American dilemmas

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American Dilemmas

Submission One Guidelines

Submission One:

· Describes the social problem you have chosen

· Five to six typed pages long (MUST be at least a full five pages)

· Includes a Works Cited list, including at least ten sources. [Note: this is in addition to your minimum five pages of text].

· Must be written in appropriate format and style according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

Introduction

: Review introductions in the course writing guidelines. Your first sentence should both engage your audience and introduce your main topic (usually the social problem, but in some cases, the controversy). As noted in the Handbook, be sure to stay neutral; don’t choose an introductory anecdote or description that favors one side of our controversy. The rest of the introduction establishes the fact that there is a social problem and that it is controversial. NOTE: IF YOUR STAKEHOLDERS DISAGREE ON WHAT THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY IS, IDENTIFY BOTH PERCEIVED PROBLEM HERE. The last sentence asks your thesis question, being sure to make it an actual proposal that some actual stakeholders have suggested (or the current policy), including the appropriate policy-making body with power to enact the change, and being sure the question is as specific as possible.

Organization

: After your introduction, each paragraph should make a single main point, and each of those points should be necessary to prove your thesis. Further, those paragraphs should be arranged in a logical sequence. Suggestions to strengthen organization:

1. Outline your papers before writing. This will help make you a better writer by requiring you clarify your main ideas, stay focused, and sequence your ideas properly.

2. Be sure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence. This is a “mini thesis” for each paragraph that indicates to your reader what the main purpose of that paragraph will be. The typical position for a topic sentence is at the beginning of the paragraph; if you’re very confident of your writing and organizational skills, and if there’s a compelling reason to position your topic sentence elsewhere, that’s fine.

Content: After the introduction paragraph, submission one must include:

· Identify the social problems of concern to each side. (This is body paragraph 1 OR 1 and 2, if your stakeholders disagree on what the social problem is.) This section clearly explains that there is a problem, why it is a problem and what the scope of that problem is (in other words, how severe and widespread it is, and for whom). This paragraph (or two, if necessary) will use solid research and numerical evidence to demonstrate how widespread the problem is, but you can also include anecdotes, examples, and/or quotes to communicate the human impact of the problem in addition. However, you MUST quantify the scope with data. As noted above, if your stakeholders disagree on what the social problem is, describe both perceived problems and discuss both of their scopes here.

·

Stakeholders

. (Generally 1 paragraph.) Briefly describe the general stakeholders in your controversy and identify at least two specific stakeholders for each side. Be sure to choose REPRESENTATIVE groups, i.e. groups that are typical of groups and people on that side. This means that you must have FULLY researched more stakeholders than just those you write about; otherwise, you won’t know which ones are representative. Be aware that this is a brief introduction; you will discuss your stakeholders more fully in submission two.

·

History

and background. (Generally 2-4 paragraphs.) Discuss the history and background of the PROBLEM(S), CONTROVERSY, and the RELEVANT POLICIES, giving a chronological overview of major events and the context in which they occur. Readers should learn not only what happened, but why it happened then. Be judicious, though; give us a clear history of how and why this situation came about, but don’t artificially expand your paper with ancient origins, unnecessary details, etc.

· Present-day policies. (Generally 1-2 paragraphs.) Describe relevant laws, policies, and social programs, as well as PROPOSED policies. This includes a clear, thorough description of the current policy as well as other tried or proposed policies (and what kinds of stakeholders have proposed them). When answering the handbook question “How are these things working?” [NOTE: the new handbook includes this question in History, but it makes more sense here] be sure to ATTRIBUTE answers to the appropriate sides of the controversy. In other words, don’t write “The War on Drugs is not working.” Write, “According to critics, the War on Drugs is not working.” (Then cite sources!)

Evidence: All arguments require evidence. For this paper, you will need evidence to describe your social problem AS WELL AS to describe the stakeholders’ perspectives on it. Cite all quotation sources, as well as the source of all ideas that are not common knowledge. Note on credible sources: not everything you read (especially on the internet!) is credible. Introduce experts for credibility (“According to Professor Brainiac, the 2003 Nobel prizewinner in economics, …”), but don’t introduce journalists or non-experts; you can just cite those parenthetically. Don’t waste space by naming articles, study names, or journal titles in your text unless there is an unusually compelling reason for doing so.

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation: Use them. Use them correctly. Consult a style book when in doubt, ALWAYS PROOFREAD YOUR WORK, and don’t ever rely solely on spell check or grammar check.

Style: Style is not “decoration” for your paper. Good, clear style improves a paper’s readability. Conversely, awkward syntax or arcane language hinders readability. Your job as a writer is to make your ideas accessible to your reader. To that end:

1. Use clear, straightforward language. Circuitous sentences are not the mark of a sophisticated mind, but rather of an unorganized or pompous one. Avoid wordiness at all costs.

Wordy sentence: When the subject of consumer culture is discussed, there are effectively two perspectives of the matter; one perspective is that of the people doing the consuming, and the other is comprised of entities producing commodities.

Better sentence
: There are two perspectives of consumer culture: the consumer’s and the producer’s.

2. Use active verbs. Passive both slow comprehension and don’t clarify who did what.

Passive: Consumption was promoted by advertising.

Active verbs clearly and directly state your points.

Active: Advertising promoted consumption.

Also, avoid overuse of linking verbs (“there is,” “there are,” etc. Any form of “to be.”) There’s usually a more dynamic way to phrase a point.

3. Use transitions between paragraphs and between different ideas within paragraphs. They’re like traffic signs for your reader, since they indicate which way you’re going next. They are crucial in helping your reader follow your ideas. They can indicate that you’re departing in a different direction (however, nevertheless, on the other hand), or that you’re adding more information of a similar nature (likewise, similarly, in addition). If you feel as if you have trouble with the “flow” of your papers, you’re probably not using transitions well.

FOUR ESSENTIAL

NOTES

:

1. Review instructions carefully. Review this document, the grading rubric, the course writing guidelines (also on Blackboard) and the Dilemmas Handbook carefully in order to successfully complete submission 1. Use the outline on pp. 39-47 in the Handbook as a guide.

2. Ignore the Handbook examples. While the Handbook instructions are essential, you should NOT follow the sample passages in the Handbook. They are misleading.

3. Attribute all controversial beliefs, opinions, and perspectives to the appropriate side. NEVER just state these things

—

it will look as if YOU believe them, and it’s not time for you to let us know what you believe yet. It may feel repetitive to keep writing “according to,” “in the opinion of,” etc., but you do want to do it anyway.

4. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR “FLUFF” IN THIS PAPER. Many of you have filled required pages by long, detailed, wordy descriptions in other assignments. That will not work at all here. To complete this paper assignment adequately–to provide all of the information that the assignment requires–WILL TAKE THE ENTIRE PAGE REQUIREMENTS. You CANNOT detail the submission 1 material in less than

5

or 6 pages. Write clearly and straightforwardly–make each point fully but concisely with no fluff–or you cannot possibly be addressing all the requirements.

GRADING RUBRIC

Submission One

5

10

10

10

10

10

10

5

COMPONENT	NOTES	POSSIBLE	EARNED
Introduction			5
[Content:]	—
Social Problems: (definition/scope of problem[s])							10
Stakeholders
History
Current policies & alternatives	15
Logic/clarity/neutrality
Use of supporting evidence
Organization
MLA form/works cited page
Grammar, spelling, punctuation
Writing style
100