The Research Process Part III
Critical Reading and Critical Writing
We are finding sources. They are coming from journals and books, but what now? Oh my, look at all this stuff!
Look, the truth is you have to develop a strategy to effectively analyze your sources in a timely fashion. We are not working on our Post-doc fellowship here, we don’t have five years to do this research, our papers are due in a few weeks and we need to get a move on. To do that, we need to chop this stack of papers in half and make sense of what we have left.
Reading critically is one of the most important aspects of this entire process. In order to write your own analysis of a subject and to add your voice to the larger cultural and academic debate, you have to understand the information before you.
As we grow as readers and writers, we develop our own methods of doing this. However, across these, I think the following advice holds up.
• Read with the intent to understand, to decipher, to make sense of this
• Take breaks
• Read slowly
• Print or make photocopies of articles or book passages and mark them up
• Don’t give up
My advice is to break this practice into two parts: Initial Appraisal of the Text, and Context Analysis.
A. Initial Appraisal: This entails your first approach to the text wherein you discover if it has any value to you and your paper. We start by looking critically at some of the physical characteristics of the text, without delving too deeply into the text. Remember, our job here is to determine usefulness. Start by flipping through the text. Look at:
I. Author: Is this author credible. Will including his words in my paper help my ethos or will it make my paper seem unwontedly slanted or biased (for example, what happens if your papers is full of Rush Limbaugh quotes?)
Does this author have the necessary authority and expertise so that his ideas can serve as evidence in your argument? If no, ditch the article.
II. Date: Is the publication date of this source current enough to meet the demands of your topic? Be reasonable. If I am writing about meatpacking, sure, it won’t hurt to throw in an Upton Sinclair quote from The Jungle, but I can’t rely on that for evidence. I need information that pertains to meat packing plants now. If it’s not timely enough, if it is out-of-date, ditch it.
III. Relevance: Occasionally, I have found a really interesting article that I enjoyed reading and want to use in my paper. The problem, it has nothing to do with my topic. I can either change my topic to fit this in, or ditch it. Quickly analyzing a document’s worth to your own ends takes practice, but remember, in the end doing this saves you time in the long run.
Research III, page 2
So How? My first impressions of a book/article and its material come from browsing. Read the Table of Contents, the Abstract, the introduction, discussion or conclusion. Read any tables or graphs or appendices you find. Look at how the chapters of sections of the text move from beginning to end. Look at the work’s cited. If you see any titles there that might be helpful go find them. Mostly, use this initial analysis to determine if the text before has worthwhile information that will help YOUR argument.
B. Content Analysis: You hooked a nice source, now you have to get it into the boat. To do this, you have to sit down and make some sense of it. Reading complex material can be not unlike reading something in a foreign language that you don’t speak well. Here, read to decipher. To understand. Piece together meaning. Read slowly. Take notes. Look at:
I. Make a Rhet. Precis if the article is argumentative. Look at the Author’s Intentions. Find the thesis of this argument. Analyze the evidence. Examine the author’s purpose.
II. Mark possible passages you may want to use in your paper. Mark them so that you can find them later. Write what it is and why you can use in the margin. Example: “This is a good counter argument to smoking is bad for ducks.”
III. Take notes. Write on sticky notes. Scribble on your articles. You have to organize this information so you can quickly access it later.
IV. Ask yourself, as library.cornell.edu does, if “the work update[s] other sources, substantiate[s] other materials you have read, or add[s] new information? Does it extensively or marginally cover your topic? You should explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints” (http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref).
V. Contextualize. Dive into text. Separate fact from opinion. Opinion from propaganda. Is the information here well researched? What assumptions does this author rely upon? Is she in line with the others arguments you’ve encountered on this topic? Is she in line with the others, adding to their points, furthering a bit passed over by most. Does this use primary or secondary sources (try to find both)? To do this, you should read everything TWICE.
Mostly, all I can say is this is never an easy process. It gets less painful, however, the more you practice. The good side to this is this process can and should lead to new source material and improved ideas as you go along.
Also, remember that this process is recursive. Reflect on what you are doing often. Fiddle with your topic as need be. Go back and redo. That’s the name of the game.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tues. 6/30
Due: Rhet. Precis of three sources for YOUR paper. You must find these sources using the library resources I pointed you to on Thurs.
Please find one book, one journal article, and one "wild card" or source of your choosing (ie a magazine article, newspaper article, another book, etc).
If they are not argumentative, please summarize them as best you can, aiming to keep your summary pointed and succinct like the precis.
Please find one book, one journal article, and one "wild card" or source of your choosing (ie a magazine article, newspaper article, another book, etc).
If they are not argumentative, please summarize them as best you can, aiming to keep your summary pointed and succinct like the precis.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
From Analysis to Argument
The Research Process Part 2
(General Guidelines For Building a Good Paper)
Focusing Your Topic
By this point you know a lot about what you will be writing about. You’ve done background research—reading about the history of the topics, discovering who some key players are in this debate and mapping out the various positions held in the controversy. You have developed your understanding of debate. Now it is time to figure out what aspect of that debate you will examine in greater detail in order to form your argument. First, you must focus your topic.
But why?
Failing to focus a topic is a common mistake students make. When the topic is too broad, there is too much to cover, which results in a paper that feels superficial or shallow. If you topics is too narrow—i.e. “what are the psychological effects of 7 am classes on CCD students with brown, well kept hair…” you won’t be able to find enough evidence to support your points.
What does this mean?
Focusing a research topic (or occasionally broadening it) is narrowing your topic (and choosing to focus on specific parts of it) so that you can demonstrate your expertise on a subject and effectively argue a position in that debate.
Let’s say you like animals. Developing a focus for your paper (and your research) means you start here:
Animals have feelings
And go here:
The use of dogs in the United States Military is useful, but at what cost?
This isn’t necessarily your thesis, but it has narrowed your interests into something you can work with. The point is with the later you have specific research needs; you are working with a specific type of animal in a specific situation—something you can tackle in 10-15 pages.
Note: You will not immediately know what your focus should be. It will come to you, most likely, through trial and error, through reading a lot articles and other literature that you will not ultimately use. Realize, you are shaping your thinking on this topic and as you learn more, your thoughts will change.
Start by defining your terms. How can your terms be broken down?
Example:
War is wrong
Defining the terms:
"War": What type (self-defense, aggressive preemptive strikes, rooted in ideology…)? By whom? What commonalities do you see in the wars you think are wrong?
"Wrong": How so? Results in unnecessary bloodshed? Has a drastic effect on the economy? Fail to foresee and plan for the complexities on the ground?
Focused:
In American history, wars that are rooted in ideology often have dire consequences for the economy.
You can always define again, and again, if need be. Do you see how this is putting the proper restraint on the topic? How you can now find specific examples and evidence to support this idea?
Try focusing on:
A specific location: Colorado’s community colleges have the best students.
Age group: Violence on television begets violence among pre-Kinder kids.
Species: While testing cosmetic products must be done, Chimpanzees should be spared because…
Ethnicity: What are the effects of our current immigration laws on Mexican-American families in the US?
Do Not Merely Restate Terms. War is bad because it’s war. No. Don’t do it.
Most of all, this is the moment to consider your approach to the subject. Are you writing about a specific element of smoking (marketing to children in Third World Countries) or about its more general elements (Smoking is still a big problem among today’s youth). You have to figure out where to go and how to get there.
Test your topic early. The night before a draft is due is a poor time to discover your topic is still too broad. The research process is a recursive one. You will need to come back to your topic time and time again if it isn’t working out. A lot of this is Goldilocks and porridge. You have to try a lot to find what is just right. Remember—Writing takes time.
(General Guidelines For Building a Good Paper)
Focusing Your Topic
By this point you know a lot about what you will be writing about. You’ve done background research—reading about the history of the topics, discovering who some key players are in this debate and mapping out the various positions held in the controversy. You have developed your understanding of debate. Now it is time to figure out what aspect of that debate you will examine in greater detail in order to form your argument. First, you must focus your topic.
But why?
Failing to focus a topic is a common mistake students make. When the topic is too broad, there is too much to cover, which results in a paper that feels superficial or shallow. If you topics is too narrow—i.e. “what are the psychological effects of 7 am classes on CCD students with brown, well kept hair…” you won’t be able to find enough evidence to support your points.
What does this mean?
