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The objective of this module is to understand the features of the Causal Argument by reading this assignment description and chapter 11 and then to write and revise a successful causal argument of about 1,200 words.
Chapter 11 does a good job explaining various examples of causal arguments. Pay special attention to the “Guide to Writing a Causal Argument” near the end of the chapter. The trick to writing a strong causal argument is making sure that something is at stake in your claim. You would not write, “The attacks of September 11, 2001 caused our country to focus much more on terrorism.” This would lack exigence because your readers would say, “Yes, we know that.” Furthermore, nothing really competes with that cause as the probable cause for the effect of focusing more on terrorism. If, however, you write that advertising to children is the primary cause of America’s increasing rates of obesity, that will establish exigence. Some of your readers will say, “No, it is the rise of the computer.” Others will say, “No, it is the reliance on our automobile that is the primary cause.” So in this example you will have to convince them that while their proposed reasons should not be ignored, your reason is the primary cause.
One example of a causal argument is addressing a cause or effect that is not obvious. For example, you write this thesis, “The United States saw a significant decline in crime in the 1990’s and again in the last four years. The primary cause of this drop is immigration.” Some readers will react with , “Wait! I’ve never heard that before.” Others might say, “What? I though immigration caused crime to spike.” So your essay has a good reason to be read.
Note that some students mistake a causal argument for a straightforward cause and effect essay. For example, they create this thesis: Rates of obesity in the United States have climbed more than 30 % in the last twenty years. The main causes of obesity in America are reduced rates of exercise, increased marketing of foods to children, and the ubiquity of junk food.”
************* That is NOT a causal argument. We all know some of the causes of obesity. There is no debate that diet and exercise and part of the puzzle. So this attempt at an essay would be no more than listing what we already know. To take another example: we know that economic panic and reactions to slavery were contributing causes to the Civil War. No one disputes that.
To reiterate, your readers are interested in causes and or effects which are up for debate. In some textbooks, we see the authors use the example of causes and effects of global warming. These serve as good examples for learning about the rhetorical mode called causal argument; however, I am not sure these work as good topics because most of us (you, CSM students, and certainly I) know very little of global warming. Instead, let’s write about something of which we have knowledge and are experiencing right now. This way if you want you can use some (not more than ¼ of the essay, though) experience as evidence to support your claims. The other evidence will come from your research, of course. Please think about that word : research. It’s not enough to just grab what a journalist writes because most of the time journalists are reporting what experts (those who research) write. The claims should be YOURS but the evidence should come from your own observations and the work of OTHERS. It can be tricky to know if your essay is making this distinction, so it’s that much more important to have your early publish reviewed by your instructor.
As always, in your essay, refer to at least three credible sources and include a Works Cited page. You may (not required) also use your own experience for some (@ ¼) of your evidence. As in previous essays, please consider using Proquest to access magazine and professional journals.
Causal Argument Here I am giving a students the TOPIC but you are creating the THESIS. Please be sure you are crystal clear on the difference.
It’s no surprise that people make connections between gender and aggression. For example, we can see that in the United States , 90% of prisoners are men, many of whom have been convicted of crimes involving physical aggression. As for women, they have been labeled as more likely to commit indirect acts of emotional aggression such as spreading rumors. Your task in this essay is to write an essay of about 1,200 words that will explore this connection between gender and aggression in two areas: 1) high school property (in class, in hallways, or on playing fields) 2) social media (Snapchat and Instagram) . Will you focus on cause or effect? EITHER one is ok, just be sure that it is clear to your reader if you are focusing on causes or effects of differences in gender and aggression. What conclusions are you drawing from your reading and your observations about the relationship between gender and aggression?
Arranging your Essay:
Your first paragraph begins by establishing kairos, then exigence, then the thesis.
As this is an academic essay, you must first anchor your essay in a scholarly source. The source will say something about gender and aggression , will have been written by expert(s) in their field, and will have been peer reviewed. Your second paragraphwill justify the choice of this source. That’s all you do in para2- defend the choice of the scholarly source (use proquest to find it) .
The rest of the body (paragraphs three and four or three, four, and five) of the essay will connect the information in the scholarly source to YOUR OWN observations of gender and aggression in the two areas high school property and social media. Are you focusing on causes or effects? Good ! So these paragraphs will mention the scholarly source again , but will be focused on using that source as a frame for your own observations. ex: Robinson and Hennegan mention ………………….in their study, and I found this to be true when I observe……………………. (yes , you can use that template if you want).
Final paragraph: Do not repeat what you have already written. Why would your reader want to read it again? Instead, point the near future of any aspect of the issue. This is the one paragraph where you may be somewhat creative, and you do not need hard evidence to support, but you need logic and critical thinking.
SENTENCE TEMPLATES
As always, you must use sentence templates 3 times in your final publish:
SENTENCE TEMPLATES
Use at least 3 of the following 8 sentence templates. If possible, highlight these sentence starters in your essay :
(Insert author’s name here)……..asserts that……….
One expert on this issue is ………., who says this: ……….
I agree with/ disagree with (insert author’s name) when he says………….because……….
Though I concede………, I must insist that ……………….
Some readers may challenge my view by asserting that……….My response is this: ………
This issue is important because…………….
I agree with…………. and will make the additional point that….
The future of this issue is this: ………