Inquiry 3: Public Argument

1. Inquiry 3: Public Argument

2. Inquiry 3 Assignment • Purpose: Your assignment for this sequence is to write a persuasive paper proposing a solution to a Miami University campus-level or Oxford community-level issue. You could also explore an issue related to your hometown or place you spent a significant amount of time. The purpose is to participate in an ongoing public discourse by utilizing effective rhetorical skills. The concepts we’ve discussed in class (ethos, logos, pathos, claim, support, warrant) are essential to this project, and you’ll have to understand them all to create an effective argument and proposal. • Length: 1500-2000 words • Thesis: As for the topic, you will address the particular issue you have researched relating to Miami University or your hometown. Try to begin with a clear, specific question. “Is sports funding fair?” is neither clear nor specific. “What impact has Title IX had on the funding of Miami University’s women’s sports program?” is clear and specific. Your thesis will be your stance on the issue, or your answer to the question. This will lead up to your proposal, which should be carefully constructed and should address all of your audience’s concerns.

3. Audience: Audience analysis is a major part of this paper because you will be addressing an audience opposed to your viewpoint. This has bearing on the entire paper: you may have to adjust the specifics of your topic, your method of argument, and your support (depending on the warrants you believe your audience has). Your audience is opposed to you, but you will decide who they are as a group, i.e. the Art Department faculty, the men’s tennis team, the administration, Student Health Services director, mayor, high school teachers. • Rhetoric: There are questions you can ask of yourself as you’re writing to ensure you are addressing rhetoric and logic: 1) how am I presenting myself? 2) is my evidence convincing for this audience? 3) what assumptions does my audience have that affect its perception of my argument—or—considering its values and beliefs, would my audience agree with the way I see this? • Proposal: Keep in mind while writing that you have an agenda in making your argument. You must establish that a certain situation exists and that something needs to be done about it. You must have a solution to the problem and convince the audience your solution is the best and satisfies some need it has or coincides with its values. • Sources: You are required to use four sources for your paper. Carefully evaluate the ethos of your sources, as this will affect your ethos in the paper. What kinds of sources would best influence your audience? • Format: MLA. Please make sure this paper is in proper format. Refer to MLA handbook to avoid common mistakes.

4. Argument is not… • Invective, ranting, shouting, being loud and insistent • Just expressing your opinion(e.g., letters to the editor) • Just listing the facts

5. Argument is… • Making a CLAIM (taking a stance) about a controversial issue or question and • Providing REASONS and EVIDENCE (facts and details) in support of your position • With the aim of convincing others —> use common ground (facts, shared beliefs, new evidence, compelling reasons) as a way to move audience to new ground

6. Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAsxyffBqm0

7. Key terms • Claim. The main idea, thesis, opinion, or belief of the argument. answers the question, “What’s the point?” • Support. The statements given to back up the claim. • facts, data, personal experience, expert opinion, evidence from other texts or sources, emotional appeals, or other means. • The more reliable and comprehensive the support, the more likely the audience is to accept the claim • Warrant The connection, often unstated and assumed, between the claim and the supporting reason (s), or support. The warrant is the assumption that makes the claim seem plausible. • beliefs, values, inferences and/or experiences that the writers/speakers assume they share with their audiences. If the audience doesn’t share these assumptions of the writers/speakers, the argument will not be effective.

8. Example Claim: "Standardized tests are biased against female and minority students.” • Qualified versions of the first claim might be "Many standardized tests are biased against female and minority students" or "Standardized tests are sometimes biased against female and minority students." Either of these, because of the limiting qualifiers, are easier to prove than the unqualified claim. Support: • include emotional appeals, quotations from famous people • recognized experts, statements based on the writer’s personal credibility. • Example on test bias: • see statistics that prove the test questions are biased, • samples of misleading questions, • quotations from educators and testing experts • testimony from students who have taken such tests. • Warrants: If over the last five years, girls at Madison High have received higher grades than boys in every subject and yet the Madison boys consistently score higher on the SAT than the girls do, someone might claim that the SAT was biased against girls. • Example--belief that something must be preventing the girls from showing their academic excellence on the SAT.

9. Possible Topics • Greek life: hazing practices • Departmental issues • Smoking bans • Issues concerning homosexuality in public discourse • Sustainable living

10. Brainstorming Exercise • Spend 7-10 minutes brainstorming ideas. Write down ideas that interest you relating to either Oxford or your hometown. Google things related to help narrow your topic. • Get into peer groups and share ideas. Ask each other questions and begin thinking/brainstorming about target audience and what appeals you will use.

11. Homework: • Read Burbank’s “Shocked or Shot” and do reading Response. PDF under Readings on Wordpress. • Post tentative topic ideas to Niikha