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Social Issue Essay

NOTE: I strongly suggest you PRINT OUT these instructions because you will not remember all the details.

The basic assignment:

For the purpose of this essay, I am defining a "social issue" as some broad controversy or situation which affects all or most of us, and about which people tend to take opposing positions.  In this essay assignment, you will need to choose a current social issue from the list of four provided later here; there is also the option of choosing an issue not on that list, but with my approval.  (The reason I am exerting some control over topic choice is that some topic areas call forth such strong emotional responses, or are subject to such widespread misinformation, that it is very difficult to approach those issues rationally.) 

Your essay will support some claim in regards to the issue you choose to write about.  That claim will be your thesis.  Length should be five paragraphs and approximately 1000 words minimum, when typed and double-spaced.  Once you have chosen your topic and given it some thought—and possibly some research—then you will write an introductory paragraph for your essay.  To do that, follow these steps: 

  1. Before even choosing an issue, you must study a list of what are called “fallacies of argument” and take an open-book quiz on them.  For a list and explanation of these fallacies, as well as the quiz questions go to this link:  fallacies of argument. 

  2. Next, choose the issue you will write about.  If you have accurate knowledge of the issue—as opposed to very one-sided and perhaps inaccurate knowledge, which is often the case—then you may not need to research your topic.  

  3. On the other hand, you may need to research what both sides are actually saying about the issue.  Tip:  An excellent source for unbiased information about various issues is an online index called Issues and Controversies, found within the website of the OC LRC (the library).    Reach that source this way:  LRC link on OC home page > Article Research (in left side menu) > scroll to General Topics > click on Facts on File Digest > click on Issues & Controversies.  It contains several ways to search for info on particular issues.   (Note:  most of you will be accessing this from home.  To do so, you will have to provide a login and a password.  To my best knowledge (I seldom log in from off campus), those items are the same as to gain access to Webadvisor.  Please contact me or the LRC if you have trouble with this.) 

  4. Decide on your own position, once you have studied the issue in the above way.  This will be your Thesis.  Then think of three supports for your position (the claim you are making).  These will appear in your Preview.  

  5. Now assemble those things into a clearly written introductory paragraph (or several—the Background may need a paragraph all its own).  Here is an outline for this introduction: 

I.                   Introduction

A.                 Background Information—names the chosen issue, then summarizes what the two main sides say about it.  If you are using information you got from specific sources, then informally cite them by writing in this way:  “According to the September 21st issue of Time magazine, ….”  Most importantly, be very careful not to misrepresent the side you disagree with.  You do not have to agree with them; simply word it this way:  “Those who are opposed to ____________ believe that ______________, while on the other hand, those in favor of this point out that ______________.”  In other words, use the third person pronoun (they) and its variations.

B.                 Thesis Sentence—states your position on the issue.  Obviously, you will be in disagreement with at least one of the sides you just summarized.  Here, use of the first person (I) is fine.

C.                 Preview—lists your three reasons in support of your thesis.

 

 

 

Now it is time to explore some possible topics, but first--

CAUTION!

Before you proceed any further, I want you to be aware of three pitfalls you must avoid while completing this assignment:

  1. First of all, this is a NO-RANT ZONE!  Please avoid choosing an issue which you simply cannot discuss without becoming furious, or one about which you are absolutely sure you are right, and anyone who opposes you is absolutely wrong.  I have to avoid a few of those myself, which is in fact the main reason you will not be writing about the Presidential race in this essay!  The truth of most issues is that there are usually valid points to be made on both sides.  True--sometimes you have to dig deep to get past the knee-jerk reactions.  That is precisely what I am asking of everyone on this essay. 

  2. Secondly, this is also a NO-PLAGIARISM ZONE!  Please realize that you cannot go to a website (or any other source), copy what you want, and paste it into your essay.  That is theft of intellectual property.  It is also cause for a student to fail this entire course.  Furthermore, even if you do research and just take ideas for your use, not the actual wording, then you STILL must give credit to the source!  So here is the "line in the sand" for this essay:  Whatever knowledge you already have about a topic, you need cite no source.  However, if you do research anywhere--on the Internet, TV, whatever--then you must tell the source.  And one last warning:  If you "know" some bit of knowledge, and it drastically criticizes the opposing side, then I strongly suggest you do find a source for that knowledge.  The reason for this is that there is a great, great amount of propaganda which is passed around as "fact" but which is not even close to being accurate.  As a general rule, the more radically one-sided your source, the greater the likelihood that at least some of that information is exaggerated or twisted or even an outright lie, planted by those who are unscrupulous.   Learn to be sophisticated consumers of information!  Don't be suckered.

  3. Thirdly, you may well find that you are forced to re-think the nature of your specific examples in the body paragraphs of this essay.  That is, unless you have an unusual degree of first-hand experience with each of the supports for your thesis, you may find yourself with no stories to tell.  In fact, I anticipate this in the majority of your essays, and thus I will allow for it in my grading.  So please see two things as your alternatives, if you have no personal stories to tell:  One, use more logical argumentation; expand the GE.  Two, expand your understanding of what an SE can be.  An alternate type of SE is a direct quote from some published source--a quote you will then discuss within your body paragraph.  This is also good practice for the next course, 1302, in which you will be quoting from, and writing about, literature such as short stories and dramas.

Topic Options:

Below are your choices of topics (various social issues).  Note how I have broken each one into more narrowly focused areas.  It is from those bulleted areas or sub-issues where you will choose your actual writing topic.  Note also that so long as you stay within the broad issue, it may be possible for you to think of a slightly different area within it which would be perfectly acceptable as a topic; or, on the other hand, you may see the need to combine several bulleted areas within an issue.  Either is fine; if you are unsure, ask me.  I will also be alert to any problems with topic selection when I grade your intro paragraphs.  Now, the issues:

Voting rights.  Some particular issues currently in the news regarding the general issue of voting rights are these:

  • Purging lists of registered voters
  • New, tighter requirements for ID in order to vote
  • Allegations of fraudulent new voter registrations
  • Reliability of voting equipment and/or vote counting

Illegal immigration.  Some particular issues:

  • Closing of the border after 9-11-01; especially, “The Fence”
  • Temporary worker visas
  • Need for a blue-collar underclass?
  • Exploitation of illegals by businesses
  • Rights for illegals

Loss of freedom since 9-11-01.  Some issues:

  • Warrantless phone taps
  • Warrantless searches
  • Extraordinary rendition and torture
  • Right of habeas corpus in Guantanamo Bay
  • No-fly lists
  • Limits on freedom of assembly and protest

Current economic crisis.  Some issues:

  • Stock market losses and volatility
  • Tight credit
  • Subprime housing mortgage crisis and/or bailout
  • Loss of retirement money
  • Oil price volatility
  • Cost of feeding a family

Other.  It may be possible for you to write about some issue not on this list.  However, to do that, you must tell me your desired topic and get my approval.  Sorry!

 

Due Dates:

This essay assignment has three due dates:

  1. An open-book quiz over the fallacies of argument, due by Friday, October 31st.  To access the quiz, go to the Daily Grades section of Blackboard.  It can also be accessed via the Fallacies of Argument link, above.  Please name this file Q3 plus your initials (it is the third quiz overall this semester, even though it is associated with essay four).  It must be submitted as Rich Text, as usual.
  2. An intro paragraph, due by Monday, November 3rd.  Please name this file D4 plus your initials, and save as Rich Text.  You will submit it on Blackboard, as usual.
  3. The final draft, due by Monday, November 17th.  Please name this file E4 plus your initials, and also must be saved as Rich Text.  When you have finished, you will submit the essay via Blackboard, as usual.

 

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