Focusing a research topic (or occasionally broadening it) is narrowing your topic (and choosing to focus on specific parts of it) so that you can demonstrate your expertise on a subject and effectively argue a position in that debate.
Let’s say you like animals. Developing a focus for your paper (and your research) means you start here:
Animals have feelings
And go here:
The use of dogs in the United States Military is useful, but at what cost?
This isn’t necessarily your thesis, but it has narrowed your interests into something you can work with. The point is with the later you have specific research needs; you are working with a specific type of animal in a specific situation—something you can tackle in 10-15 pages.
Note: You will not immediately know what your focus should be. It will come to you, most likely, through trial and error, through reading a lot articles and other literature that you will not ultimately use. Realize, you are shaping your thinking on this topic and as you learn more, your thoughts will change.
Start by defining your terms. How can your terms be broken down?
Example:
War is wrong
Defining the terms:
"War": What type (self-defense, aggressive preemptive strikes, rooted in ideology…)? By whom? What commonalities do you see in the wars you think are wrong?
"Wrong": How so? Results in unnecessary bloodshed? Has a drastic effect on the economy? Fail to foresee and plan for the complexities on the ground?
Focused:
In American history, wars that are rooted in ideology often have dire consequences for the economy.
You can always define again, and again, if need be. Do you see how this is putting the proper restraint on the topic? How you can now find specific examples and evidence to support this idea?
Try focusing on:
A specific location: Colorado’s community colleges have the best students.
Age group: Violence on television begets violence among pre-Kinder kids.
Species: While testing cosmetic products must be done, Chimpanzees should be spared because…
Ethnicity: What are the effects of our current immigration laws on Mexican-American families in the US?
Do Not Merely Restate Terms. War is bad because it’s war. No. Don’t do it.
Most of all, this is the moment to consider your approach to the subject. Are you writing about a specific element of smoking (marketing to children in Third World Countries) or about its more general elements (Smoking is still a big problem among today’s youth). You have to figure out where to go and how to get there.
Test your topic early. The night before a draft is due is a poor time to discover your topic is still too broad. The research process is a recursive one. You will need to come back to your topic time and time again if it isn’t working out. A lot of this is Goldilocks and porridge. You have to try a lot to find what is just right. Remember—Writing takes time.
Monday, June 22, 2009
New Due Date
Analysis Papers are NOT due tomorrow. Last class I granted an extension. The new due date is Thurs, 6/25.
However, please bring your drafts to class tomorrow.
However, please bring your drafts to class tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Analysis Rough Drafts--Due
Don't forget. Your rough draft of the Analysis paper is due tomorrow (bring three copies of it).
Please have a COMPLETE draft and a Works Cited page to make this peer review worthwhile.
Please have a COMPLETE draft and a Works Cited page to make this peer review worthwhile.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Flow Chart--Analysis
Making a Flow Chart.
Outlines don’t work for everyone, but it is important to have an end product that is organized. Some writers work from the top, down, which means that they plan and outline the entire paper before they start writing, while others work from the bottom, up, which means they start writing and develop their focus as they go (through lots of revision).
Many academic writers, however, find it useful to have some type of flow chart to help them see what information they have and to consider how they will organize it.
This paper should exhibit no bias (this is not an explanation of YOUR beliefs, but of the opposing sides to a debate and what THEY believe—without your judgment of them). To avoid this, please format your paper with sub-headers (like the sample) so you are forced to explain/analyze(not judge) opinions you may not share.
Today’s class will be devoted to doing research and filling out your paper before workshop on Thurs. You have just looked, briefly, at a sample Analysis paper. Please return to this example often as you compose and notice its organization, the depth of its research and its neutral, academic tone.
A flow chart might look like this (note: your paper does NOT have to look like this. This is a SAMPLE):
Introduction:
History of debate
Key events—riot,
Stats—the problem both sides want to address, disagree on how.
Thesis:
Position one:
Summary of the pro-side
Key voices in debate: Nancy Pelosi, Ginsberg, Professor X and Chomsky
Position two:
Summary of con-side
Key voices/academics: Focus on the Family, Newt G, Professor Y
Position three: The betweeners
Summary of argument
Key voices/academics: Professor W
The Ramifications
Econ. Effects
Social costs
Conclusion
Why we need to succeed.
To Begin:
Go here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/pop2h.cfm and spend a few minutes narrowing your topic. You may want to explore this topic broadly at first, but please try to develop a focus, even for the analysis. Basically, this refers to taking a HUGE debate and selecting one element of it to look at in more depth. For example, if you were looking at the death penalty, you would look at NATIONAL voices and opinions, but ALSO focus on the death penalty in Colorado. For this assignment, your topic will probably be a little unrefined. You may, like the sample, just explore a topic that isn’t entirely argumentative (like the sample). Here, you want to show the varying aspects of this topic (ie: Male Body Image in the Media, Male Body Image in Post-Industrial USA, etc.).
Next:
In Bold, title the sections of your paper and develop a flow chart that maps the parts of your paper.
A sample flow chart:
1: The Issue
The paper should have an introduction that introduces the reader to your topic. This can relate a story/event—such as the murder of Matthew Shephard or the invasion of Iraq—that highlights the nature of this debate or recounts when it started. To outline consider,
• History
• Issue
• Positions and Debaters
In this, there should be a brief thesis/topic statement. This should ground your reader in your intentions, and the purpose of this paper. Ie, “Many differ on the role standardized testing should play is assessing a student’s progress. While this debate seems straightforward, there are a multitude of varying opinion supported by national groups, such as…., with a wide variety of causes the consequences, the chief being economic.”
2. The opposing positions (dedicate a section to each position or combine the various arguments in a section about each section of the topic)
• Arguments
• Cited evidence, list studies and stats that are frequently used to support these separate causes
•
3. Other sections
• The economic or social considerations behind this
• Who benefits, how does this influence what they believe
• Representations of this elsewhere (in the media, in politics, etc)
•
4. Conclusion: Larger picture considerations. When will this debate stop being a debate? How will it be resolved? Will it?
Do some research to fill in the gaps in your information. Go to http://library.cudenver.edu/
Click “databases a-z”
Go to academic search premier (the first one).
Develop some key words and connect them using “and.” Ie: “Death penalty” and “Media representations.” As you research, look for new terms that you can also search for. Ie: death penalty=corporal punishment, etc. Search away.
Now go here and read about MLA citation.
Outlines don’t work for everyone, but it is important to have an end product that is organized. Some writers work from the top, down, which means that they plan and outline the entire paper before they start writing, while others work from the bottom, up, which means they start writing and develop their focus as they go (through lots of revision).
Many academic writers, however, find it useful to have some type of flow chart to help them see what information they have and to consider how they will organize it.
This paper should exhibit no bias (this is not an explanation of YOUR beliefs, but of the opposing sides to a debate and what THEY believe—without your judgment of them). To avoid this, please format your paper with sub-headers (like the sample) so you are forced to explain/analyze(not judge) opinions you may not share.
Today’s class will be devoted to doing research and filling out your paper before workshop on Thurs. You have just looked, briefly, at a sample Analysis paper. Please return to this example often as you compose and notice its organization, the depth of its research and its neutral, academic tone.
A flow chart might look like this (note: your paper does NOT have to look like this. This is a SAMPLE):
Introduction:
History of debate
Key events—riot,
Stats—the problem both sides want to address, disagree on how.
Thesis:
Position one:
Summary of the pro-side
Key voices in debate: Nancy Pelosi, Ginsberg, Professor X and Chomsky
Position two:
Summary of con-side
Key voices/academics: Focus on the Family, Newt G, Professor Y
Position three: The betweeners
Summary of argument
Key voices/academics: Professor W
The Ramifications
Econ. Effects
Social costs
Conclusion
Why we need to succeed.
To Begin:
Go here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/pop2h.cfm and spend a few minutes narrowing your topic. You may want to explore this topic broadly at first, but please try to develop a focus, even for the analysis. Basically, this refers to taking a HUGE debate and selecting one element of it to look at in more depth. For example, if you were looking at the death penalty, you would look at NATIONAL voices and opinions, but ALSO focus on the death penalty in Colorado. For this assignment, your topic will probably be a little unrefined. You may, like the sample, just explore a topic that isn’t entirely argumentative (like the sample). Here, you want to show the varying aspects of this topic (ie: Male Body Image in the Media, Male Body Image in Post-Industrial USA, etc.).
