’s not good for the environment.”
Stores like Forever 21, H&M, Urban Outfitters,
and basically any other big clothing retailer
you can think of all fall into the category of
fast fashion, which is the rapid mass
production of super cheap clothing. Although
the price tags may be low, the environmental
costs are extremely high.
Even though the slow fashion movement of
ethically and sustainably made clothing has
been gaining traction over the past few years,
not everyone can afford to spend $75 on a
single pair of leggings made from recycled
plastic water bottles.Consequently, as more
and more people have learned about the
negative effects of the fashion industry, more
have turned to thrifting, which has
dramatically increased in popularity over the
recent years. However, this huge shift
towards more secondhand shopping can’t
only be attributed to environmentalists. Low
prices and unique vintage finds attract people
who end up unintentionally helping the
environment."
Source of sample: https://serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting-is-good-for-the-planet-not-just-your-wallet/
"WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF 'X' IN A CULTURE THAT...?"
REDEFINING
CIRCUS
AS A LANGUAGE
You can use the simple strategy that I used
for my doctoral dissertation: I call it the "paper
dolls method," where you take one set of
research, or definitional qualities, and "try it
out" on another topic that is not immediately
related, sort of like taking one paper doll
piece of clothing, and putting it on a doll -- or
taking different pieces of paper-doll clothing
items and putting them on the same doll. You
get the picture.
When I used the paper-dolls method of
constructing my topic, I did not consciously
look at it this way: if I had, I would have been
done with my Ph.D. much sooner!
first pages and the last, I ended up seeing
three key patterns that I found in both real
GEOGRAPHIC +
ECONOMIC CLASS +
POLITICAL ANXIETIES +
GENDERED CONCEPTS =
EPISTEMOLOGICAL SHIFT
circuses and literary and filmic
representations: (1) the 'priceless child'; (2) the
'mutilating mother as 'wo(u)nder and healer';
and (3) the 'warring patriarch,' who initiates the
Gothic Mode I explored in my dissertation
entitled "Severing Skin From Cultural Kin: The
Gothic Mode of Circus in Culture, Texts, and
Since my introduction to my dissertation is 30
Film." Like 3 circus rings, the 3 core members
pages long in this 239-page work, I can't
of the "family" were traced in a number of
easily replicate here the "main idea" for you.
novels and films to show that circus reflects
But I share the barebones moves I ended up
society's anxieties about severances of two
making in this 5-chapter book because in
key types that mirror the other's Gothic horror:
lamentable retrospect made less lamentable
severance of the family from the workplace
only because I can share this information with
and the splitting of the body from the text.
you, I see I have a very common structure --
Ultimately, I argued that circus resists the
one that we will see over and over in our
dominant mode of 'knowing' the world through
assigned readings and in a lot of long,
texts, and that the Gothic mode best shows
published works. Sandwiched between the
this resistance.
"HOW IS 'TOPIC X' REALLY "Y," RATHER THAN "Z"?
LBCC ROCKS!
MORE SPECIFIC
PROMPTS
It's always best, in my opinion, to
create your own focus, for that way
your own passion and invested
interests will prompt you to formulate
a compelling question that will drive
you to research well. In general, over
the years, I've found that students
who pick my questions and concerns
may not do as well as others who take
the time to formulate a compelling
research question or topic. But maybe
reviewing these topics will help you
frame your own ideas for this shift in
perspective essay.
While you read these options, think
about how you can shift away from
what people already know and
instead present 'new' insights on an
otherwise familiar topic.
Option 1:
Have students gone too far in expecting education be
“relatable” to their own life paths or career goals? Read the
article on this link:
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culturalcomment/scourge-relatability
and consider this excerpt and other ideas from the author:
“But to demand that a work be “relatable” expresses a
different expectation: that the work itself be somehow
accommodating to, or reflective of, the experience of the
reader or viewer. The reader or viewer remains passive in the
face of the book or movie or play: she expects the work to be
done for her. If the concept of identification suggested that
an individual experiences a work as a mirror in which he
might recognize himself, the notion of relatability implies
that the work in question serves like a selfie: a flattering
confirmation of an individual’s solipsism.”
Does relating one’s reading
or education to one’s own “self” help or
hurt the individual and the educational
institution? In what ways would you
define or redefine (SHIFT) a YOUNG
person’s PERSPECTIVE on the issue of
“relatability” (to self)? Or find a way to shift
some particular viewpoint about reading
or critical thinking (or ..?) after reading
articles like this one:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc
hive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-theamerican-mind/399356/
Perhaps also see Noam Chomsky’s article
about how schools fail “by design.”
