CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Techniques of Argument Today 1. Final Papers: Discussion & Reminders 2. Evaluating Sources 3. Argumentation: Structuring Inquiry (examples) 1.Introductions, Framing, Grounding 2.Transitions, Line of Argument, Footnoting 3.Conclusions, Respecting the Reader

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Techniques of Argument Final Paper Discussion What has been your experience so far? General Reminders -Handout guides (use these to organize revisions!): MLA Formatting Known-New Contract Quotations Critical Moves The “Introduction” sections of the SP assignments -Argument as Inquiry, not Polemic Position Paper -Goals are to educate as much as persuade; Creation of new, reliable (grounded) insights into your chosen topic.

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Evaluating Sources, 1 Forms of Communication 1)Popular Communication 2)Trade Communication 3)Scholarly Communication Sources 1)Primary Sources 2)Secondary Sources

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Evaluating Sources, 2 Information Frequency (ala Hartley) “Invisible College” (self-selecting topical audience) Broadcast & Online News (general audience) Newspapers (general/geographic audience) Popular Magazines (topical, general audience) Academic Journals (discipline-specific audience) Popular Books (culture-selecting topical audience) Academic Books (scholarship/research-driven audience) Government Publications (national audience) Reference Texts (general audience)

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Argumentation: Introductions, 1 What makes an effective introduction? What are the challenges of writing intros?

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Argumentation: Introductions, 2 Establishing a Ground, 1 Ex. “In our globalized society technology poses many problems for our understanding of the community and our democracy. Scholars such as Stephen Bertman and Benjamin Barber argue that new technology is destroying our ability to understand our culture and to function in a modern democracy. A)I will argue that this view of technology is foolish and dated, ignoring the actual evidence that the increase in information increases opportunities for democratic participation.” B)Although I agree with this position on technology in general, I will argue that digital technologies enhance our understanding of other cultures and views.”

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Argumentation: Introductions, 3 Establishing a Ground, 2 Ex. “In Hyperculture Stephen Bertman the problem of speed as a helpful of focus for thinking about how new technologies affect our ability to meaningfully participate in democratic society. By drawing a distinction between the speed of mechanical and electronic technologies Bertman foregrounds the historical problems of experiencing information under contemporary conditions which are increasingly mediated by electronic technologies. If we assume that an informed public is essential to a functioning democracy, it will be important to reflect on the impact of historical shifts in technologies that mediate our experience of information. What Next? - link to Barber & “strong democracy”; analysis of blogs (Red State, DailyKos) vs. news organizations (NYT, WaPo); trans. to using Hartley for further analysis of the contrast in mode of info; reconsider Barber on democracy…

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Argumentation: Organization Transitions 1)Be clear about shifts in topic in your prose: apply “known-new” principles when stuck 2)Paragraphing: it is an art, but the basic logic = topic-comment Line of Argumentation 1)Main thread vs. related issues 2) Footnoting: gestures to more depth, complexity, information, related issues, sub-arguments (anything that might derail the main thread/inquiry)

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Argumentation: Organization Transitions Ex. Concept to Concept (McLuhan to Barber) … McLuhan’s description of our experience of information in hot media provides a more technology-specific way of discussing what Barber terms our “attention economy”… Ex. Challenging an Idea/Claim (Soros) … Soros’s account of the limits of the “market mechanism” is tied to a problematic understanding of morality. The argument that markets are amoral assumes that efficiency itself has no moral efficacy… Ex. Linking Difference Discourses (Soros to Bertman) … If markets as abstract concepts or systems of relations are historically considered in relation to actual human-scale processes of thinking and deliberating, Stephen Bertman and other theorists of technology provide a next step to exploring the moral consequences of Soros’s view…

CUSP134: Icarus’s Parachute Argumentation: Concluding Don’t Do This: 1)Summarize what you have done (all the moves) 2)Restate your material from the introduction 3)Make wild assertions that go too far beyond the scope, or draw conclusions which do not relate to your preceding analysis Respecting the Reader: 1)Be honest about what you think you’ve shown 2)You’ve earned some license to generalize, but make sure it is connected: Where does your argument point to next? What does it suggest that you did not take up? What is its significance, in your view? (Why does it matter?)