1.
2.
Rebuttal
Your choice:
›
›
›
›
3.
Definition
Evaluation
Ethical
Causal
Proposal




The internship, even though it includes actual
operation of the facilities of the employer, is
similar to training which would be given in an
educational environment.
The internship experience is for the benefit of
the intern.
The intern does not displace regular
employees, but works under close supervision
of existing staff.
The employer that provides the training derives
no immediate advantage from the activities of
the intern; and on occasion its operations may
actually be impeded.
Something is (or is not) ______________
because it does (or does not) have features
A, B, C…

criteria

Fox Searchlight interns were NOT trainees
because they performed menial tasks of
little educational value to them, but that
were essential to the company and would
otherwise be performed by employees.
Thus, the interns should have been paid.
Simple definition argument:
Criteria ------------------------------- Match (or non-match)
presented, not argued
argued
Extended definition argument:
Criteria ------------------------------- Match (or non-match)
argued
argued







Basketball
Cheerleading
Ping pong
Video-gaming
Swimming
Fishing
Baseball






Skeet-shooting
Figure-skating
Boxing
Bowling
Shuffle-board
Croquet
Whether or not cheerleading is a varsity
sport affects colleges complying with
Title IX (law ensuring gender equity in
education and sports).
 If cheerleaders count as athletes, other
women’s sports might not be funded.
 If cheerleaders do NOT count as
athletes, they may not command the
respect and funding they deserve.

It must have coaches, practices, and
competitions during a defined season.
 It must have a governing organization.
 It must have competition as its primary
goal -- not merely the support of other
athletic teams.



Free speech?
Covered by First
Amendment, as it
was:
› A speech act
› At a public



institution

Consequence: frat
could be disbanded,
but frat bros could
remain in school.

“Hostile educational
environment”?
Purpose was to
discriminate/exclude.
University is legally
obligated to provide
non-hostile
environment.
Consequence: Two
frat brothers were
expelled.
Dictionaries, general and specialized.
Best for formal definitions.
 Official documents or laws. Also best for
formal definitions.
 Experts explaining a concept or setting
guidelines. Best for operational
definitions.
 You: sometimes you need to construct
one yourself. Often happens when
defining from example.

Wikipedia says , “Art is the
process of deliberately
arranging elements in a
way that appeals to the
senses or emotions.”
According to
Aristotle, art is the
imitation of
nature.
For a general dictionary, most impressive
you could use is the Oxford English
Dictionary.
Have access to it through our library; can
find it like a database by searching
alphabetically in E-Resources.
Definition arguments concern whether or
not something meets the criteria to fit in
a category.
 Individual writers and groups choose
definitions to suit their purposes (that
favor their arguments).
 Placing something in a category comes
with consequences; something is at
stake.



Rape victim
Illegal immigrant

Pro-life



Rape survivor
Undocumented
immigrant
Anti-choice
Is big-time college sports like a
“plantation system of slavery”?
 Is the use of animals at Sea World or in
the circus a form of “slavery”?
 Is abortion a “holocaust” or “genocide”?

Are elite college athletes “amateurs” or
“professionals”?
 Is sexting “child pornography”? Should
teens charged with “child pornography”
then be registered as “sex offenders”?
 Are children on reality television shows
“child actors”? (If so, they would have
same rights as actors in terms of work
day, schooling, etc.)

1.



List out as many possible issues of definition as you
can:
Controversial or competing terms
Analogies
Categories
2. Choose at least one of those terms, analogies, or
categories to explore, considering:
 The ways in which that term, analogy, or category
might be appropriate.
 The ways in which that term, analogy, or category
might be inappropriate.
 Are there specific people/groups who do or do not use
that term, analogy, or category? How might their
interests or political perspectives shape their choice to
use or not use that concept?
 What are the possible consequences of using or not
using that concept? What is at stake?