Next:
In Bold, title the sections of your paper and develop a flow chart that maps the parts of your paper.
A sample flow chart:
1: The Issue
The paper should have an introduction that introduces the reader to your topic. This can relate a story/event—such as the murder of Matthew Shephard or the invasion of Iraq—that highlights the nature of this debate or recounts when it started. To outline consider,
• History
• Issue
• Positions and Debaters
In this, there should be a brief thesis/topic statement. This should ground your reader in your intentions, and the purpose of this paper. Ie, “Many differ on the role standardized testing should play is assessing a student’s progress. While this debate seems straightforward, there are a multitude of varying opinion supported by national groups, such as…., with a wide variety of causes the consequences, the chief being economic.”
2. The opposing positions (dedicate a section to each position or combine the various arguments in a section about each section of the topic)
• Arguments
• Cited evidence, list studies and stats that are frequently used to support these separate causes
•
3. Other sections
• The economic or social considerations behind this
• Who benefits, how does this influence what they believe
• Representations of this elsewhere (in the media, in politics, etc)
•
4. Conclusion: Larger picture considerations. When will this debate stop being a debate? How will it be resolved? Will it?
Do some research to fill in the gaps in your information. Go to http://library.cudenver.edu/
Click “databases a-z”
Go to academic search premier (the first one).
Develop some key words and connect them using “and.” Ie: “Death penalty” and “Media representations.” As you research, look for new terms that you can also search for. Ie: death penalty=corporal punishment, etc. Search away.
Now go here and read about MLA citation.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Homework 6/16
The homework assignment for Tues. is different than listed on the syllabus. Please do some preliminary research on your Analysis paper topic. Summarize your findings (you need at least three sources by Tues.). Discuss the arguments your encounter, any important evidence, etc.
Type it up. Cite your sources. 1-2 pages.
Type it up. Cite your sources. 1-2 pages.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Finding A Topic: The Worksheet
Here’s the deal. Picking a topic is up to you, but if you pick a bad one, you will suffer. It is important that you pick something you are interested in because you will have to research and write about this extensively. However, you must pick something that will work for this assignment. You need at the very least EIGHT to 15 scholarly sources for this paper. If you can’t find any information, ditch it.
First: List three things you are interested in that you wouldn’t mind learning more about. Now go to the list in the post below and skim for ideas. Ask: What do people argue about? Where can you go to find out? If your answer is nothing, pick something else.
List some potential, if broad topics here:
1.
2.
3.
Second: Can you narrow the topic by geographic region, culture, time frame, event or aspect, discipline or subject, person or group, etc.? Ie: If you are interested in gay marriage, look at gay marriage initiatives in Colorado (Narrowing by geographic location).
Third: Go here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/index.cfm This site is one of the better I have found for general writing info.
Even if you are pretty sure what you what to write about, use this time to see what you can find about it.
Fourth: Look at Procon.org. Is your topic here. Browse their titles and click on a few links to see if you are interested in any of these topics.
Fifth: Go to CQ Researcher. Go to the Auraria library site at http://library.cudenver.edu/. Click Databases A-Z. Enter CQ Researcher. Browse.
Click “Browse By Topic” to find some ideas.
If you are still stuck, go to Sixth: Go to slate.com, nytimes.com, washingtonpost.com, denverpost.com and look around for opinion pieces that you find interesting. Use this to get an idea for subjects to pursue.
Last. Pitch your idea. I want a list of three to five topics in question form. You may not know exactly where you are going to go with this, but that’s okay. Next, list why you are interested in this topic. Indicate which you are most interested in writing about. Ie:
!. What is the effect of farm subsidies on small farmers, domestically and internationally? I am interested in this because I like cooking and gardening and have been intrigued by food production for some time. It seems like this is a big problem, but we tend to ignore it. I would like to look into this more because I want to look at the sustainability of our food system like Michael Pollan, Eric Scholloser and Barbara Kingsolver have done. I am most interested in this.
When you finish, print and start looking for information.
First: List three things you are interested in that you wouldn’t mind learning more about. Now go to the list in the post below and skim for ideas. Ask: What do people argue about? Where can you go to find out? If your answer is nothing, pick something else.
List some potential, if broad topics here:
1.
2.
3.
Second: Can you narrow the topic by geographic region, culture, time frame, event or aspect, discipline or subject, person or group, etc.? Ie: If you are interested in gay marriage, look at gay marriage initiatives in Colorado (Narrowing by geographic location).
Third: Go here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/index.cfm This site is one of the better I have found for general writing info.
Even if you are pretty sure what you what to write about, use this time to see what you can find about it.
Fourth: Look at Procon.org. Is your topic here. Browse their titles and click on a few links to see if you are interested in any of these topics.
Fifth: Go to CQ Researcher. Go to the Auraria library site at http://library.cudenver.edu/. Click Databases A-Z. Enter CQ Researcher. Browse.
Click “Browse By Topic” to find some ideas.
If you are still stuck, go to Sixth: Go to slate.com, nytimes.com, washingtonpost.com, denverpost.com and look around for opinion pieces that you find interesting. Use this to get an idea for subjects to pursue.
Last. Pitch your idea. I want a list of three to five topics in question form. You may not know exactly where you are going to go with this, but that’s okay. Next, list why you are interested in this topic. Indicate which you are most interested in writing about. Ie:
!. What is the effect of farm subsidies on small farmers, domestically and internationally? I am interested in this because I like cooking and gardening and have been intrigued by food production for some time. It seems like this is a big problem, but we tend to ignore it. I would like to look into this more because I want to look at the sustainability of our food system like Michael Pollan, Eric Scholloser and Barbara Kingsolver have done. I am most interested in this.
When you finish, print and start looking for information.
Possible topics
You need a topic. That much is true. Look at the following categories and samples to get an idea for where you can go with this project.
Be sure to pick something that is important to you. Try to avoid generic, played out issues like abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, etc. These are "bad" topics, but in my experience these, and other overly generic debates (or debates that we encounter a lot, but will probably never really do anything about).
Most of these come from www.uwc.ucf.edu/writing%20resources/handouts/research_topics.htm
Race and Ethnicity
* Should racial profiling be a legitimate law-enforcement policy in some areas?
* Should Affirmative Action for state university enrollment be continued?
* Should the primary method of public school funding--property taxes in individual school districts--be amended to create more fairness in schools?
* Should high-school history classes and social-studies curriculum be changed to reflect diversity and multicultural perspectives?
* Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays?
* If a university offers "African-American Studies" or "Black Studies" as courses, should it also offer "European-American Studies" or "White Studies"?
* How do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stereotypes?
* Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective?
* Should schools only purchase textbooks that offer revised or alternative histories of historical events?
* What should be done about racial disparities in the sentencing of criminals?
* Should the American government pay reparations and return land to Native Americans?
* Should hate groups have the right to distribute literature on university campuses?
* If research shows that certain racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on average, how should this problem be corrected?
* Should governmental organizations have staffs that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender balance in society?
Gender and Sexuality
* What should be done to eliminate salary disparities between men and women?
* What should be done to create equity in executive positions for women in particular corporations and industries?
* Should women be allowed in military combat? To what extent?
* Is healthcare for women underfunded? In what ways?
* Should insurance companies which cover the cost of Viagra prescriptions also be required to cover birth control and regular examinations for women?
* Are homosexual characters and topics appropriate for prime-time television?
* In what ways does gender play a difference in student success and teacher attention in the classroom?
* Should the Equal Rights Amendment be revived and made part of the Constitution?
* Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be extended beyond 12 weeks?
* Should prostitution be legalized? Under what conditions?
* How does pornography differ from prostitution? Is it contradictory that one should be legal while the other is not?
* Should homosexual marriage be permitted in Colorado?
* Should homosexual couples in Colorado be legally allowed to adopt?
Multiculturalism and Diversity
* Should Colorado univ. allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition if they were educated in CO high schools?
* Should the US erect a border fence?
* Are groups like the Minutemen racist or serving the country's best interest?
* Should English be made the official language of the United States?
* Should ESL students be taught content courses in their native language?
* Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective?
* Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays?
* Should the United States have a more stringent immigration policy?
* Is immigration a problem? Really?
Advertising and Marketing
* How do certain kinds of advertising perpetuate racial stereotypes?
