From Chapter 14, "Evaluation Arguments," in Kirszner and Mandell's Practical Argument, it was not a particular essay that stood out to me so much as two things I found when reading all the essays: the variety of structures that the different authors employed, and in most of them, a much more complex evaluation than I was expecting.
In this chapter of the text, they list "several options" for "constructing an evaluation argument" (Kirszner and Mandell 2011, p. 386). When I first read the chapter, all of these options seemed pretty clear cut to me; one can pass a positive or negative judgement, make a comparison, etc. Then when the book describes the structure for an evaluation argument on page 388, only one, very clear cut and organized example of structure is provided. While I knew that these were not concretely the only ways to write evaluation arguments, my mindset was relatively limited to these ideas when I began to read the essays about Harry Potter given at the end of the chapter. To my surprise, I discovered a different way of writing an evaluation argument in each essay, as well as main points that were much more complex than the "positive/negative" judgements I had been anticipating.
The element of structure that most stood out to me among the essays was the beginning(s). Each essay's first paragraph is written in a different style, none of which exactly mirror the typical introduction I have been taught to expect, with a clearly stated thesis followed by a blueprint of the evidence the author will use to argue their point. The first essay, by Kakutani, begins with a paragraph of sentence fragments describing the last Harry Potter book. While not the most sure-fire way to begin one's argument, this technique certainly grabbed my attention and subtly alluded to or at least transitioned into the rest of the argument. Webber started her essay, the second to appear in this section of the chapter, with an entirely separate section of paragraphs summarizing the plot of the Harry Potter series, then has a title before the "meat" of her essay begins. While the summary is helpful for those people like me who don't know much about the book series, without a subtitle (e.g. "For those of you who don't know the series, here's a summary..." or something to that effect) warning that the first part was not really an essential part of her argument, I did not really like it because it made me nervous that her whole essay was going to be filled with pointless details about the story. In his essay, A. S. Byatt gets to the heart of his argument more quickly within the first paragraph, but includes three (rhetorical) questions that, once again, made me fear that it would be more of a tiring questionnaire rather than a sensical argument.
The judgements or evaluations I expected from these essays consisted of clear variations of a statement to the effect of "Harry Potter is a great/horrible series." However, when I read Kakutani's argument comparing the Harry Potter series to the work of Tolkien and other world-famous authors, but not doing so in a very "1-2-3" style, I began to understand how a comparative evaluation argument can be made on a slightly more sophisticated level. Likewise, in Webber's and the other authors' essays in the chapter, I was not able to clearly identify theses that stated the authors' complete and direct opinions on the Harry Potter series, but through several different statements each author made throughout their essay, I was able to gather what they thought about not only the books, but literature at large, effects the books have on different groups of people, and even societal trends such as sexism.
The subtlety with which these authors communicated their relatively complex ideas about Harry Potter appealed to me, and I admire many of the choices the authors took in freely structuring their essays to fit their arguments, instead of the reverse. However, many of the essays without clear theses or end points stated near the beginning had me wondering why I was reading... whatever it was this "essay" was supposed to be, and where the author was going with it. I would be curious to hear what the authors would have to say about their writing if it were pointed out to them that their arguments lack clear beginning structure, which may confuse or deter some readers.
Works Cited
Kirszner and Mandell. Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2011. Print.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Reflective Entry #5: Risky Business
The piece of humanities literature that most caught my eye from Chapter six of our textbook Practical Argument, entitled "Rogerian Argument, Toulmin Logic, and Oral Arguments," was that of the ex-hippie professor - Suzanne M. Kelly's "The Sensuous Classroom: Focusing on the Embodiment of Learning." In this essay, Kelly evaluates online versus in-classroom learning. Her main claim is that "online courses are just a substitute for traditional education because a classroom full of bodies is quite literally full of real, living matter." While I do not particularly like the format of the essay, I admire some of the risks Kelly takes in her writing and the impact those risks have on the reader.
My main complaint about this essay is the structure. I am a little confused why it was in the Rogerian, Toulmin, and Oral Arguments chapter because it did not seem to stick to a solid organization of any of those types of argument. Instead of introducing the issue and thesis in the beginning of the essay, Kelly begins the essay with an anecdote taking up three small paragraphs. While interesting to read, this approach does not provide a clear direction for the essay. Afterward, Kelly does not really sufficiently present the reader's view of the issue as she would have done for a traditional Rogerian argument, nor doe she exactly follow the pattern for a Toulmin argument, although I suppose that's how I would categorize her argument (as Toulmin). Throughout the essay she weaves in many anecdotes, some of which do not seem essential to supporting her argument, or at least not efficient for the time she spends on them. In addition, I did not find the conclusion to be strong enough. Although it was an interesting anecdote that successfully illustrated a point of hers about the importance of the body, I did not feel it reflected the message of the essay as a whole or served as a good wrap-up to the essay. I was left feeling like "Oh, that was the end? Oh... Okay." Although I did not like Kelly's alternative approach to his argument and overuse of anecdotes, there were some other chancy choices Kelly made that I did like.