ESSAY 1: SHIFT IN PERSEPCTIVE
MORE SPECIFIC
PROMPTS
BRAINSTORM!
• What makes you mad and you wish
you could change? Pick an abstract or
a conceptual issue rather than a
pragmatic problem, since this essay is
about asking people to re-think how
they look at something. What is it that
your audience does not adequately
"understand," and how will reading
your paper, with its offer of a better
understanding, give them some
particular "benefits" as well as
alleviate particular "costs"?
NEWS FLASH!
• How is something that is normally
'good' actually a 'bad' thing that you
can argue for 3-5 pages? I have long
argued against the "tyranny of cool."
Option 2:
Option 3:
Are falling male wages a bad or a good thing? Some
students may want to “shift our perspective” to argue
against the “common ground” notion that falling wages are
“bad” for America by showing how this “mancession” (as
some have called it) may be good for America. Other
students may want to show that falling male wages are
linked to spikes in violence, or spikes in Internet porn usage,
or spikes in other forms of historical male entitlement. See:
Though a lot of Internet porn is free and
legal, how does its free and
expanding use harm or help its users? For
those against the rise of internet porn (and
other AI forms of sex, where "consent" is
bypassed), how might you persuade users
to give up viewing porn without having to
change the laws?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/theend-of-men/308135/
To ensure you are meeting the general
prompt that asks only for a SHIFT in
PERSPECTIVE or VIEWPOINT, aim only to
change users’ perspectives on viewing
porn – not banning it or making it illegal.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/03/howa-new-jobless-era-will-transform-america/307919/
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/07/itsnot-just-a-recession-its-a-mancession/20991/
ESSAY 1: SHIFT IN PERSEPCTIVE
MORE SPECIFIC
PROMPTS
"What Is...?"
NOTICE HOW KAIROS
HELPS YOU REDEFINE:
• Rudeness in a time of rising equality
• Work in a time of rising automation
• Doubt as truer faith in a time when
science cannot be so easily dismissed
• Marriage in a time when educated
women are the main groups to marry
NEWS FLASH!
Be careful of writing essays about
"what is love? or "what is friendship?"
or "what is happiness?" These topics
tend to invite clichéd thinking -unless you add SUB-THEMES: add
"enemy" to the "friendship" topic and
place it in a particular KAIROS -explore how 'frenemies build one's
character in a time when....
Option 4:
Option 5:
Explore the changing 'role of comedy,' perhaps arguing that
comedy is "the last bastion of free speech," as I used to say,
but sadly no longer believe. What does comedy stand for
now, in an age of ...[insert your characterization of the Kairos
(time) and Topos (place) here]? How is comedy perhaps
wrongfully confused with common “rudeness”? Assigned
authors DeTocqueville and Machiavelli both suggest that
bad manners (or bad behavior to the point of civilizational
collapse) are inevitable if and when people
have it good in their society and when people feel “equal”
to others. How are “prosperity” and “democracy” and/or
“equality” perhaps driving forces of destruction (to comedy)
in our society? How can you change people’s minds so that
we have a “better understanding” (SHIFT in Point of View)
about these highly prized American values and why they
need not undermine comedy?
Socrates’ manner of speaking in “The
Apology” gets us rethinking the value of
humility in dire times. Many leaders,
sometimes reluctant to even be leaders,
find themselves mocked (or worse ) for
assuming positions that urge their
respective societies to question their status
quo. From Jesus to Joan of Arc to
Paolo Freire, many people have been
persecuted or exiled because they have
“dared” to question. How is questioning or
speaking boldly an act of ‘arrogance’ that is
much needed in a very particular context
today? Who or what would be best served if
they were are ‘arrogant’ and ‘offensive’ as
Socrates? Perhaps also consider how some
Trump supporters credit Trump's way of
speaking while others condemn it.
ESSAY 1: SHIFT IN PERSEPCTIVE
MORE SPECIFIC
PROMPTS
"What Is...?"
NOTICE HOW KAIROS
HELPS YOU REDEFINE:
• Masculinity in an era when women head
up more households and enter
universities and the workforce in greater
numbers
• White privilege in a time when... [insert
surprising facts or trends, such as falling
college enrollment of whites, the change
in demographic proportions slated for
2050, etc.
BREAK FRAMES!