* Where do we draw the line in advertising (cigarettes, cartoon characters, alcohol, etc). What is acceptable?
* Should the military be allowed to advertise?
* How do certain kinds of advertising make claims of patriotic values?
* How does mass marketing and manufacturing affect originality and creativity in the arts and other fields?
* Does the American consumerist society conflict with democratic values? In what ways?
* How does advertising treat convenience as necessity?
* What kind of advertising is unethical?
* What current issues of truth in advertising exist?
* Should product placement in movies, film, and other media be controlled?
* Should product advertising and selling by permitted in public schools?
* Should communities retain the naming rights to baseball parks and football stadiums, or should businesses be allowed to purchase these rights?
* Does the modeling industry bear any responsibility in providing healthy, realistic physical role models for young women?
* Is the use of sexual imagery in a certain ad campaign unethical?
* Should tobacco and liquor advertising be allowed on television?
* Should all billboard advertising of alcohol be banned?
* Should tobacco and alcohol companies be allowed to use ad campaigns that could be considered child-friendly?
* Why are alcohol companies now allowed to advertise on television under certain conditions (after prime time, with responsible drinking messages in some ads, etc…)?
Economic Issues
* Why are we in this mess?
* What caused the housing "downturn"? How do we correct it?
* Is this the end of consumer culture?
* What to do about the widening income gap?
* Should the local sales tax be increased/decreased?
* Should "sin taxes" on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for the increasing costs of medical care?
* Should the state increase the use of toll roads to pay for local road improvements?
* Do local power and utility companies operate as monopolies?
* Should purchases made over the Internet be taxable?
* Should the government provide financial assistance to people whose retirement funds were invested in the stock of companies that may have used unethical accounting practices (i.e., Enron, Arthur Andersen, etc.)?
* Argue for or against the earning potential vs. risk of investing in a certain kind of stock.
* Argue for or against a controversial trade tariff or tax.
* Why do many stock analysts describe the nature of today's stock market as completely different from the stock market of twenty or thirty years ago? Argue for or against this assertion.
* Does America have a responsibility to assist its industries financially and politically if other countries' industries receive similar assistance from their own governments?
* Argue for or against Federal Reserve strategies that attempt to keep inflation low.
* Large corporations, such as Walmart and Barnes & Noble bookstores, have been criticized for driving mom-and-pop shops out of business. Is this a valid criticism when considering the nature of supply and demand?
* A few years ago, the U.S. Mint issued a new form of dollar-bill coin. Argue for against the continued use of this new currency.
* Should the United Kingdom join other E.U. countries in converting its currency to euros?
Environmental Issues
* Should national environmental policy focus on developing more oil resources, or developing renewable energy sources?
* Should our national energy policy focus on building more nuclear power plants?
* How does overseas oil dependency influence our economy/ international policies?
* Should genetically engineered food be labeled differently?
* How do city zoning laws and ordinances effect development and conservation?
* What civic policies should be changed to encourage conservation rather than new land development?
* Should recycling be mandatory?
* How should recycling efforts be funded?
* Should fines for littering and dumping be stronger?
* Should fines and penalties for corporate pollution be more punitive?
* Should the fuel efficiency of SUVs and pick-up trucks be raised?
* Should the government offer tax credits for the purchase of hybrid or alternative energy vehicles?
* Should the designations of endangered and threatened species be changed?
* Should loss of economic/industrial benefit be considered when land is preserved for endangered species?
* Should more civilian oversight be created to monitor government and military pollution?
* Should environmental studies become a mandatory part of science curricula in public schools?
Media Issues
* Why did TV go digital and was it a good idea?
* How does profit motive in media corporations influence what and how information is broadcast?
* What ethical considerations or conflicts of interest exist for a corporate media news channel?
* How and why do certain media outlets contribute to sensationalism in news reporting?
* Is the Internet a positive development for news reporting? Does it represent a more democratic medium of information?
* How does specific media bias affect how news is interpreted and delivered?
* How has the conglomeration of media companies influenced radio and TV content?
* Do cable companies represent a monopoly?
* Should cable services be offered on an a la carte system?
* Should a stiffer rating system be imposed upon television programming?
* Should tabloid television be scheduled only for late night time slots?
* Should parental locks be optional or mandatory on televisions?
* After 2006, only high-definition television will be broadcast, and older television sets will require a type of converter box to interpret the new digital signal. Argue for or against this development.
* Consider media influence on national political campaigns fifty or a hundred years ago in comparison with such influence today. Should new regulations be imposed to make current campaign coverage more equitable?
* Should music-sharing programs on the Internet be outlawed?
* Should websites that allow the free download of bootlegged movies be shut down? Do production companies have the right to shut down websites that allow the free download of sound or video clips from their media?
* Are there any good shows left? What does all this "reality" junk say about American culture? Does anyone (with ears) think those American Idol singers are talented? Seriously? No, seriously?
Consumerism and Convenience Culture
* Should the official work week be shortened/extended?
* How is shopping an American cultural value?
* What American or cultural values does the mall represent?
* How does the concept of consumer credit influence our economy?
* How does American consumer culture deal with the concept of death?
* How are the values, expectations, and rituals of specific holidays such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day influenced by consumer culture?
* What role does product packaging play in consumerism?
* What role does the national debt play in consumer's spending awareness?
* Consider the issue of disposable products and packaging and their impact on the marketplace as well as the environment. Argue for or against new regulation.
* Should third-world countries be held to the same levels of pollution control as more advanced nations?
* Argue for or against new environmental regulation concerning a specific industry (e.g., clear-cutting for cattle raising vs. tropical rain forest protection).
* Argue for a specific regulation that will make a certain business or industry more environmentally safe.
TV and Film
* Should TV ratings be re-evaluated in regards to sex and violence?
* Is there a double standard regarding nudity, sex, and ratings on television?
* Is male nudity rated at a different "level" than female nudity?
* What values do "reality television" shows appeal to? How have they changed television viewing?
* What does the trend towards voyeuristic TV programs reveal about modern American culture?
* To what extent has television as a source of entertainment changed American neighborhoods and leisure activities?
* What values/philosophies/worldviews are expressed by a certain television program?
* What impact has 24-hour news coverage had on our TV watching habits? How has it changed our view of information?
* How does MTV contribute to celebrity and image-selling?
* Should more customer options be available with cable television?
* Should consumers be able to purchase viewing rights to TV channels in an a la carte fashion (for example, paying $40 a month for 40 channels individually chosen by the consumer)?
* How has the television as an invention changed the American household and family life?
* Why is the TV and Film industry considered so hard to break into?
* Because celebrities are so often in the public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?
* In the past, the Screenwriters Guild of America has pushed for the credit "A Film By [director's name]" to be banned. Why would the SGA want this, and is this a justified request?
* Do scriptwriters have a right to be allowed on the set of a movie they wrote, or is this a privilege to be allowed at the discretion of the direction?
Sports and Entertainment
* How has the increase in ticket prices and athlete salaries negatively affected professional sports?
* Should professional tennis players only be able to use wooden rackets?
* In World Cup soccer matches that end in ties, should penalty kicks be discarded for some other method of determining a winner?
* Should professional sports leagues such as the NBA , NFL, and MLB establish a promotion/relegation system that rewards strong teams from lesser leagues with promotion, while relegating poor teams to a lower division?
* What changes, if any, should be made to NBA rules to preserve the integrity of the sport?
* Do sports stars or celebrities bear any responsibility for being role models for children?
* Should the instant replay remain in effect in the NFL? Should it be extended to other sports as well?
* Should teams with potentially offensive logos and nicknames (like the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins) change their names to be more racially sensitive?
* To what level should collegiate sports be funded? What is their relationship to academics?
* Should college athletes be exempt from taking classes?
* Should college athletes be paid to play?
* Does Title IX actually promote gender equality in college sports?
* Should GPA standards for college athletes be raised, or more rigidly enforced?
* How have professional sporting events been negatively influenced by entertainment, including Jumbotrons, music, and crowd-pleasing activities?
* What kind of performance-enhancing drugs should be allowed in different sports? Should creatine be banned from Major League Baseball?
* Should women be allowed to play in professional sports leagues that have no female league equivalent (the NFL, NASCAR, the NHL)?
* How have the four major professional American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) affected the rise of other sports such as soccer and lacrosse?