By writing so much about bodies and the abstract ideas relating to them in such imagery-based phrases, Kelly risks losing her readers. By opening with an anecdote about her women's-studies classes, mentioning her hippie background and later her wrongly buttoned coat and non-traditional teaching practices, she also potentially undermines her authority. Appeal to authority, one source being the author's own authority, is one of the essential tools for argument, so this did not seem like a wise choice for Kelly's argument. However, Kelly makes a comment in the essay that made me reconsider my quick semi-dismissal of her and her ideas: "It should come as no surprise that educators consider the body expendable, given the long Western tradition of playing down the body's knowledge in favor of the mind's." This sentence brought on a sort of mild guilt in me, for having dismissed a way of knowing and the form of knowledge that comes from using one's body to experience life, which is very difficult to explain in ways that do not sound too abstract.
Works Cited
Kelly, Suzanne M. "The Sensuous Classroom: Focusing on the Embodiment of Learning" in Practical Argument (pp. 177-179).
My main complaint about this essay is the structure. I am a little confused why it was in the Rogerian, Toulmin, and Oral Arguments chapter because it did not seem to stick to a solid organization of any of those types of argument. Instead of introducing the issue and thesis in the beginning of the essay, Kelly begins the essay with an anecdote taking up three small paragraphs. While interesting to read, this approach does not provide a clear direction for the essay. Afterward, Kelly does not really sufficiently present the reader's view of the issue as she would have done for a traditional Rogerian argument, nor doe she exactly follow the pattern for a Toulmin argument, although I suppose that's how I would categorize her argument (as Toulmin). Throughout the essay she weaves in many anecdotes, some of which do not seem essential to supporting her argument, or at least not efficient for the time she spends on them. In addition, I did not find the conclusion to be strong enough. Although it was an interesting anecdote that successfully illustrated a point of hers about the importance of the body, I did not feel it reflected the message of the essay as a whole or served as a good wrap-up to the essay. I was left feeling like "Oh, that was the end? Oh... Okay." Although I did not like Kelly's alternative approach to his argument and overuse of anecdotes, there were some other chancy choices Kelly made that I did like.
By writing so much about bodies and the abstract ideas relating to them in such imagery-based phrases, Kelly risks losing her readers. By opening with an anecdote about her women's-studies classes, mentioning her hippie background and later her wrongly buttoned coat and non-traditional teaching practices, she also potentially undermines her authority. Appeal to authority, one source being the author's own authority, is one of the essential tools for argument, so this did not seem like a wise choice for Kelly's argument. However, Kelly makes a comment in the essay that made me reconsider my quick semi-dismissal of her and her ideas: "It should come as no surprise that educators consider the body expendable, given the long Western tradition of playing down the body's knowledge in favor of the mind's." This sentence brought on a sort of mild guilt in me, for having dismissed a way of knowing and the form of knowledge that comes from using one's body to experience life, which is very difficult to explain in ways that do not sound too abstract.
Works Cited
Kelly, Suzanne M. "The Sensuous Classroom: Focusing on the Embodiment of Learning" in Practical Argument (pp. 177-179).
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
10 Illogical Fallacies
After reading chapter 5 of Kirszner's Practical Argument (2011), here is my list of fallacies:
1. How can you like Rhianna's music? She's weird and ugly. (Ad hominem)
2. You can't do that because I told you not to. (Circular Reasoning)
3. Right after he smiled, he got hit by a bus, so I'm not going to smile because I don't want to get hit by a bus. (Post hoc, ergo propter hoc)
4. What do you mean you don't know if you want to marry me or not? Either you love me, or you don't. (False dilemma)
5. Once 2 people in a dating relationship start kissing, they will do more and more, and eventually, have premarital sex. (Slippery Slope)
6. Don't tell me I shouldn't yell in front of our son! You did it last week! (Tu Quoque)
7. Beyonce should have won the grammy. Even Kanye West says so. (Appeal to Doubtful Authority)
8. Everyone in today's society says having sex after one month of dating is acceptable, so it is. (Bandwagon Appeal)
9. Once, this Christian girl yelled at me. Christians are terrible people. (Non Sequitur/Sweeping Generalization)
10. Miley Cirus' voice is obnoxious, and she should not be producing mainstream music... Well, you at least have to admit her teeth are horrible. (Red Herring/Ad Hominem)
1. How can you like Rhianna's music? She's weird and ugly. (Ad hominem)
2. You can't do that because I told you not to. (Circular Reasoning)
3. Right after he smiled, he got hit by a bus, so I'm not going to smile because I don't want to get hit by a bus. (Post hoc, ergo propter hoc)
4. What do you mean you don't know if you want to marry me or not? Either you love me, or you don't. (False dilemma)
5. Once 2 people in a dating relationship start kissing, they will do more and more, and eventually, have premarital sex. (Slippery Slope)
6. Don't tell me I shouldn't yell in front of our son! You did it last week! (Tu Quoque)
7. Beyonce should have won the grammy. Even Kanye West says so. (Appeal to Doubtful Authority)
8. Everyone in today's society says having sex after one month of dating is acceptable, so it is. (Bandwagon Appeal)
9. Once, this Christian girl yelled at me. Christians are terrible people. (Non Sequitur/Sweeping Generalization)
10. Miley Cirus' voice is obnoxious, and she should not be producing mainstream music... Well, you at least have to admit her teeth are horrible. (Red Herring/Ad Hominem)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Reflective Entry #2: Responding to a Great Text on Texting
What struck me the most from chapter 13 was the student essay the book used as an example for structuring a causal argument, “Texting: A Boon, Not a Threat, to Language” (Kirszner, 2011, 363). It caught my attention because it deals with a very current and pertinent issue of debate that interests and applies to me personally. In a relatively short essay, the author makes several strong, applicable points to support her argument, and uses clear, concise writing to do so.
