The final major assignment for the course requires you to write a lengthy essay drawing upon significant outside research. Though the terms “research” and “research paper” (especially the latter) often suggest the mere assembling and reporting of large chunks of information, this paper asks you to do much more. Rather, in this assignment you will use the research and writing process to develop and formulate a substantial response to a challenging question growing out of our reading and discussion from the past week or so. Though these questions – and your papers responding to them – will vary considerably in topic, you will all engage in the process of planning, drafting, and revising a focused and substantial essay based in rigorous academic research.
Basic Information:
Formatting: Typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins or smaller
Length: 9-11 pages (final version)
Sources: Minimum of seven outside sources, at least one of which must be a scholarly article or book (MLA or APA documentation)
Criteria for Evaluation:
Below are the criteria according to which I will comment on and assess your papers. Use these as guidelines during your drafting and revision processes.
Thesis/Primary Claim: Like your previous essays this term, this essay should articulate, focus on, and develop a clear, contestable claim. Again, a claim is an assertion that can be debated and needs support or explanation, not a neutral statement or summary of obvious fact(s). For example, the statement “Many thinkers have wondered whether one can seek wealth and remain moral” is not a thesis, since it contains little or nothing with which anyone can disagree – it doesn’t take a stand on an issue but instead simply raises one in a very general way. Nor does it assert anything that we as average readers do not already know. In contrast, the following statement constitutes a thesis or claim: “Contrary to what thinkers like Gandhi have argued, it is not unethical or immoral to seek material gain.” This statement is a thesis because reasonable readers might ask why the writer holds such a position (and require supporting proof) and because reasonable readers might disagree. Also, you should support your primary claim with several reasons or “sub-claims,” often indicated in your thesis statement (it may be an especially good idea to outline your main points in your introduction in a paper of this length). For example, if you argue the claim that it is moral/ethical to seek economic gain, you might support that claim by reasoning that economic prosperity makes possible helping others (perhaps through philanthropic aid). Also, you might argue that “immoral” behavior is more characteristic of societies suffering from poverty (if you could prove that with evidence) and that some ethical or religious traditions approve of seeking prosperity. You thus could support your claim with at least three reasons, each of which could be developed with specific concrete evidence in a separate part of your essay (see “support” and “organization” below).
Support/Evidence: Again as in your previous essays, you must support your claim(s) with relevant and sufficient concrete evidence. However, while in the last two papers a majority of such evidence likely came from our class readings, for this paper you will have to go well beyond our readings to develop your argument. That is, you will use the research process to answer the question you pose for your paper, citing material found in your research as evidence for your claims. Since the subjects you will be writing about will vary considerably, your evidence may take a variety of forms. For example, imagine you were writing a paper arguing that the California public schools are suffering academically due to cuts in art instruction and activity. Your evidence might include research studies (including statistics) regarding lowering academic achievement of schools without arts programs and higher achievement in school systems that include them, expert testimony of teachers and administrators, personal testimony of students themselves, descriptions of or quotations from curriculum documents, and perhaps anecdotes of individual students or schools. The kind supporting evidence you use, as this example suggests, will depend upon the subject of your inquiry. In any case, be sure that each claim or point is supported by sufficient evidence (e. g., it’s not a good idea to support a point with only one fact or only one source) and that you clearly explain the relevance of your evidence to your point or claim.
Complexity/Alternative Views: If your paper is focused on a genuine thesis (that is, a truly contestable claim), then you should be able to imagine reasonable questions about or arguments against that thesis, and you must address at least some of these in your essay. For instance, if you argue that engaging in war is compatible with Christian beliefs, you would have to acknowledge arguments that Christianity is essentially pacifist as a faith. You can respond to these arguments in at least two different ways. First, you might concede the partial truth or validity of the opposing arguments, qualifying your thesis. (For example, you might concede that Christian texts and Jesus’s words specifically most often preach peace and forgiveness.) Second and alternatively, you could attempt to refute the opposing argument, perhaps by challenging the strength of the evidence on which it is based. (Perhaps theologians have offered interpretations of scripture that suggest war can be justifiable, as Elsthain argues.) Whichever strategy of response you employ (and you can employ a combination of both), be sure to acknowledge and contend with opposing views, both to strengthen your argument and to make it more complex, and therefore more dynamic and engaging.
Organization/Structure: The principles of organization that guided your previous essays are still relevant to and useful for this one. Your paper should be structured with a clear introduction (in which you establish the issue you’re addressing and present your thesis in the form of a primary claim and main supporting reasons/points), body (in which you develop your main points with evidence and discussion, and address opposing arguments), and conclusion (in which you concisely reiterate your primary claim and possibly main points, as well as remind the reader of the significance of your topic). As in the last paper, be sure that each paragraph within the body is focused clearly on a single topic (often indicated in the first or second sentence of the paragraph) and that transitions between paragraphs guide the reader from one point to the next. Finally, in a paper of this length and complexity, it may also be useful to organize the body of the essay into larger units or sections, each containing several paragraphs. These sections or divisions can be indicated by subtitles or at least by extra “white space” between paragraphs that end one section and begin the next.
Mechanics/Style: As in previous essays, be sure to allow time and opportunity to proofread and edit your paper thoroughly before handing in the final version, so that grammatical errors and instances of awkwardness are kept to a minimum. Also, since this paper requires that you draw upon a variety of sources found in independent research, you should document all quotation, paraphrase, and summary of sources both within your paper parenthetically and at the end in a “works cited” or “references” list. Documentation for the final version should follow MLA or APA format (your choice).
Questions/Prompts:
Below are numerous ideas that can be used as starting points for essays deriving from our reading and discussion over the past few classes. Feel free to simply select one of these to address in your essay. Alternatively, modify one of these to meet your own interests, or develop a topic of your own (though you’re advised to discuss this latter option with me).
Economics and Ethics:
• Gandhi argues that it is difficult and perhaps impossible to purse both moral and economic success at the same time. He therefore implies a connection between one’s affluence and one’s values. Write an essay exploring questions like these: Do the wealthy differ in moral values from the less affluent? Do people’s values change – for better or worse – if they obtain greater wealth?
• Select one or two works of literature or one or two films that focus on economic issues (from wealth-seeking to income inequity). How is wealth, for instance, represented in the film(s) or book(s)? What argument, if any, does the film or text present? In your essay, be sure to discuss the literary work or film in detail, as well as to draw upon critical discussions of the work or film in question. You may also conduct research into any factual material that may seem relevant to your discussion.
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