* How has ESPN and other media sources influenced (positively or negatively) professional sports in the last twenty years?
* Should communities bear all, part, or none of the burden of financing new sports arenas for professional teams?
Criminal Justice
* Should the judicial system be reevaluated or changed because of racially unfair sentences?
* What changes should be implemented to prevent male-male prison rape?
* How has the proliferation of privately funded prisons changed the criminal justice system in America?
* Should certain non-violent crimes be punishable by fines rather than jail time?
* Are state-mandated "three-strikes" policies unfair?
* Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as adults? If so, is there a lower age limit to this policy?
* Are exile programs (where a criminal is sent to prison in a distant state) fair?
* What kinds of rights should criminals have?
* What conditions of incarceration are fair?
* Are certain kinds of capital punishment cruel and unusual?
* Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities?
* Should capital punishment be suspended because of the chance of executing an innocent person?
* Should prison be punitive or rehabilitory in nature?
* Now that genetic/DNA evidence is admissable in court, should controversial closed cases be re-opened?
* If someone has already been executed, should his or her case be re-opened under certain circumstances? Should some kind of reparation be made to the families of the wrongfully accused?
* Should there be a limit to the number of death row appeals that can be made?
* Presuming that capital punishment is allowable, what types of crimes should this apply to? Only murder? Treason?
* Is society's obligation to simply remove a criminal from society, to actually punish the criminal for crime, or a combination of both? Considering this, then what is the nature of the death penalty in America today?
* Should the legal requirements for obtaining a search warrant be changed?
* If an officer finds something that he was not looking for (e.g., narcotics in an automobile that was being searched for firearms), why should or shouldn't the officer have the right to take the accused into custody? Consider the issue of "reasonable suspicion" in your discussion.
* Why are lawyers stereotyped as sharks? Is this a fair representation, and if not, why is it so prevalent?
* Many consider today's justice system to be too slow. What improvements could be made to expedite the system without sacrificing due process?
* Many states have harsher penalties than others for drunk driving. Consider the policies of a particular state and argue for a change in the penalties.
* Define "terrorist." Under what circumstances, if any, is "terrorism" acceptable?
* Should terrorists be tried in a military or civil court?
* If being tried in our court system, should the citizens of other countries have the same rights as citizens of the United States?
* Argue for or against an amendment to the statute of limitations for a particular crime.
Religion
* What should constitute acceptable "prayer" or moments of silence in public schools?
* Should religious schools be required to teach health/sexual education from a non-religious perspective?
* Argue for or against school vouchers. How does the separation of church and state apply to this issue?.
* Should religious phrases be removed from American money?
* Should government provide faith-based organizations with funds to help the needy?
* Should evolution be the official curricular focus of public schools regarding human origin?
* Consider the Christian Science relgiion. Discuss why this is a valid or invalid science.
* Should faith-based organizations be given tax exempt status by the government, even if the organization does not provide any concrete services for the needy--food, shelter, etc?
* Should the Orlando-based Holy Land theme park be given tax exempt status because it is run by a faith-based organization?
* Is the government justified in denying the Wiccan religion tax-exempt status because it fails to meet one of the government regulations in defining a religion--that of congregating at a regularly scheduled time and place?
* How has the role of the Catholic Church being affected by the recent accusations of sexual abuse by priests? Argue for a specific change in church policy regarding these crimes.
* Are public school Winter Holidays still generally organized around Christian holidays rather than those of any other religions? Argue for or against a change in policy.
* On campus, faith-based organizations can receive funds as part of a club. Does this follow the seperation of church and state?
The Political Process
* Should the electoral college be discarded in favor of a simple popular vote in presidential elections?
* Do alternative political parties in America receive fair treatment during elections?
* Should third parties be allowed to participate in national debates?
* How does the media help or hinder third parties? Should they receive equal and free airtime on major networks?
* Should the campaign financing system be reformed?
* Should presidential candidates be barred from spending their own money for their campaigns? Does personal campaign finance represent free speech?
* Should terms of senators and congressmen be further limited?
* Should a national form of health care be created, or should health care remain a private industry?
* Examine the historical role reversal of the value systems of Republicans and Democrats.
* Should a particular Congressional District be reapportioned?
* Argue for a policy change that would make the American democratic process more efficient.
* Are checks and balances a crucial element in American government? Do this process work as it was originally intended?
* Has the executive branch of the American government gained too much power in the last fifty years? Cite specific examples in your argument.
* How has/will new technologies like the Internet change the political process?
* How can the voting process in national elections be made less confusing?
Education
* Is standardized state or national testing (such as the CSAP) helping or hurting American schools?
* Is the current system of public school funding--primarily through property taxes--unfair? How does it contribute to inequality in the public school system?
* Should tracking be used in determining courses for public schoolchildren?
* Should magnet and charter schools be encouraged or discouraged?
* Should the system of busing students to school be amended?
* Should local school districts be redrawn to create schools that are more equal?
* Should federal school vouchers be used at religious schools?
* Consider the needs of a teacher's salary vs. the realities of the funding schools now have. Argue for a change in education budget allocation.
* Do teachers in classroom of thirty or forty children accomplish their intended tasks as educators? Should they be expected to?
* Some standardized tests scores factor in to how much money a school will receive in the next fiscal year. Is this an ethical way to demand accountability from a school, or does this further punish lower-performing schools?
* Consider the benefits and drawbacks of a home-school education vs. a public school education.
* Conservatives, liberals, and radicals all have different ideas about the purposes of a public education. Research several perspectives and argue for or against a particular viewpoint.
* How necessary are the arts in the public-school system? Argue for or against a change in funding for a particular district.
National/International Policy
* Was Iraq a mistake?
* How should we move forward in Afganistan or Iraq?
* In what cases is U.S. military intervention in other countries justifiable? In what cases is it not?
* Does the threat of terrorism warrant the suspension or curtailment of civil liberties?
* What policy should the American government have towards certain political crises? To the Middle East? To Israel? To Tibet?
* What should our policy be towards trade with China?
* Should the United States support the expansion of NATO to include the Baltic states?
* Should mandatory military service be required for all men and women in America?
* What are the ethics involved when considering the separation of powers and allowing a Presidential Line Veto?
* Is shuttle diplomacy a better alternative to gunboat diplomacy in the modern world?
* Consider the CIA's pre-September 11th policy of non-assassination, and its post-September 11th policy of pro-assassination. Argue for or against this new stance.
* Does the United States have a right to preemptively protect itself from terrorist attacks by attacking nations accused of sponsoring terrorism?
* Not considering the United States, what is the most powerful nation on the planet? Explain the criteria used in making this judgement.
* Should the United States change its policies on educating foreign nationals and issuing student visas?
* Is a two state solution best?
Civil Liberties
* Should people between the ages of 18 and 20 be allowed to drink adult beverages that contain a lowered alcohol content?
* Should legal hemp production be reassessed by the Colorado legislature?
* Under what conditions (if any) should medical marijuana use be legal? Under what rationale have some states gone against federal regulations and fought to allow medical marijuana use?
* Do terrorist attacks justify any suspension of civil liberties in the name of national safety?
* Should prison sentences for non-violent "victimless" crimes be commuted to community service or alternative methods of punishment?
* What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? Argue for or against a specific passenger check policy.
* What rights do people lose when on public-school property? Is the suspension of these rights valid?
* Proponents of a lowered drinking age sometimes note the disparity between the draft age (eighteen) and the legal-drinking age (twenty-one). Argue for or against the validity of this comparison.
* Argue for or against a minimum age for mandatory education (usually sixteen).
Counter-Culture Issues
* Should people under eighteen years of age be required to have parental permission to get tattoos and piercings?
* Is ear piercing of children of a certain age child abuse?
* Do owners of raves have a right to operate a business that can be potentially harmful to youth?
* Should parents be forced to vacinnate their kids?
Youth Issues
* Should the minimum age for attaining a driver's license be increased? Should this be a national standard?
* Should the mandatory age for quitting school be raised or lowered, or is the current age of sixteen justified?
* Should computer skills be a fundamental part of education curricula?
Be sure to pick something that is important to you. Try to avoid generic, played out issues like abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, etc. These are "bad" topics, but in my experience these, and other overly generic debates (or debates that we encounter a lot, but will probably never really do anything about).