In today’s fast-paced world of technological advancement, texting is an excellent topic for an argumentative essay. Skimming through the chapter, this essay caught my eye and made me really curious to see what the author had to say. This was especially so because most literature I have read about texting takes the opposite stance, warning of the dangers of this “downgraded” form of communication. Reading Mialki’s argument for the values of texting and its preservation and expansion of language was exciting for me as someone who loves to text, and I agreed with many of her points.
The specific pieces of evidence Mialki uses are, I think, very convincing. Among the arguments she makes for her case are the time texters spend engaged with language, and the creativity with language demanded by the limitations of texting. She refutes the opposing argument that texting discourages the use of proper English with evidence from a study by Newsweek linking texting and expanded vocabularies. Another, more subtle refutation she gave that I loved was her sentence “Just as most young people know not to talk to their teachers the way they talk to their friends, they know not to write papers the way they write text messages.” That is a key point that I think holds pretty true, but that gets left out most times in debates about the texting issue by people who apparently think young people have little ability to transition appropriate registers for specific tasks.
Beyond just the content of her essay, I was also impressed by her use of writing techniques. In the second paragraph, Mialki employs what we learned about giving a definition in an argument, in this case, to explain what a “text message” is. This technique serves to clarify her message by putting readers, who may not be very familiar with texting, on the same page with her (similar to the effect it had when Dr. Carreiro put the definition of “education” on the board during our in-class discussion about schooling versus education). More importantly, Mialki used short, clear, simple sentences to develop substantial paragraphs throughout the essay. This concise writing had a very positive effect on my emotional response to the essay because it felt quick to read, kept my interest, and did not ‘lose me’ at all. I also think the essay’s being well organized added to how digestible it seemed; the thesis statement is very easy to identify and conveniently located at the very end of the introduction paragraph.
Works Cited
Mialki, Kristina in Kirszner. Practical Argument. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2011. Print.
In today’s fast-paced world of technological advancement, texting is an excellent topic for an argumentative essay. Skimming through the chapter, this essay caught my eye and made me really curious to see what the author had to say. This was especially so because most literature I have read about texting takes the opposite stance, warning of the dangers of this “downgraded” form of communication. Reading Mialki’s argument for the values of texting and its preservation and expansion of language was exciting for me as someone who loves to text, and I agreed with many of her points.
The specific pieces of evidence Mialki uses are, I think, very convincing. Among the arguments she makes for her case are the time texters spend engaged with language, and the creativity with language demanded by the limitations of texting. She refutes the opposing argument that texting discourages the use of proper English with evidence from a study by Newsweek linking texting and expanded vocabularies. Another, more subtle refutation she gave that I loved was her sentence “Just as most young people know not to talk to their teachers the way they talk to their friends, they know not to write papers the way they write text messages.” That is a key point that I think holds pretty true, but that gets left out most times in debates about the texting issue by people who apparently think young people have little ability to transition appropriate registers for specific tasks.
Beyond just the content of her essay, I was also impressed by her use of writing techniques. In the second paragraph, Mialki employs what we learned about giving a definition in an argument, in this case, to explain what a “text message” is. This technique serves to clarify her message by putting readers, who may not be very familiar with texting, on the same page with her (similar to the effect it had when Dr. Carreiro put the definition of “education” on the board during our in-class discussion about schooling versus education). More importantly, Mialki used short, clear, simple sentences to develop substantial paragraphs throughout the essay. This concise writing had a very positive effect on my emotional response to the essay because it felt quick to read, kept my interest, and did not ‘lose me’ at all. I also think the essay’s being well organized added to how digestible it seemed; the thesis statement is very easy to identify and conveniently located at the very end of the introduction paragraph.
Works Cited
Mialki, Kristina in Kirszner. Practical Argument. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2011. Print.
5 Greatest Challenges Confronting my Profession
There are many issues connected to education and it could be argued that they are all great challenges, but according to my personal, current view, here are...
The 5 Greatest Challenges Confronting the Teaching Profession:
1. Job availability at quality schools with quality pay.
2. Unmotivated students; negative in-class (e.g. distractions) and out-of-class (e.g. home life, peer pressure) influences.
3. The increasing amount of mental and emotional health issues/disorders among students.
4. Unbalanced, academics-only, "one size fits all" curricula that try to fit kids into a mold.
5. The outcome of only partially educated students who are unprepared and unmotivated to reach their full potential.
The topic I have chosen for my next paper is a combination of numbers 4 and 5.
Below are organizations and people I have emailed asking for their thoughts on the subject, but have not yet heard back from:
National Professional Associations:
-National Education Association
-Association of American Educators (not yet contacted)
BSU Education Faculty:
-Dr. David E. Coffman
Director of Teacher Education and Department Chair
Professor of Education
Office: Flory Hall, Room 312
540-828-5352
dcoffman@bridgewater.edu
-Dr. Mark A. Hogan
Coordinator of Secondary Program
Professor of Education
Office: Flory Hall, Room 315
540-828-5662
mhogan@bridgewater.edu
The 5 Greatest Challenges Confronting the Teaching Profession:
1. Job availability at quality schools with quality pay.
2. Unmotivated students; negative in-class (e.g. distractions) and out-of-class (e.g. home life, peer pressure) influences.
