There are two parts to this assignment, please read the instructions carefully and let me know if this is something that can be executed.
The Myth of Education and Empowerment 2 2 4.2 - Logos, Pathos, and Ethos This week, we finish up ethos, pathos, and logos. These are a key aspect of an academic argument, both when analyzing an argument and when making an argument. Every argument made will contain some measure of each of these. Here is my video lecture on these concepts: https://youtu.be/QRXGd-bMB8A Logos: An argument based on fact and reason (logic). Are the arguments being made in a logical manner? Are they fact based? Are the facts, figures, and statistics presented truthfully and effectively? -New York City should send its garbage to the moon. (poor logos/logic since this is not feasible/logical) -NYC should incinerate garbage for electricity instead of putting it in a landfill. (sound logos) -Misrepresenting or overstating what a source is saying is a type of poor logos. For example, the late Roger Ebert wrote in a review of a particularly inane romantic comedy that he feared that “this garbage will become a date-night hit.” In the ads for the film, they put “A date-night hit” with Ebert’s name on it. Poor logos because the material is treated unfairly or out of context. Pathos: An argument based on emotion and feeling. An emotional appeal is when an author bases their argument on our feelings. They try and get under our skin whether to make us laugh, cry, angry, compelled, feel pride, etc. This is generally more of a persuasive technique rather than a specific argument. Keep in mind that humor is a huge part of this and it is not all well intentioned! Some of the greatest humor is ridicule and attempts to incite anger in the reader. Pathos is also something we often see in political campaign commercials because they often appeal to feelings of fear, pride (patriotism), values, anger, and so forth. Also keep in mind that pathos is not necessarily displays of emotion in the text, but instances where the text appeals to emotions in the reader. For example, a writer might describe being angry, but it is not done in a way that seeks to make readers feel anger/an emotion, then it is not pathos. On the other hand, the writer might present material lacking emotion that is intended to make the reader angry. This is also another place where you want to keep the audience in mind. Thus, the question to ask is what emotion the author is trying to instill in their audience. Ethos: An argument based on character/credibility. An argument based on ethos claims authority on the subject matter. For example, a heart specialist who is writing an academic essay on heart monitors is a much more credible speaker than an athlete speaking on heart monitors. Yet if they were asked to write about the effectiveness of this monitor in track and field events then it might very easily be switched. Ethos is especially important for politicians. As people run for office their credibility is constantly taken into question. Similarly, you must do this in evaluating published argument as well. Thus, you will question, · What experiences does this author have in making their point? · Why should I pay attention to this writer? · Where in the text does the author establish their credibility? Are degrees earned, experiences had, or jobs held mentioned? Is the text well written? Does it seem like they know the material? Where was it published/Is the publication credible? What in the text makes the writer credible? · Are the sources used reliable/credible? Keep in mind that the facts and figures from a source fall under logos, while the trustworthiness of the source itself (the person, the publication, or the organization) falls under ethos. The author might not be an expert on the subject but uses sources and material in such a way that they have at least done their research. Here is a very emotional Google Super Bowl ad from 2020 called “Loretta”: Google | Loretta | Super Bowl 2020 - YouTube As you can probably tell, this one relies mainly on pathos as it is laser focused on emotions, but it also uses ethos by showing Google searches and relying on Google’s reputation with searching. That an older person is able to use this product also helps establish ethos here. The older man also makes an implied logos argument that the product is seamless and easy to use. Introduction to 4.3 and 4.4 The Assignments in a Nutshell Below, I assign two separate assignments. The first one assigned is the researched argument. This is the big end-of-the-term writing assignment that is worth 25% of the course grade and is due week eight. This is usually a longer article and builds on a revised and expanded version of the position-essay assignment turned in last week. The second assignment is a meta assignment (An assignment about the larger assignment). This is worth 12.5% of the course grade and is due first of the two, at the end of week five. In this assignment, you will create a multimodal (audio, video, etc.) presentation where you talk about your plans for the longer assignment. Here you will describe your preliminary argument, audience, style, and research for the other assignment. There is also a companion video (see link below) that explains these two assignments in more detail. https://youtu.be/_hJ3l2aix0g 4.3 – Research Argument Assignment 200 pts (25% of the course grade) -Daft due to the