Most of these come from www.uwc.ucf.edu/writing%20resources/handouts/research_topics.htm
Race and Ethnicity
* Should racial profiling be a legitimate law-enforcement policy in some areas?
* Should Affirmative Action for state university enrollment be continued?
* Should the primary method of public school funding--property taxes in individual school districts--be amended to create more fairness in schools?
* Should high-school history classes and social-studies curriculum be changed to reflect diversity and multicultural perspectives?
* Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays?
* If a university offers "African-American Studies" or "Black Studies" as courses, should it also offer "European-American Studies" or "White Studies"?
* How do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stereotypes?
* Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective?
* Should schools only purchase textbooks that offer revised or alternative histories of historical events?
* What should be done about racial disparities in the sentencing of criminals?
* Should the American government pay reparations and return land to Native Americans?
* Should hate groups have the right to distribute literature on university campuses?
* If research shows that certain racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on average, how should this problem be corrected?
* Should governmental organizations have staffs that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender balance in society?
Gender and Sexuality
* What should be done to eliminate salary disparities between men and women?
* What should be done to create equity in executive positions for women in particular corporations and industries?
* Should women be allowed in military combat? To what extent?
* Is healthcare for women underfunded? In what ways?
* Should insurance companies which cover the cost of Viagra prescriptions also be required to cover birth control and regular examinations for women?
* Are homosexual characters and topics appropriate for prime-time television?
* In what ways does gender play a difference in student success and teacher attention in the classroom?
* Should the Equal Rights Amendment be revived and made part of the Constitution?
* Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be extended beyond 12 weeks?
* Should prostitution be legalized? Under what conditions?
* How does pornography differ from prostitution? Is it contradictory that one should be legal while the other is not?
* Should homosexual marriage be permitted in Colorado?
* Should homosexual couples in Colorado be legally allowed to adopt?
Multiculturalism and Diversity
* Should Colorado univ. allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition if they were educated in CO high schools?
* Should the US erect a border fence?
* Are groups like the Minutemen racist or serving the country's best interest?
* Should English be made the official language of the United States?
* Should ESL students be taught content courses in their native language?
* Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective?
* Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays?
* Should the United States have a more stringent immigration policy?
* Is immigration a problem? Really?
Advertising and Marketing
* How do certain kinds of advertising perpetuate racial stereotypes?
* Where do we draw the line in advertising (cigarettes, cartoon characters, alcohol, etc). What is acceptable?
* Should the military be allowed to advertise?
* How do certain kinds of advertising make claims of patriotic values?
* How does mass marketing and manufacturing affect originality and creativity in the arts and other fields?
* Does the American consumerist society conflict with democratic values? In what ways?
* How does advertising treat convenience as necessity?
* What kind of advertising is unethical?
* What current issues of truth in advertising exist?
* Should product placement in movies, film, and other media be controlled?
* Should product advertising and selling by permitted in public schools?
* Should communities retain the naming rights to baseball parks and football stadiums, or should businesses be allowed to purchase these rights?
* Does the modeling industry bear any responsibility in providing healthy, realistic physical role models for young women?
* Is the use of sexual imagery in a certain ad campaign unethical?
* Should tobacco and liquor advertising be allowed on television?
* Should all billboard advertising of alcohol be banned?
* Should tobacco and alcohol companies be allowed to use ad campaigns that could be considered child-friendly?
* Why are alcohol companies now allowed to advertise on television under certain conditions (after prime time, with responsible drinking messages in some ads, etc…)?
Economic Issues
* Why are we in this mess?
* What caused the housing "downturn"? How do we correct it?
* Is this the end of consumer culture?
* What to do about the widening income gap?
* Should the local sales tax be increased/decreased?
* Should "sin taxes" on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for the increasing costs of medical care?
* Should the state increase the use of toll roads to pay for local road improvements?
* Do local power and utility companies operate as monopolies?
* Should purchases made over the Internet be taxable?
* Should the government provide financial assistance to people whose retirement funds were invested in the stock of companies that may have used unethical accounting practices (i.e., Enron, Arthur Andersen, etc.)?
* Argue for or against the earning potential vs. risk of investing in a certain kind of stock.
* Argue for or against a controversial trade tariff or tax.
* Why do many stock analysts describe the nature of today's stock market as completely different from the stock market of twenty or thirty years ago? Argue for or against this assertion.
* Does America have a responsibility to assist its industries financially and politically if other countries' industries receive similar assistance from their own governments?
* Argue for or against Federal Reserve strategies that attempt to keep inflation low.
* Large corporations, such as Walmart and Barnes & Noble bookstores, have been criticized for driving mom-and-pop shops out of business. Is this a valid criticism when considering the nature of supply and demand?
* A few years ago, the U.S. Mint issued a new form of dollar-bill coin. Argue for against the continued use of this new currency.
* Should the United Kingdom join other E.U. countries in converting its currency to euros?
Environmental Issues
* Should national environmental policy focus on developing more oil resources, or developing renewable energy sources?
* Should our national energy policy focus on building more nuclear power plants?
* How does overseas oil dependency influence our economy/ international policies?
* Should genetically engineered food be labeled differently?
* How do city zoning laws and ordinances effect development and conservation?
* What civic policies should be changed to encourage conservation rather than new land development?
* Should recycling be mandatory?
* How should recycling efforts be funded?
* Should fines for littering and dumping be stronger?
* Should fines and penalties for corporate pollution be more punitive?
* Should the fuel efficiency of SUVs and pick-up trucks be raised?
* Should the government offer tax credits for the purchase of hybrid or alternative energy vehicles?
* Should the designations of endangered and threatened species be changed?
* Should loss of economic/industrial benefit be considered when land is preserved for endangered species?
* Should more civilian oversight be created to monitor government and military pollution?
* Should environmental studies become a mandatory part of science curricula in public schools?
Media Issues
* Why did TV go digital and was it a good idea?
* How does profit motive in media corporations influence what and how information is broadcast?
* What ethical considerations or conflicts of interest exist for a corporate media news channel?
* How and why do certain media outlets contribute to sensationalism in news reporting?
* Is the Internet a positive development for news reporting? Does it represent a more democratic medium of information?
* How does specific media bias affect how news is interpreted and delivered?
* How has the conglomeration of media companies influenced radio and TV content?
* Do cable companies represent a monopoly?
* Should cable services be offered on an a la carte system?
* Should a stiffer rating system be imposed upon television programming?
* Should tabloid television be scheduled only for late night time slots?
* Should parental locks be optional or mandatory on televisions?
* After 2006, only high-definition television will be broadcast, and older television sets will require a type of converter box to interpret the new digital signal. Argue for or against this development.
* Consider media influence on national political campaigns fifty or a hundred years ago in comparison with such influence today. Should new regulations be imposed to make current campaign coverage more equitable?
* Should music-sharing programs on the Internet be outlawed?
* Should websites that allow the free download of bootlegged movies be shut down? Do production companies have the right to shut down websites that allow the free download of sound or video clips from their media?
* Are there any good shows left? What does all this "reality" junk say about American culture? Does anyone (with ears) think those American Idol singers are talented? Seriously? No, seriously?
Consumerism and Convenience Culture
* Should the official work week be shortened/extended?
* How is shopping an American cultural value?
* What American or cultural values does the mall represent?
* How does the concept of consumer credit influence our economy?
* How does American consumer culture deal with the concept of death?
* How are the values, expectations, and rituals of specific holidays such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day influenced by consumer culture?
* What role does product packaging play in consumerism?
* What role does the national debt play in consumer's spending awareness?
* Consider the issue of disposable products and packaging and their impact on the marketplace as well as the environment. Argue for or against new regulation.
* Should third-world countries be held to the same levels of pollution control as more advanced nations?
* Argue for or against new environmental regulation concerning a specific industry (e.g., clear-cutting for cattle raising vs. tropical rain forest protection).
* Argue for a specific regulation that will make a certain business or industry more environmentally safe.
TV and Film
* Should TV ratings be re-evaluated in regards to sex and violence?
* Is there a double standard regarding nudity, sex, and ratings on television?
* Is male nudity rated at a different "level" than female nudity?
* What values do "reality television" shows appeal to? How have they changed television viewing?
* What does the trend towards voyeuristic TV programs reveal about modern American culture?
* To what extent has television as a source of entertainment changed American neighborhoods and leisure activities?
* What values/philosophies/worldviews are expressed by a certain television program?