3. The increasing amount of mental and emotional health issues/disorders among students.
4. Unbalanced, academics-only, "one size fits all" curricula that try to fit kids into a mold.
5. The outcome of only partially educated students who are unprepared and unmotivated to reach their full potential.
The topic I have chosen for my next paper is a combination of numbers 4 and 5.
Below are organizations and people I have emailed asking for their thoughts on the subject, but have not yet heard back from:
National Professional Associations:
-National Education Association
-Association of American Educators (not yet contacted)
BSU Education Faculty:
-Dr. David E. Coffman
Director of Teacher Education and Department Chair
Professor of Education
Office: Flory Hall, Room 312
540-828-5352
dcoffman@bridgewater.edu
-Dr. Mark A. Hogan
Coordinator of Secondary Program
Professor of Education
Office: Flory Hall, Room 315
540-828-5662
mhogan@bridgewater.edu
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Causal Argument - Ch. 13 Bookwork & Essay Topic Ideas
Exercise 13.1 on 354
-Having weapons (guns) more easily accessible [will] raise crime/homicide rates.
-Not having weapons accessible [will] make emergencies more dangerous for victims.
-Smoking cigarettes effects smoker's health and the health of those around them.
-Cigarette smoking is contributing to poverty.
-Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy ensures a less healthy early life for your child.
-Warning people about the dangers of smoking will discourage them from the habit.
-If you are a friend, you will stop your friends from driving drunk.
-Lowering the drinking age will raise rates of drunk driving and related deaths.
Exercise 13.5 on 361
In the first paragraph, the cause Ephron identifies is eating chicken soup, and the result is getting a cold. More plausible causes of getting the cold are not getting enough sleep for your immune system to be strong enough to ward off the cold, and the cold already having advanced too far to be fought off.
The cause and effect from the second paragraph are breast-feeding and children developing allergies. Other causes could be a trend of slight DNA mutations in humans that make us more vulnerable to allergies, the increase in genetically modified foods, changes in diet that result in different bacteria/flora in our bodies, and a decrease in bacteria in the environments we inhabit resulting in weaker immune systems.
The third paragraph presents the use of computers as the cause of the decline in movie quality. More probable causes might be societal changes in values and entertainment preferences, the change from movies being primarily an art form to primarily money makers, the quicker current production rate of movies, and the lack of new ideas for movies since by now there have been so many already produced.
In the last paragraph, Ephron presents a twist by suggesting at the end that reading about hand-washing leads to memory loss, instead of hand-washing leading to decreased immunity in infants. Better reasons for Ephron's memory loss regarding the source of the information she read is the poor diet, poor sleeping habits, and high stress levels of Americans that work against memory, as well as the ever-increasing plethora of information we are exposed to in magazine articles, newspapers, television, ads, etc. and a low emphasis placed on remembering the exact source of information we learn.
CAUSAL ARGUMENT ESSAY IDEAS
1. Education curriculums are mostly to blame for the increasing incompetence of Americans in practical and ethical realms.
-time wasted on busy work/mastering simple skills many kids already have/will never use
-education not changing at rate appropriate to technological change
-lack of axiology and important life lessons being taught
2. Soft drinks are a major cause of obesity!
-Coke ad: "Open happiness"
3. The current thought of relative truth/"What's good for you" is breeding a generation of selfish and irresponsible people.
4. Shortcomings in the English language are largely responsible for societal confusion and irresponsibility (WC?).
-we only have 1 word for "love" -> girls' and boys' hearts get broken, children grow up with misconceptions
-Having weapons (guns) more easily accessible [will] raise crime/homicide rates.
-Not having weapons accessible [will] make emergencies more dangerous for victims.
-Smoking cigarettes effects smoker's health and the health of those around them.
-Cigarette smoking is contributing to poverty.
-Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy ensures a less healthy early life for your child.
-Warning people about the dangers of smoking will discourage them from the habit.
-If you are a friend, you will stop your friends from driving drunk.
-Lowering the drinking age will raise rates of drunk driving and related deaths.
Exercise 13.5 on 361
In the first paragraph, the cause Ephron identifies is eating chicken soup, and the result is getting a cold. More plausible causes of getting the cold are not getting enough sleep for your immune system to be strong enough to ward off the cold, and the cold already having advanced too far to be fought off.
The cause and effect from the second paragraph are breast-feeding and children developing allergies. Other causes could be a trend of slight DNA mutations in humans that make us more vulnerable to allergies, the increase in genetically modified foods, changes in diet that result in different bacteria/flora in our bodies, and a decrease in bacteria in the environments we inhabit resulting in weaker immune systems.
The third paragraph presents the use of computers as the cause of the decline in movie quality. More probable causes might be societal changes in values and entertainment preferences, the change from movies being primarily an art form to primarily money makers, the quicker current production rate of movies, and the lack of new ideas for movies since by now there have been so many already produced.
In the last paragraph, Ephron presents a twist by suggesting at the end that reading about hand-washing leads to memory loss, instead of hand-washing leading to decreased immunity in infants. Better reasons for Ephron's memory loss regarding the source of the information she read is the poor diet, poor sleeping habits, and high stress levels of Americans that work against memory, as well as the ever-increasing plethora of information we are exposed to in magazine articles, newspapers, television, ads, etc. and a low emphasis placed on remembering the exact source of information we learn.