USE THE 4-PART MOVES!
"SINK" OLD WAYS!
STATE TOPIC IN COMMON GROUND
INTRUDE WITH KAIROS
NOD TO PATHOS / ETHOS - WEIGH
KNIT ESSAY'S TERMS TOGETHER
Option 6:
Option 7:
The 14th Amendment has been used to support a lot of
landmark cases, ranging from establishing equal opportunity
in education and dismantling racial quotas in education to
“the right die,” immigration, and abortion. One interesting
group that has been consistently well-served by the 14th
Amendment, which was presumably designed to protect the
rights of newly freed African Americans, is the corporation.
When we learn from the documentary The Corporation
(online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ou9rOssPg) that
shortly after the passing of the 14th Amendment, corporations
sought the help of the Supreme Court to grow their own
power, we begin to wonder about a lot of things: who are you
preparing to work for? The state? A corporation? Your self? If
laws have made corporations into “people” as they
successfully argued before the Supreme Court between 1890
and 1910, using the 14th Amendment to do so, how will you – a
mere “citizen”—compete with this “super-citizen”?
Corporations knew from this Amendment’s start how to
leverage the landmark ruling best for themselves, as between
1890 and 1910 of the 307 cases heard by the Supreme Court on
this issue of preserving 14th Amendment rights, 288 of them
came from corporations and only 19 of them were brought
forward by African Americans. 1:25 What is a person and how
have laws and policies helped or hurt you to be, become, or
remain one?
How is X [X = shopping? Tattoos?] an
expression of social control “in an age of
mass democracy”? Take a look at this
four-part (four hours) BBC documentary
Century of Self
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=eJ3RzGoQC4s . There, many people give
on-camera interviews (people like Freud’s
nephew & a CIA chief psychologist) saying
that our nation’s government &
businesses have used notions of
indulging the “self” to manipulate and
control us, not free us. What narrow shift
in perspective would you offer today’s
young people, who often think they are
“expressing themselves” when plugged
into social media, popular culture, or
other downloadable or purchasable
expressions of “self”?
HOMEWORK CYCLE:
ROOT, PRUNE,GRAFT
For Essay 1, you will first go through three self-diagnostic
moves so that you can check your Essay's idea at both
the MACRO level and MICRO level. More is explained
under the actual Homework Assignments, but for now,
consider how Homework 1 (HW 1) shows the large-scale
idea at work in your Essay, while Homework 2 (HW 2)
allows you to check the discrete ideas that work
together to make up your Main Argument. Homework 3
(HW 3) allows you to examine whether strong words and
phrases hold the 'parts' together.
HW 1:
GROUND &
SHIFT
To get started on your
Essay 1, please write a
4-part Introduction to
show what topic you're
redefining or reframing
so that readers "better
understand," avoid any
"costs," as well as reap
any possible "benefits"
for shifting views.
HW 2:
PRUNE THE
CORES
To check the richness
and specificity of your
argument, check your
subject / verb cores in
one or more
paragraphs of Essay 1.
You may re-use the
same introductory
paragraph that you
upload for Homework 1.
HW 3:
CONNECT
CORES
To check the logical
flow as well as the
complexity of your
argument, check your
connecting, orienting,
and transitioning
moves in one or more
paragraphs of Essay 1.
You may re-use the
same paragraph.
HOMEWORK 1
English 3
Due: September 3, 2020
THE FOUR-PART INTRODUCTION STRUCTURE
Ground the Issue; Pose a Problem; Reveal the Costs/Benefits; Pitch the Thesis as
Solution to the Problem. For Essay 1, a Shift in Thinking is the Solution!
ASSIGNMENT
Use the lessons here and in other parts of Canvas to try a 4-part introduction
structure. The parts are simple, but they work together to help you reveal the
greater complexity of your ideas. Inside your Introductory paragraph for Essay 1,
LABEL each of the FOUR sections and Circle the words that help to signal these
four parts: 1. Common Ground 2. Destabilizing Condition 3. Costs and/or
Benefits 4. Solution to the Problem, or YOUR THESIS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
While researching and writing Essay 1, you will work towards greater mastery of
argumentative writing. You will have a chance to analyze and evaluate various
types of argumentative and critical discourse as you work towards smoothly
integrating some of these sources into even the Introduction. Going beyond
merely inserting "stand-alone" quotes, you will practice "snipping" sources for a
"quick-drop" style that will better support your more original view on your
chosen topic. Because "flow moves" are built into the 4-part template, you will
also practice expressing the logical connections between ideas. Adding a 2-part
"Catchy Title" will also help you signal the KEY SHIFT to a NEW VIEW that you
are positing in your thesis.