* What impact has 24-hour news coverage had on our TV watching habits? How has it changed our view of information?
* How does MTV contribute to celebrity and image-selling?
* Should more customer options be available with cable television?
* Should consumers be able to purchase viewing rights to TV channels in an a la carte fashion (for example, paying $40 a month for 40 channels individually chosen by the consumer)?
* How has the television as an invention changed the American household and family life?
* Why is the TV and Film industry considered so hard to break into?
* Because celebrities are so often in the public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?
* In the past, the Screenwriters Guild of America has pushed for the credit "A Film By [director's name]" to be banned. Why would the SGA want this, and is this a justified request?
* Do scriptwriters have a right to be allowed on the set of a movie they wrote, or is this a privilege to be allowed at the discretion of the direction?
Sports and Entertainment
* How has the increase in ticket prices and athlete salaries negatively affected professional sports?
* Should professional tennis players only be able to use wooden rackets?
* In World Cup soccer matches that end in ties, should penalty kicks be discarded for some other method of determining a winner?
* Should professional sports leagues such as the NBA , NFL, and MLB establish a promotion/relegation system that rewards strong teams from lesser leagues with promotion, while relegating poor teams to a lower division?
* What changes, if any, should be made to NBA rules to preserve the integrity of the sport?
* Do sports stars or celebrities bear any responsibility for being role models for children?
* Should the instant replay remain in effect in the NFL? Should it be extended to other sports as well?
* Should teams with potentially offensive logos and nicknames (like the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins) change their names to be more racially sensitive?
* To what level should collegiate sports be funded? What is their relationship to academics?
* Should college athletes be exempt from taking classes?
* Should college athletes be paid to play?
* Does Title IX actually promote gender equality in college sports?
* Should GPA standards for college athletes be raised, or more rigidly enforced?
* How have professional sporting events been negatively influenced by entertainment, including Jumbotrons, music, and crowd-pleasing activities?
* What kind of performance-enhancing drugs should be allowed in different sports? Should creatine be banned from Major League Baseball?
* Should women be allowed to play in professional sports leagues that have no female league equivalent (the NFL, NASCAR, the NHL)?
* How have the four major professional American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) affected the rise of other sports such as soccer and lacrosse?
* How has ESPN and other media sources influenced (positively or negatively) professional sports in the last twenty years?
* Should communities bear all, part, or none of the burden of financing new sports arenas for professional teams?
Criminal Justice
* Should the judicial system be reevaluated or changed because of racially unfair sentences?
* What changes should be implemented to prevent male-male prison rape?
* How has the proliferation of privately funded prisons changed the criminal justice system in America?
* Should certain non-violent crimes be punishable by fines rather than jail time?
* Are state-mandated "three-strikes" policies unfair?
* Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as adults? If so, is there a lower age limit to this policy?
* Are exile programs (where a criminal is sent to prison in a distant state) fair?
* What kinds of rights should criminals have?
* What conditions of incarceration are fair?
* Are certain kinds of capital punishment cruel and unusual?
* Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities?
* Should capital punishment be suspended because of the chance of executing an innocent person?
* Should prison be punitive or rehabilitory in nature?
* Now that genetic/DNA evidence is admissable in court, should controversial closed cases be re-opened?
* If someone has already been executed, should his or her case be re-opened under certain circumstances? Should some kind of reparation be made to the families of the wrongfully accused?
* Should there be a limit to the number of death row appeals that can be made?
* Presuming that capital punishment is allowable, what types of crimes should this apply to? Only murder? Treason?
* Is society's obligation to simply remove a criminal from society, to actually punish the criminal for crime, or a combination of both? Considering this, then what is the nature of the death penalty in America today?
* Should the legal requirements for obtaining a search warrant be changed?
* If an officer finds something that he was not looking for (e.g., narcotics in an automobile that was being searched for firearms), why should or shouldn't the officer have the right to take the accused into custody? Consider the issue of "reasonable suspicion" in your discussion.
* Why are lawyers stereotyped as sharks? Is this a fair representation, and if not, why is it so prevalent?
* Many consider today's justice system to be too slow. What improvements could be made to expedite the system without sacrificing due process?
* Many states have harsher penalties than others for drunk driving. Consider the policies of a particular state and argue for a change in the penalties.
* Define "terrorist." Under what circumstances, if any, is "terrorism" acceptable?
* Should terrorists be tried in a military or civil court?
* If being tried in our court system, should the citizens of other countries have the same rights as citizens of the United States?
* Argue for or against an amendment to the statute of limitations for a particular crime.
Religion
* What should constitute acceptable "prayer" or moments of silence in public schools?
* Should religious schools be required to teach health/sexual education from a non-religious perspective?
* Argue for or against school vouchers. How does the separation of church and state apply to this issue?.
* Should religious phrases be removed from American money?
* Should government provide faith-based organizations with funds to help the needy?
* Should evolution be the official curricular focus of public schools regarding human origin?
* Consider the Christian Science relgiion. Discuss why this is a valid or invalid science.
* Should faith-based organizations be given tax exempt status by the government, even if the organization does not provide any concrete services for the needy--food, shelter, etc?
* Should the Orlando-based Holy Land theme park be given tax exempt status because it is run by a faith-based organization?
* Is the government justified in denying the Wiccan religion tax-exempt status because it fails to meet one of the government regulations in defining a religion--that of congregating at a regularly scheduled time and place?
* How has the role of the Catholic Church being affected by the recent accusations of sexual abuse by priests? Argue for a specific change in church policy regarding these crimes.
* Are public school Winter Holidays still generally organized around Christian holidays rather than those of any other religions? Argue for or against a change in policy.
* On campus, faith-based organizations can receive funds as part of a club. Does this follow the seperation of church and state?
The Political Process
* Should the electoral college be discarded in favor of a simple popular vote in presidential elections?
* Do alternative political parties in America receive fair treatment during elections?
* Should third parties be allowed to participate in national debates?
* How does the media help or hinder third parties? Should they receive equal and free airtime on major networks?
* Should the campaign financing system be reformed?
* Should presidential candidates be barred from spending their own money for their campaigns? Does personal campaign finance represent free speech?
* Should terms of senators and congressmen be further limited?
* Should a national form of health care be created, or should health care remain a private industry?
* Examine the historical role reversal of the value systems of Republicans and Democrats.
* Should a particular Congressional District be reapportioned?
* Argue for a policy change that would make the American democratic process more efficient.
* Are checks and balances a crucial element in American government? Do this process work as it was originally intended?
* Has the executive branch of the American government gained too much power in the last fifty years? Cite specific examples in your argument.
* How has/will new technologies like the Internet change the political process?
* How can the voting process in national elections be made less confusing?
Education
* Is standardized state or national testing (such as the CSAP) helping or hurting American schools?
* Is the current system of public school funding--primarily through property taxes--unfair? How does it contribute to inequality in the public school system?
* Should tracking be used in determining courses for public schoolchildren?
* Should magnet and charter schools be encouraged or discouraged?
* Should the system of busing students to school be amended?
* Should local school districts be redrawn to create schools that are more equal?
* Should federal school vouchers be used at religious schools?
* Consider the needs of a teacher's salary vs. the realities of the funding schools now have. Argue for a change in education budget allocation.
* Do teachers in classroom of thirty or forty children accomplish their intended tasks as educators? Should they be expected to?
* Some standardized tests scores factor in to how much money a school will receive in the next fiscal year. Is this an ethical way to demand accountability from a school, or does this further punish lower-performing schools?
* Consider the benefits and drawbacks of a home-school education vs. a public school education.
* Conservatives, liberals, and radicals all have different ideas about the purposes of a public education. Research several perspectives and argue for or against a particular viewpoint.
* How necessary are the arts in the public-school system? Argue for or against a change in funding for a particular district.
National/International Policy
* Was Iraq a mistake?
* How should we move forward in Afganistan or Iraq?
* In what cases is U.S. military intervention in other countries justifiable? In what cases is it not?
* Does the threat of terrorism warrant the suspension or curtailment of civil liberties?
* What policy should the American government have towards certain political crises? To the Middle East? To Israel? To Tibet?
* What should our policy be towards trade with China?
* Should the United States support the expansion of NATO to include the Baltic states?
* Should mandatory military service be required for all men and women in America?
* What are the ethics involved when considering the separation of powers and allowing a Presidential Line Veto?