CAUSAL ARGUMENT ESSAY IDEAS
1. Education curriculums are mostly to blame for the increasing incompetence of Americans in practical and ethical realms.
-time wasted on busy work/mastering simple skills many kids already have/will never use
-education not changing at rate appropriate to technological change
-lack of axiology and important life lessons being taught
2. Soft drinks are a major cause of obesity!
-Coke ad: "Open happiness"
3. The current thought of relative truth/"What's good for you" is breeding a generation of selfish and irresponsible people.
4. Shortcomings in the English language are largely responsible for societal confusion and irresponsibility (WC?).
-we only have 1 word for "love" -> girls' and boys' hearts get broken, children grow up with misconceptions
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Chapter 3: Decoding Visual Arguments
Exercise 3.1 p. 57 (Questions p. 59)
--Identifying the Elements of Visual Arguments--
1. I consider all of the visuals on pages 57-59 to be visual arguments, since they all seem to focus on and discourage violence. The only visual I could see as being designed solely to present information is the first pie chart, which does not seem to key in on any specific point but just displays a set of data. However, below the image the source says "Protecting Children from Harmful Television," which suggests it Was designed with an argument in mind.
2, 3 4, & 5.
The first visual communicates, subtly and through a set of data, that almost All PG-rated movies have violence, sex, and/or language in them.
The text conveys most of the message in this visual, but the relatively small "piece of pie" representing "None" is also an aid in conveying this message.
The general purpose seems to be to educate the audience, and/or to point out that children's movies are too harmful.
I think this visual is most likely to appeal to parents of children who watch these "PG" movies.
The second visual communicates that the United States has a much higher homicide rate than other (selected and represented) countries.
The elements supporting this visual are the selection of countries represented, the organization of countries from smallest to largest, and the large amount of blank space in the chart drawing your eye to the huge gap between the United States and everyone else.
The general purpose seems to be to motivate Americans to work against our high national homicide rate.
I think this chart is likely to appeal to both American citizens and government/criminal justice officials.
The third visual conveys the prevalence of violence on TV and suggests a boycott of TV violence.
The live demonstration of the murder, the murder victim's white suit, and all the masked people holding signs with text that communicate the message all support the main idea.
The general purpose is to decrease viewing of violence on TV.
This visual seems likely to appeal to all audiences-kids, definitely parents, and maybe people involved in TV entertainment.
The last visual conveys that parents need to control how much TV violence their children are exposed to.
The picture of the family watching TV, the text arguing against media violence, and even the red and black graphic design and print help communicate this message.
The apparent purpose is to increase parents' awareness of and protection against the violence their kids experience through media.
I would say the main target audience is parents of young children.
Exercise 3.4 p. 61
I think the first visual (upper left) on p. 62 supports Jones' argument pretty well because his claims about frightened children taking on stronger identities against the evils they experience in their lives is clearly reflected in the comic. The little boy ("Tommy," as the text labels him), representing the shy, passive outer identities of kids, is hiding behind the strong superhero who is blasting away all the attacking monsters, which represents the strong, self-defending person Jones argues kids should be allowed to become.
The second visual I find very confusing, because I don't understand who all the random characters on the bottom are (one being a feathered showgirl who seems out of place), why their speech bubbles say "shut" instead of maybe "shoot," or why they are not holding guns... I think this very graphic image with no clear positive message and a scantily clad woman on the left is not bound to have any good effect on kids.
In the last image, I find the dismembered, almost naked women's bodies to be both inappropriate for children and possibly hindering to girls' psyches who are being represented as a stereotypical item of vulnerability in this image. Also, I have no idea why the monster/character is yelling SHUT UP to the broken body in his hand, and I dislike that the man in the lower left is saying "Jesus Christ." I think both dialogues would only encourage kids to use unnecessarily crude language, and do not feel this argument supports Jones' argument well.
--Identifying the Elements of Visual Arguments--
1. I consider all of the visuals on pages 57-59 to be visual arguments, since they all seem to focus on and discourage violence. The only visual I could see as being designed solely to present information is the first pie chart, which does not seem to key in on any specific point but just displays a set of data. However, below the image the source says "Protecting Children from Harmful Television," which suggests it Was designed with an argument in mind.
2, 3 4, & 5.
The first visual communicates, subtly and through a set of data, that almost All PG-rated movies have violence, sex, and/or language in them.
The text conveys most of the message in this visual, but the relatively small "piece of pie" representing "None" is also an aid in conveying this message.
The general purpose seems to be to educate the audience, and/or to point out that children's movies are too harmful.
I think this visual is most likely to appeal to parents of children who watch these "PG" movies.
The second visual communicates that the United States has a much higher homicide rate than other (selected and represented) countries.
The elements supporting this visual are the selection of countries represented, the organization of countries from smallest to largest, and the large amount of blank space in the chart drawing your eye to the huge gap between the United States and everyone else.
The general purpose seems to be to motivate Americans to work against our high national homicide rate.
I think this chart is likely to appeal to both American citizens and government/criminal justice officials.
The third visual conveys the prevalence of violence on TV and suggests a boycott of TV violence.
The live demonstration of the murder, the murder victim's white suit, and all the masked people holding signs with text that communicate the message all support the main idea.
The general purpose is to decrease viewing of violence on TV.
This visual seems likely to appeal to all audiences-kids, definitely parents, and maybe people involved in TV entertainment.
