The fundamental
assumption of this course is: arguments are fed to us
constantly.
We live in a consumer
driven society, so we are constantly bombarded with
persuasive "statements" urging us to purchase cars, clothes, food, etc.
Not only that, we also live in a "democratic" society which is based
on the fundamental belief that citizens should make informed
decisions regarding political/legal issues, government policies, and
government representation.
Knowing how to craft a well thought out argument
in writing can be an essential skill for active citizens.
An argument/persuasive essay is a written piece that attempts to
persuade the reader to accept the writer's point of view. While
the piece may be serious or funny, its purpose is to convince
the reader to agree with the writer.
Please choose a local issue and link your
arguments to larger state, national, or international issues
whenever possible. For example, keeping chain businesses out of
Ocean Beach, for instance, reflects a worldwide anti-Walmart
movement. Cougar abatement in the Lagunas is the same issue,
really, as cougar abatement anywhere. Thus you are required to
use a wider range of resources: Perhaps only newspaper accounts
are available concerning the sheltering the homeless displaced
by Petco Park, but displacement of homeless by urban
gentrification is a national issue covered in books and
scholarly journals.
Finally, in approaching your topic,
try to decide whether you are going to focus on an entire
policy or just one aspect of an issue. After you have
pinpointed your topic, write down a few relevant ideas and
determine whether they are facts or opinions. You will
want to come up with your own firm opinion on a particular
topic before you try to collect evidence to back it up.
For example, if you were to work on the topic Household
Pets, you might jot down the following ideas:
Animal shelters in San Diego routinely euthanize cats if they are not readily placed in homes.
- This statement is factual or
Informative. You could use it as evidence in your essay.
Spaying and neutering of domestic cats is humane. -
This statement has Persuasive Value. You would want
to back it up with factual evidence supporting this point of view.
The state should require that domestic cats be
spayed or neutered. - This is an
example of Persuasive Policy. If you chose to work
with this statement, you would want to convince your reader that
the state government should institute this policy.
Remember, you don't need to
take an extreme view on a topic. Collect notes on all
sides of the issue. Then formulate your own argument
based on your opinions.
STEP 1: Find Books
in the Library Catalog or SDSU Library Catalog
For topic ideas, search the
Library homepage
(or the SDSU Library Catalog).
Click on "Library Catalog". Use Keywords such
as "opposing viewpoints", "controversial issues", "social aspects", or
"moral and ethical aspects." Or you may want to try
some of the search terms
listed below:
-
San
Diego (will give you several titles)
-
Land
Use California San Diego
-
Airports California San Diego
-
Energy Policy California
-
Hazardous Wastes-
Transportation California San Diego
-
Housing California San Diego
-
Water Supply California
-
Mexican-American Border Region
-
Minorities Housing
El
Cajon, California 92019 