* Is shuttle diplomacy a better alternative to gunboat diplomacy in the modern world?
* Consider the CIA's pre-September 11th policy of non-assassination, and its post-September 11th policy of pro-assassination. Argue for or against this new stance.
* Does the United States have a right to preemptively protect itself from terrorist attacks by attacking nations accused of sponsoring terrorism?
* Not considering the United States, what is the most powerful nation on the planet? Explain the criteria used in making this judgement.
* Should the United States change its policies on educating foreign nationals and issuing student visas?
* Is a two state solution best?
Civil Liberties
* Should people between the ages of 18 and 20 be allowed to drink adult beverages that contain a lowered alcohol content?
* Should legal hemp production be reassessed by the Colorado legislature?
* Under what conditions (if any) should medical marijuana use be legal? Under what rationale have some states gone against federal regulations and fought to allow medical marijuana use?
* Do terrorist attacks justify any suspension of civil liberties in the name of national safety?
* Should prison sentences for non-violent "victimless" crimes be commuted to community service or alternative methods of punishment?
* What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? Argue for or against a specific passenger check policy.
* What rights do people lose when on public-school property? Is the suspension of these rights valid?
* Proponents of a lowered drinking age sometimes note the disparity between the draft age (eighteen) and the legal-drinking age (twenty-one). Argue for or against the validity of this comparison.
* Argue for or against a minimum age for mandatory education (usually sixteen).
Counter-Culture Issues
* Should people under eighteen years of age be required to have parental permission to get tattoos and piercings?
* Is ear piercing of children of a certain age child abuse?
* Do owners of raves have a right to operate a business that can be potentially harmful to youth?
* Should parents be forced to vacinnate their kids?
Youth Issues
* Should the minimum age for attaining a driver's license be increased? Should this be a national standard?
* Should the mandatory age for quitting school be raised or lowered, or is the current age of sixteen justified?
* Should computer skills be a fundamental part of education curricula?
Analysis Assignment
Assignment: Analysis of the Controversy
Due 6/23
Pts: 100
This is a 2-5-page paper that shows you know the field you are writing about and its literature. You will discuss the background of the subject (people started disagreeing about this when.... for example, Matthew Shephard’s violent death brought to light the extreme violence many gays are faced with. Since then other topics of gay rights have moved to the forefront of our culture, including gay marriage. In 2004, Massachusetts made it legal to..."
Some points to consider:
* what “events” turned this issue into a controversy in the first place
* who this controversy affects
* how the outcome of the controversy might affect that population
* why it’s important to others (why should anyone else care?)
You will not make an argument here, but summarize what each side of this debate says. AGAIN. YOU ARE NOT PROVING YOUR SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT. YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A SIDE YET. This is just a summation of all the preliminary research you have done on a topic. For the various positions/stances in controversy, look at:
* the reasons offered in support of these positions
* the persuasive styles not directly linked to “logical reasons” (appeals to emotion or the author’s credibility, etc. This could be a Pastor making an argument FOR gay marriage and using the bible as his evidence. He has ETHOS.)
* common rhetorical figures (metaphors, metonymies, analogies, etc.) utilized in making the persuasive case
* what’s at stake in upholding this position (who are the winners and losers—including any secret beneficiaries? What will be won or lost? etc.)
You assignment here, to be clear, is to accurately summarize your topic (not your argument) and present a Wikipedia-like discussion of it--broken down into sections that point out its important elements, important scholars working in this area, and what people disagree about in regards to this subject. Map the various positions held, and explain what they stand for.
Also, look at how some of these debates can be focused into topics that you can write about (ie if you are writing about the debate of sex education, you could add a section that explains Colorado’s or Denver’s sex ed. programs, etc).
You will need to cite your source material. To do so, use your Hacker handbook and follow the instructions for MLA citation style.
Due 6/23
Pts: 100
This is a 2-5-page paper that shows you know the field you are writing about and its literature. You will discuss the background of the subject (people started disagreeing about this when.... for example, Matthew Shephard’s violent death brought to light the extreme violence many gays are faced with. Since then other topics of gay rights have moved to the forefront of our culture, including gay marriage. In 2004, Massachusetts made it legal to..."
Some points to consider:
* what “events” turned this issue into a controversy in the first place
* who this controversy affects
* how the outcome of the controversy might affect that population
* why it’s important to others (why should anyone else care?)
You will not make an argument here, but summarize what each side of this debate says. AGAIN. YOU ARE NOT PROVING YOUR SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT. YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A SIDE YET. This is just a summation of all the preliminary research you have done on a topic. For the various positions/stances in controversy, look at:
* the reasons offered in support of these positions
* the persuasive styles not directly linked to “logical reasons” (appeals to emotion or the author’s credibility, etc. This could be a Pastor making an argument FOR gay marriage and using the bible as his evidence. He has ETHOS.)
* common rhetorical figures (metaphors, metonymies, analogies, etc.) utilized in making the persuasive case
* what’s at stake in upholding this position (who are the winners and losers—including any secret beneficiaries? What will be won or lost? etc.)
You assignment here, to be clear, is to accurately summarize your topic (not your argument) and present a Wikipedia-like discussion of it--broken down into sections that point out its important elements, important scholars working in this area, and what people disagree about in regards to this subject. Map the various positions held, and explain what they stand for.
Also, look at how some of these debates can be focused into topics that you can write about (ie if you are writing about the debate of sex education, you could add a section that explains Colorado’s or Denver’s sex ed. programs, etc).
You will need to cite your source material. To do so, use your Hacker handbook and follow the instructions for MLA citation style.
Monday, June 8, 2009
The American Idea
To clarify:
I want you to look over the American Idea essays from the The Atlantic (the link is on the blog) and come up with your own. It should be only 400-600 words (roughly one page to one and half pages). It should answer, what is the "American Idea" to you (does it have a future? what are some obstacles to it). The problem is there is no one definition of the "American Idea," so you must develop your own based on your experience and study of America. Please feel free to interpret this prompt liberally, as the authors for The Atlantic do (hey if you want to make a comic strip--see Stan Lee's submission--go for it).
Since we have such a diverse class in such a diverse school and some of us may not have been born here, some of us may not be citizens, we have each "experienced America" differently (so there isn't really a right or wrong answer here). You can compare this America (of your experience to other places you know). You can address how certain events, texts, or anything else have solidified your belief of what America is. Also, use the texts we have been studying--the Declaration of Independence, Letter from A Birmingham Jail, Ch. 5, Barbara Jordan's piece, the Obama inaugural address, for inspiration and to help firm up and support your beliefs. Answer, what is the American Idea (to you) and use the ideas presented in The Atlantic to help guide your definition. Have fun with it. Rough Draft due Tuesday (3 copies).
I want you to look over the American Idea essays from the The Atlantic (the link is on the blog) and come up with your own. It should be only 400-600 words (roughly one page to one and half pages). It should answer, what is the "American Idea" to you (does it have a future? what are some obstacles to it). The problem is there is no one definition of the "American Idea," so you must develop your own based on your experience and study of America. Please feel free to interpret this prompt liberally, as the authors for The Atlantic do (hey if you want to make a comic strip--see Stan Lee's submission--go for it).
Since we have such a diverse class in such a diverse school and some of us may not have been born here, some of us may not be citizens, we have each "experienced America" differently (so there isn't really a right or wrong answer here). You can compare this America (of your experience to other places you know). You can address how certain events, texts, or anything else have solidified your belief of what America is. Also, use the texts we have been studying--the Declaration of Independence, Letter from A Birmingham Jail, Ch. 5, Barbara Jordan's piece, the Obama inaugural address, for inspiration and to help firm up and support your beliefs. Answer, what is the American Idea (to you) and use the ideas presented in The Atlantic to help guide your definition. Have fun with it. Rough Draft due Tuesday (3 copies).
Monday, June 1, 2009
Oil
For Tues. We will discuss this in class.
For Thurs. go here and browse the essays. Find three that you like, or don't like, and write a rhetorical precis of each. Also, notice how they define the "American Idea" along their own terms, and ARGUE for the acceptance of those terms.
In addition, we will listen to this .
For Thurs. go here and browse the essays. Find three that you like, or don't like, and write a rhetorical precis of each. Also, notice how they define the "American Idea" along their own terms, and ARGUE for the acceptance of those terms.
In addition, we will listen to this .
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