The last visual conveys that parents need to control how much TV violence their children are exposed to.
The picture of the family watching TV, the text arguing against media violence, and even the red and black graphic design and print help communicate this message.
The apparent purpose is to increase parents' awareness of and protection against the violence their kids experience through media.
I would say the main target audience is parents of young children.
Exercise 3.4 p. 61
I think the first visual (upper left) on p. 62 supports Jones' argument pretty well because his claims about frightened children taking on stronger identities against the evils they experience in their lives is clearly reflected in the comic. The little boy ("Tommy," as the text labels him), representing the shy, passive outer identities of kids, is hiding behind the strong superhero who is blasting away all the attacking monsters, which represents the strong, self-defending person Jones argues kids should be allowed to become.
The second visual I find very confusing, because I don't understand who all the random characters on the bottom are (one being a feathered showgirl who seems out of place), why their speech bubbles say "shut" instead of maybe "shoot," or why they are not holding guns... I think this very graphic image with no clear positive message and a scantily clad woman on the left is not bound to have any good effect on kids.
In the last image, I find the dismembered, almost naked women's bodies to be both inappropriate for children and possibly hindering to girls' psyches who are being represented as a stereotypical item of vulnerability in this image. Also, I have no idea why the monster/character is yelling SHUT UP to the broken body in his hand, and I dislike that the man in the lower left is saying "Jesus Christ." I think both dialogues would only encourage kids to use unnecessarily crude language, and do not feel this argument supports Jones' argument well.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Reading and Responding to Arguments (Ch. 2)
Complete Exercise 2.1 (p. 36) regarding Gerard Jones’ essay, “VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS” (pp. 36–39).
Respond to the four (4) items in the section entitled “Identifying the Elements of Argument” (p. 39).
1. Jones's thesis is that violent entertainment helps people express their inner thirst for power.
2. Jones supports his thesis with the story of how the Hulk prompted his own transformation into a more confident child, how his son is experiencing the same transition, how Jones's theory is supported by the research of Dr. Moore, how children are bound to feel rage and need an outlet for it, and how two girls were helped by being able to tell their own violent stories.
3. Jones identifies the opposing argument as the harm that violent entertainment can do in encouraging "real-life violence," but refutes it by saying many more people are helped than hurt by media violence.
4. Jones's concluding statement says that when (all) parents suppress their children's natural aggression they are hindering their children from developing self-confidence and other parts of identity.
Complete Exercise 2.3 (p. 42) regarding Gerard Jones’ essay, “VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS” (pp. 36–39): Highlighting.
Complete Exercise 2.4 (p. 42) regarding Gerard Jones’ essay, “VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS” (pp. 36–39): Annotating.
Complete Exercise 2.8 (p. 51) regarding Gerard Jones’ essay, “VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS” (pp. 36–39): Writing a Critical Response.
According to Gerard Jones, violent media can actually have positive effects on young people because they provide an outlet for kids to vicariously express the natural aggression and desire for power that everyone has. Jones also believes that violent media are a positive influence on children because he has witnessed what he considers positive transformations of multiple young people who were enabled to tell their own violent stories. Jones makes some good points. For example, he says that modern culture "cultivates fear and teaches dependency." I have definitely seen this as a trend with the families for which I nanny. I also support Jones's statement that all children will feel rage; I have never encountered someone who has never experienced a desire to express anger in moments of frustration. However, I have also seen kids find more positive ways to deal with anger than through violent media. On the other hand, I have seen some children very negatively affected by violent media, and believe that Jones is incorrect in believing violent media helps many more people than it hurts. All in all, I found Jones's argument too one-sided and disagree with his conclusion that youth violence should not be discouraged.
Respond to the four (4) items in the section entitled “Identifying the Elements of Argument” (p. 39).
1. Jones's thesis is that violent entertainment helps people express their inner thirst for power.
2. Jones supports his thesis with the story of how the Hulk prompted his own transformation into a more confident child, how his son is experiencing the same transition, how Jones's theory is supported by the research of Dr. Moore, how children are bound to feel rage and need an outlet for it, and how two girls were helped by being able to tell their own violent stories.
3. Jones identifies the opposing argument as the harm that violent entertainment can do in encouraging "real-life violence," but refutes it by saying many more people are helped than hurt by media violence.
4. Jones's concluding statement says that when (all) parents suppress their children's natural aggression they are hindering their children from developing self-confidence and other parts of identity.
Complete Exercise 2.3 (p. 42) regarding Gerard Jones’ essay, “VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS” (pp. 36–39): Highlighting.
Complete Exercise 2.4 (p. 42) regarding Gerard Jones’ essay, “VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS” (pp. 36–39): Annotating.
Complete Exercise 2.8 (p. 51) regarding Gerard Jones’ essay, “VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS” (pp. 36–39): Writing a Critical Response.
