Do Now: Statistics show that number of people who participate in regular religious practice is decreasing in the U.S. List what might be the causes and effects of this decline in religious practice.

Cause and Effect

Focuses on relationships; the links between one phenomenon and another. Can be scientific (links between caffeine consumption and heart disease) or personal (“Why do I always end up arguing with my parents over things we all know are unimportant?”) More than list of possible causes and consequences; must establish relationship based on logic and available evidence.

Causal Analysis Identify the links in a causal chain: remote causes, necessary conditions, direct causes to immediate effects and more distant consequences. Identify the conditions and forces that work together (in no particular pattern) to shape a person’s life, create a particular situation, or help bring about events.

Why Use Cause-Effect Analysis? Address complicated relationships. Often used in academic and research writing; look at puzzling element in a subject or at a point over which there is disagreement and attempt to explain phenomenon. – “Perhaps the most interesting feature of early jazz is…” – “Over the last decade researchers have argued about the role of aggressive behavior in corporate organizations…”

Strategies Description of a puzzling phenomenon followed by explanation/examination of possible causes. – Immediate cause (the ones encountered first); Faulty wiring causes warehouse fire. – Ultimate cause (basic, underlying factors that help to explain more apparent ones); A company’s cutting corners on safety equipment updates due to pressure to increase profit. Discussion of desired effects followed by examination of actions or arrangements most likely to produce these consequences. – School district wants to increase test scores; examine changes to teacher training, curriculum, school environment, etc.

Developing a Cause & Effect Analysis Must provide thorough and logical reasoning. Avoid common faults in causal reasoning: – Never mistake the fact that something happens after another occurrence as evidence of causal relationship; English comp course caused student’s nervous breakdown. – Consider all possible relevant factors before attributing causes; Student was ill, trouble at home, stress of working while going to school, anguish of love affair. – Support analysis with more than assertions: provide evidence.

Developing a Cause & Effect Analysis Avoid common faults in causal reasoning (cont.): – Be careful not to omit any links in the chain of causes or effects. – Be honest and objective.

Topics Some minor discovery or invention The popularity of a celebrity The popularity of a clothing/hairstyle fad The widespread enjoyment of social media Student cheating Too much pressure on students Your being a member of some minority ethnic or religious group Some unreasonable fear or anxiety that afflicts you The appeal of careers that promise considerable financial rewards

Topics The appeal of a current film or TV series The disintegration of a marriage or family A family’s move to a new home A candidate’s success in a local or national election A recent war or international conflict A trend in the national economy The concern with diet and physical fitness Worry about crime Attention to gender roles Willingness to take risks Desire for success