PAINT THE 'PROBLEM'
My famous professor of rhetoric said so many interesting things in lecture. One
of the things he said about introductions is that readers / listeners / even moviewatchers need a problem to solve, right away, or else they lose interest. He said
to check good movies to see if a 'problem' is set up in the first 3-5 minutes. Too
bad he was never taped for his work, but his assistant, Larry McEnerney is also
interesting to listen to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtIzMaLkCaM
POSE THE SOLUTION = YOUR THESIS!
There are many models for a strong thesis. See these pages for variations on this
basic model: "By [doing X], [specific audience] can better understand Y.
HOMEWORK 2
English 3
Due: September 2020
EXPRESS YOUR KEY IDEAS THROUGH TIGHT AND
EXPRESSIVE SUBJECT/ VERB (S/V CORES
The verb is the engine of the English language: use it! Don't underload the verb:
avoid vague verbs such as "impact," "affect," "effect," "is / are / was/ were," etc.
ASSIGNMENT
Using two different colors, mark all the verbs with one color and all the subjects
accompanying those verbs a different color. Don't worry about whether or not
you "get it right," as I want you to have the experience of "self-diagnosing" your
own "information flow." Without strong and well-chosen S/V Cores to push along
your distinct ideas, your information flow will be too simple, or lack complexity,
causing your intended audience to find your ideas unfocused, or confusing, or not
unified, or worse -- pointless!
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Practice editing and revision moves. Re-write any weak subject-verb cores so
that SUBJECTS offer FOCUS on what you mean to focus on, and VERBS give a
good PUNCH to ideas or concepts you mean to emphasize or PUNCH. Think of
the Subject-Verb Cores of a strong sentence as a Focus-Punch move.
FOR WARM-UP OR INSPIRATION
Take another look at the S/V Cores in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s writing to see how
a masterful writer punches his point through powerful subject-verb cores,
particularly his VERB choices. Also look at some of Cornel West's super-long
"subject positions" and scratch your head in wonder that his sentences are still
so readable. Generally, you cannot overload the subject as he does with his wellpacked subjects, as most people end up confusing or boring readers when it takes
a while for the S/V Core to "close." Keep Subjects and Verbs well-chosen and
close together to avoid splitting the 'core' as you search for words to say what
you mean.
HOMEWORK 3
English 3
Due: September 2020
CHECK YOUR CONNECTORS, ORIENTORS,
TRANSITIONS (C.O.T.)
"All argument happens in little words," said Joseph M. Williams in class one day,
and my jaw dropped. It had never before occurred to me that the most critical
part of thinking (and writing) depends upon the seeming magic of little words.
Just as my knees are so important to my legs when I run a marathon , little words
allow ideas to 'bend,' and 'curve,' and speed up and slow down. Control all this
"information flow" by using little connecting or orienting words that say how the
kernels of thought (the S/B Cores) fit and work together.
ASSIGNMENT
Using any paragraph inside your Essay 1, mark all the words that show you are(1)
making a connection; (2) orienting your reader for what follows; (3) or
transitioning, using the words and phrases you have long called simply
"transitions." To abbreviate these small moves that hold together chunks of ideas
that make up your strong and original argument, I say "C.O.T." -- for Connectors,
Orientors, Transitions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
You will practicing self-diagnosing your own writing. As you mark C.O.T.'s, think
about how the kernels or 'cores' of your ideas are really inter-related. Then find
a way to revise to express the highest / best/ most interesting / original /
surprising / ironic connection between your essays parts, whether that's clauseto-clause, sentence-to-sentence, or section-to-section. Evaluating little
connecting words helps you to meet logical connections between ideas and avoid
flaws in reasoning,
TIPS: THINK BEYOND TEMPLATES!
While this Canvas course provides you with templates and lists of connector
words, you will still have to think in order to construct sentences that make the
best use of these vital small moves. Don't just drop in a "however" or
"nonetheless" the way some people do. Express the highest, truest, most
compelling connection between thoughts. This skill, coupled with the first two
you practice in HW 1 and HW 2, can turn you into an amazing writing!
THANK YOU!
WE'RE READY TO
LIFT OUR VOICES
A KICKSTARTER'S GUIDE
TO STRENGTHENING ARGUMENT