According to Gerard Jones, violent media can actually have positive effects on young people because they provide an outlet for kids to vicariously express the natural aggression and desire for power that everyone has. Jones also believes that violent media are a positive influence on children because he has witnessed what he considers positive transformations of multiple young people who were enabled to tell their own violent stories. Jones makes some good points. For example, he says that modern culture "cultivates fear and teaches dependency." I have definitely seen this as a trend with the families for which I nanny. I also support Jones's statement that all children will feel rage; I have never encountered someone who has never experienced a desire to express anger in moments of frustration. However, I have also seen kids find more positive ways to deal with anger than through violent media. On the other hand, I have seen some children very negatively affected by violent media, and believe that Jones is incorrect in believing violent media helps many more people than it hurts. All in all, I found Jones's argument too one-sided and disagree with his conclusion that youth violence should not be discouraged.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Reflective Entry #1: Defying the article "Defying the Nalgene"
The part of the chapter 1 readings that struck me the most was the inefficiency of the argument in the second essay we read, “Defying the Nalgene” by Zak Moore. I thought the essay did not employ logos, pathos, and ethos in a way that made his argument either convincing or palatable. After reading the essay, I was left with an impression of “Yuck, that was not well done.”
First of all, Moore did not use good reasoning, or as we call it, logos. He made several statements that reflected little thought and/or truth. One example is “landfills: if it is not getting more expensive to put things in them, then there is no problem” which does not take into account all the other issues associated with landfills like space, sanitation, energy wastes, etc. His mathematical logic also seems lacking when he talks about the “4 dollars and change” he spent on a pack of bottled water when tap water also costs something, but in reality the actual price difference between tap water and bottled water is huge. Another large discrepancy in the logic of his argument that I noticed was that in the beginning of the essay he starts out talking about the environment, but then in the body of the essay most of his points of refutation against opposing arguments are based on money, not the environment. He says very little about the big environmental issues related to the bottled water issue, such as the massive amounts of petroleum being used for the industry. Just because bottled water is not that expensive does not mean prices are not accurately reflecting the finite resources we are rapidly consuming and the priority we should be placing on them. To say the least, Moore’s reasoning definitely has some identifiable holes.
This ties in with his poor demonstration of ethos. Due to his lack of facts or other concrete support for the points he makes in this essay, he comes across as not very knowledgeable about the topic. In fact, to the generally environmentally concerned public (audience), he makes himself seem almost idiotic when he says “I do not understand how recycling can be that valuable” and then only follows with a cost-based justification with no comments on consumption of materials versus energy. His constant focus on monetary cost, as well as his seemingly bold statements of personal preference that he does not bother to question, justify, or balance cause his view point to seem selfishly black and white. Overall, I got the impression that he is rather egocentric and does not really care about the planet nor know very well about the topic, but merely formed his opinion based on poorly supported ideas that conveniently fit his tastes and lifestyle.
I do have to say I noticed some good use of pathos in the essay. Moore’s use of personal language and examples (e.g. “I am comfortable…” and “Aquafina tastes the best to me”) made his points seem applicable to the common reader, who also enjoy certain tastes, conveniences, and saving money. I’m not sure how to explain what else he did or said that made me feel like I agreed with at least part of what he was expressing; I could sympathize with his frustration over inefficient ways to recycle and lack of better water containers. I feel his temptation to just grab an easy, tasty, and relatively cheap bottle of water and not worry about the rest. However, I was not impressed or convinced enough by the (il)logical reasoning in his arguments nor his character to adapt quite the same stance on the bottled water issue.
Works Cited
Kirszner, Laurie G. Practical Argument. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.
First of all, Moore did not use good reasoning, or as we call it, logos. He made several statements that reflected little thought and/or truth. One example is “landfills: if it is not getting more expensive to put things in them, then there is no problem” which does not take into account all the other issues associated with landfills like space, sanitation, energy wastes, etc. His mathematical logic also seems lacking when he talks about the “4 dollars and change” he spent on a pack of bottled water when tap water also costs something, but in reality the actual price difference between tap water and bottled water is huge. Another large discrepancy in the logic of his argument that I noticed was that in the beginning of the essay he starts out talking about the environment, but then in the body of the essay most of his points of refutation against opposing arguments are based on money, not the environment. He says very little about the big environmental issues related to the bottled water issue, such as the massive amounts of petroleum being used for the industry. Just because bottled water is not that expensive does not mean prices are not accurately reflecting the finite resources we are rapidly consuming and the priority we should be placing on them. To say the least, Moore’s reasoning definitely has some identifiable holes.
This ties in with his poor demonstration of ethos. Due to his lack of facts or other concrete support for the points he makes in this essay, he comes across as not very knowledgeable about the topic. In fact, to the generally environmentally concerned public (audience), he makes himself seem almost idiotic when he says “I do not understand how recycling can be that valuable” and then only follows with a cost-based justification with no comments on consumption of materials versus energy. His constant focus on monetary cost, as well as his seemingly bold statements of personal preference that he does not bother to question, justify, or balance cause his view point to seem selfishly black and white. Overall, I got the impression that he is rather egocentric and does not really care about the planet nor know very well about the topic, but merely formed his opinion based on poorly supported ideas that conveniently fit his tastes and lifestyle.
I do have to say I noticed some good use of pathos in the essay. Moore’s use of personal language and examples (e.g. “I am comfortable…” and “Aquafina tastes the best to me”) made his points seem applicable to the common reader, who also enjoy certain tastes, conveniences, and saving money. I’m not sure how to explain what else he did or said that made me feel like I agreed with at least part of what he was expressing; I could sympathize with his frustration over inefficient ways to recycle and lack of better water containers. I feel his temptation to just grab an easy, tasty, and relatively cheap bottle of water and not worry about the rest. However, I was not impressed or convinced enough by the (il)logical reasoning in his arguments nor his character to adapt quite the same stance on the bottled water issue.
