PROBLEMS/SOLUTION ARGUMENT
WHY AM I SO ANGRY AND WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?
You have been reading a lot about how misinformation is being spread and the dangers that these false beliefs can cause within our families, communities, country, and even the global community. The spread of these false beliefs may even be threatening our democratic institutions, health, and overall well-being.
You have also been reading about current rumors and false beliefs in the news. Hopefully, you are actually starting to get angry about this and want to do something about changing it to make it better. This is your task in this assignment: something is not as it should be and you wish it were different.
For this essay, you will be identifying a problem and looking for possible solutions. Your problem topic should relate to topics we have been exploring this semester: bias, false beliefs, fake news, stereotyping, or the political polarization in our country. Possible topics include: gender bias, gender stereotyping, racism/bias against a particular group (Latinx, LGTBQ people, etc), or misinformation about Black Lives Matter, Covid19, Defunding the Police or the current “post-truth” political climate in our country. Review the articles we have read this semester and choose a topic that truly interests you. Make sure you clear your topic with your professor.
- For the Truth, Lies, and False Beliefs unit, you have been reading and writing about the following questions:
Why is misinformation a problem?
What can we do to identify false beliefs in ourselves and others?
How can people become more thoughtful, unbiased consumers of information?
AUDIENCE
You are writing to someone (or someones) who has the power to make the change you seek.
You’ll have to do a thorough analysis of the audience’s needs, attitudes, and knowledge in order to devise an approach to achieving your goal. You’ll probably have to revisit those thoughts throughout your process, to make sure you’re not unintentionally alienating them in ways that will prevent them from appreciating your message.
PURPOSE
You want to persuade. But remember, this is not the persuasion of a small child throwing a tantrum until the authority figure gives in. You need to convince your audience that this change is in everyone’s best interest, not just your own.
PROCESS
1. Feel the passion!
Look over your research from the previous few weeks. What current news topics are you most passionate about and you want to ensure that other people hear the truth about the issues surrounding this topic. Visualize your research. What are the problems? What could be better? Write down everything you can think of, but try to focus on policies and procedures rather than individuals or insignificant events.
2. Find your focus.
From your list, pick an issue that seems important to you and also might impact others. It should be something that, if you can solve it, will have a positive impact on the world beyond yourself. This is your topic for your essay.
Possible topics include: gender bias, gender stereotyping, racism/bias against a particular group (Latinx, LGTBQ people, etc), or misinformation about Black Lives Matter, Covid19, Defunding the Police or the current “post-truth” political climate in our country. Review the articles we have read this semester and choose a topic that truly interests you.
3. Consider your audience choices.
What are the different groups affected by this problem? List them. There will be many. We call these people “stakeholders.” Which ones seem both persuadable and able to make changes? This is your audience.
4. Analyze your audience.
Which decision-maker(s) are you going to write to? Why have you chosen them? Consider your audience’s needs, attitudes and knowledge regarding your subject.
5. Make your case that a problem exists – Your Voice only – No sources
Write an argument that describes and illustrates the problem to the best of your ability without relying on any additional sources. Remember what you know about your audience. What can you say that will persuade them to agree with you that this is a problem worthy of their attention.
You are not complaining. While you are working, feel free to feel your feelings and vent to anyone who will listen, but remember that in the end, venting is a pressure release, not an effective method of persuading an audience to take action to help solve a problem.
6. Improve your case – Add Expert Opinions.
What additional information and research will help improve your argument that this is a problem? What do you need to prove to your audience to be convincing, and what kind of proof do you need to find? Are your sources convincing and credible?
7. Create a solution
As you do research into your problem, you will likely find information on possible solutions. Return to the readings from the previous two weeks to get additional ideas about solutions. You probably have a few ideas of your own as well. What would be a good solution to this issue? How will you convince your audience that this is a good solution?
8. Revise
Now that you’ve created your first draft of your essay, it’s time to revise. Based on feedback, as well as any additional insights along the way, revise the draft to improve its effectiveness. Think of your audience and what would be most convincing.
9. Edit & Polish
Check each of your sentences for clarity – Are they saying what you think they are saying? Find someone to read your essay aloud to you and listen for any mistakes. It’s much easier to hear our errors than to see them.
10. Title
A title will be especially important here. One technique is the use of a title and subtitle where the title introduces the subject but primarily function to interest the reader, and the subtitle clarifies the specific purpose of the piece.
A Democracy in Peril: The Dangers of Being Misinformed During An Election Year
11. Works Cited
You should have 2 – 3 sources listed on a Works Cited page. To avoid a charge of plagiarism, you must list the full citation for ALL outside sources used within the text of your essay. If you started with a startling fact in your introduction or used evidence from one of our readings in your body paragraphs, you need to have a in-text citation within your essay with a matching full citation on the Works Cited page.
(Adapted from The Writer’s Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing by John Warner. 2019. pp 163 – 171)
ORGANIZATION
Goals:
Writing a proposal argument—a problem/solution essay—is a common writing assignment for college students. This type of essay will require that you use everything you’ve learned so far this semester:
- Read carefully and actively to make sure you comprehend texts
- Make connections among different texts (synthesis)
- Write focused paragraphs that support and develop your thesis
- Guide your reader with a strong thesis, topic sentences, and transitions
- Introduce support with clear, effective signal phrases
Organizing around your audience:
It’s important that you think about your audience—how you’ll engage and convince readers to trust you and act on your solutions.
To do this, you’ll want to:
- carefully explain the issue/problem
- explain the causes and effects of that problem
- present your solution
- show how your solution will help
This kind of essay needs a few different sections. First, it’s up to you to get the reader to “see” or “recognize” why the problem matters. The reader has to understand the problem if they’re going to believe in your solution and be moved to act.
Once you’ve made this clear, you will want to explain how your solution will address the problem—you must show how the solution will help by using logic and by explaining how the solution has worked in other situations (in other geographical areas, in other contexts, etc.). You will need to convince your reader that your solution is the best way to address the problem.
Introduction:
- Hook the reader (perhaps with a statistic, interesting fact or brief anecdote)
- Introduce your topic—give some background info on the problem
- State your thesis
Your thesis should present the problem and discuss the solution.
Body:
Think of these sections as you do your research and as you start to draft. Remember: the different paragraphs of your essay should do the following:
- Explain the ideas in your thesis
- Discuss the causes of the problem (and/or) discuss the effects of the problem
- Explain your solution and convince readers that it is the most reasonable, rational, effective and/or moral way to solve the problem.
- Optional – Incorporate outside research about your problem and the solution.
- Incorporate the ideas from TWO of our readings for the semester in the body paragraphs
- Total sources used for your essay- 2 – 3 (one optional researched source and TWO of our class readings)
Lastly, you want to use topic sentences in each paragraph to help focus the paragraph and guide readers, and you want to use transition words and signal phrases to help readers follow along with your ideas
Conclusion: Your conclusion should leave your reader with thoughts about the future and what the future might look like if we don’t intervene
ESSAY REQUIREMENTS
Essay Requirements (100 points)
All passing essays must:
- be at least 2 and 1/2 pages properly formatted.
- MLA Format = 1 inch margins, double spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font, no extra spacing between paragraphs or for the title
- have an appropriate, original title
- have an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement that states focus of essay
- have at least 2 body paragraphs that begin with a topic sentences
- carefully incorporate sources with signal phrases and in-text citations for all quotes and paraphrases. Use at least 2 sources from this unit’s readings.
- clearly explain the problem and a feasible solution for readers
- have a concluding paragraph that brings the essay to a close
- have been spell-checked and proofread
- have a complete Works Cited page in MLA that includes all the sources cited in the essay,
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