Online Writing Center no later than 4/18/2021 (Tuesday of Week Seven). A few days sooner is better. Please forward their response email and file to me as soon as you receive it, so I can leave feedback as well. - The Research Argument Assignment is an expansion of your Position Essay (the first essay). In the position essay, you collected and presented your own thoughts and opinions on an issue (with some light research where appropriate). Here, you are expected to take your initial argument and reasoning and further develop/expand those ideas through—you guessed it—research. This process involves familiarizing yourself with the works of experts (on the page, online, and/or in the flesh through personal interviews) to build upon what you already know. It also involves being open to having your position shift as you encounter new information. Regardless whether your position remains the same (the general topic should remain the same as you are building on what you started in the position essay), the idea is to use relevant information—facts and/or opinions—from these expert sources to support your own argument. The research should provide academic context and credibility to the insights generated from your own experience, observation, and/or logic. It’s not a matter of what published experts say—it’s how effectively you use what the experts have to say to advance your own ideas. Ultimately, you must use a minimum of 5-6 sources to help produce an extended argument between 2500 and 3000 words. For this assignment, you also have the freedom to choose your own rhetorical approach and the mode of delivery. This could include a popular magazine article (choose a specific publication, write for its audience, and make the document look at least minimally like an article in the magazine or on its webpage); a podcast episode/radio essay; a blog (make the document look at least minimally like a real blog or publish it as an actual blog); a webpage; a YouTube video; a TED Talk; something else; or a combination of modes (It just can’t be an academic essay again). Whatever your approach, it must be the result of reflection and deliberate choices, and you’ll be asked to explain and defend those choices in a research proposal assigned below. When choosing to write an article, find a specific webpage/publication to write for. For example, would your article about a specific food issue work best for a general audience publication (The Atlantic, CNN, Time, USA Today, The New York Times, and many, many others) or would it work better for a food publication, a travel magazine, a parent magazine, or something else? Choosing the publication is important because it will determine your broader audience, how your document looks, and other factors. Sample layout. Make the document look at least a little bit like an article in your chosen publication (or like a blog, etc.). Integrating research into an argument means taking stock of what you already have in the position essay and developing focused questions that will guide the research process. For instance, if you are writing about the long-term effects of Facebook on American communication, you may be overwhelmed by all the voices speaking on this topic. However, the research process becomes less overwhelming if you begin by posing a few simple questions. For instance, what percentage of Americans use Facebook? What is the broad demographic breakdown of Facebook users (age, occupation, region, etc.)? You could also, for example, arrange an interview with, say, your communications or composition instructor to ask what specific effects he or she may recognize among students. Narrowing or expanding the topic can also help with this process. Instead of writing about Facebook users, for example, you could write about how middle schoolers (or retirees, or…) use Facebook. The chosen publication will also inform this process. What kinds of arguments work for this publication and its audience? Readers of AARP Magazine are retirement age and might not care about how toddlers use technology, for example. That topic might work better in a parent publication, an education publication, or a general-audience publication. A 2500-word article would similarly simply not work for some publications. Overall, keep in mind that the publication feeds the argument, and vice versa. Remember the resources available to you through the library. Not only can you get in-person help, but you can also contact the library for help via phone, e-mail, text message, or live chat. There are also other library resources that can help you find the latest voices in that field. There will also be a live online Zoom meeting next week where a UIW research librarian will talk about resources available and answer any questions. I will also be in attendance. Attending the meeting will be voluntary and it will be posted as a video after the fact (this will be mandatory to watch unless you attended the meeting). The information about the meeting will be in next week’s WLP and will also be sent out as a class announcement. A note about formatting: The most commonly chosen mode for this assignment is a magazine website article. With this mode, the final document should at least minimally mimic the style of the chosen magazine/publication (the website or the physical publication). Basically, go to that website and then make your own document look at least a little like an