Works Cited
Kirszner, Laurie G. Practical Argument. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
9/15/11 My Position on Bottled Water
The use of bottled water is a controversial topic. Some people claim that drinking bottled water is a waste of money and natural resources, and that more people should drink tap water. Others however, believe that the convenience and other benefits of bottled water outweigh the arguably overdramatized costs. Although both sides of this issue have merit, I believe that a major reduction in the use of bottled water is the optimal plan of action because the case for saving money and natural resources seems both more convincing and important when you consider the amount of petroleum used to produce and transport plastic bottles that are rarely recycled, and the possible options to make up for the convenience of the practice.
Revised with friends opinions:
The use of bottled water is a controversial topic. Some people claim that drinking bottled water is a waste of money and natural resources, and that more people should drink tap water. Others however, believe that the convenience and other benefits of bottled water outweigh the arguably overdramatized costs. For example, my friend Natalia loves drinking bottled water and easily just throwing away the bottles, and does not worry about the consequences of this for the planet. Although both sides of this issue have merit, I believe that a major reduction in the use of bottled water is the optimal plan of action because the case for saving money and natural resources seems both more convincing and important when you consider the amount of petroleum used to produce and transport plastic bottles that are rarely recycled, and the possible options to make up for the convenience of the practice. My friend Bekka points out the easy use of more permanent containers and the water refilling station on campus, and I agree with this more conservative approach.
Revised with friends opinions:
The use of bottled water is a controversial topic. Some people claim that drinking bottled water is a waste of money and natural resources, and that more people should drink tap water. Others however, believe that the convenience and other benefits of bottled water outweigh the arguably overdramatized costs. For example, my friend Natalia loves drinking bottled water and easily just throwing away the bottles, and does not worry about the consequences of this for the planet. Although both sides of this issue have merit, I believe that a major reduction in the use of bottled water is the optimal plan of action because the case for saving money and natural resources seems both more convincing and important when you consider the amount of petroleum used to produce and transport plastic bottles that are rarely recycled, and the possible options to make up for the convenience of the practice. My friend Bekka points out the easy use of more permanent containers and the water refilling station on campus, and I agree with this more conservative approach.
Monday, September 12, 2011
9/13/11 A First Look at the Structure of Arguments
Exercise 1.1 (p. 16) Schwarzenegger
1. This essay's thesis is that Congress should develop an immigration policy that improves our security but is also merciful to immigrants.
2. The three arguments Schwarzenegger presents as evidence are the ineffectiveness of state/citizen border patrol and need for federal involvement, the need for and benefits of an immigrants' worker program, and the humanity of immigrants.
3. The opposing argument is that improving border control would require severe, costly, and in some cases impossible actions. Schwarzenegger refutes this by saying those things are unnecessary and that federal actions, especially that of a worker program, would get the job done.
4. The essay's concluding statement is that Congress should solve the problem by heightening border control and showing sympathy to the immigrant people.
Article 1: In Praise of Tap Water
1. The editorial's thesis is that Americans need to start drinking tap water and stop buying bottled water.
2. The arguments the writer uses in paragraphs 1-3 to support the thesis include that American water is high enough quality, drinking tap water would save a lot of money, and water bottles are bad for the environment due to the natural resources used to produce and transport them and a lack of recycling the bottles.
3. The editorial's concluding statement is that if Americans switch out bottled water for tap water, they will save money and help save the planet.
4. I do not think the writer considers enough opposing arguments. A few others I can think of are: the convenience of bottled water, the water waste that would result from the washing of more permanent containers, the jobs that would be lost if the bottled water industry collapsed, and the probable rise in tap water prices if demand rose and there were not as many companies to compete as in the bottled water industry.
5. Paragraph 5 is a leeway from the evidence into the concluding statement, and provides a sort of ethos; using the example of what the mayor has done encourages following.
1. This essay's thesis is that Congress should develop an immigration policy that improves our security but is also merciful to immigrants.
2. The three arguments Schwarzenegger presents as evidence are the ineffectiveness of state/citizen border patrol and need for federal involvement, the need for and benefits of an immigrants' worker program, and the humanity of immigrants.
3. The opposing argument is that improving border control would require severe, costly, and in some cases impossible actions. Schwarzenegger refutes this by saying those things are unnecessary and that federal actions, especially that of a worker program, would get the job done.
4. The essay's concluding statement is that Congress should solve the problem by heightening border control and showing sympathy to the immigrant people.
Article 1: In Praise of Tap Water
1. The editorial's thesis is that Americans need to start drinking tap water and stop buying bottled water.
2. The arguments the writer uses in paragraphs 1-3 to support the thesis include that American water is high enough quality, drinking tap water would save a lot of money, and water bottles are bad for the environment due to the natural resources used to produce and transport them and a lack of recycling the bottles.
3. The editorial's concluding statement is that if Americans switch out bottled water for tap water, they will save money and help save the planet.
4. I do not think the writer considers enough opposing arguments. A few others I can think of are: the convenience of bottled water, the water waste that would result from the washing of more permanent containers, the jobs that would be lost if the bottled water industry collapsed, and the probable rise in tap water prices if demand rose and there were not as many companies to compete as in the bottled water industry.
5. Paragraph 5 is a leeway from the evidence into the concluding statement, and provides a sort of ethos; using the example of what the mayor has done encourages following.
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