S EMINAR U NIT 9 Causal Arguments

C AUSAL A RGUMENTS - I NTRODUCTION “We see things come into being or pass out of existence. We see a change from a before to an after and we ask “Why? What brought that about?” Or we imagine a new object or a possible future and we ask, “How can we make that happen?” Answers to questions like these involve causes, and since there are often competing answers to these questions, we need causal arguments to convince others to accept our account of what did or could bring something about.” (Fahnestock & Secor, 2006, p ).

K EY TERMS Conditions: factors developed over time Influence: affect the rate of an effect Necessary ingredients: required elements Sufficient causes: necessary + everything else Chance: unexpected coming together Human responsibility Blocking causes: factors that could stop outcome Precipitating causes: the final straw Agency: links cause and effect

R EASONS FOR C AUSAL A RGUMENTS 1. Curiosity about why something happened 2. Desire to replicate an effect 3. Effort to stop something from happening 4. Predict future outcomes Examples?

7 S TEPS TO WRITING A CAUSAL ARGUMENT 1. Define your subject 2. Describe your purpose 3. Choose a “causal narrative” “Does it make sense to talk about background conditions and a precipitating cause? Can you establish linked events, some remote and some near the effect? Can you talk about a complex of necessary causes and a sufficient cause without which the event would not occur? Is human responsibility significantly involved, both for acts committed and omitted, whether intentionally or not? Is the absence of something the reason for an effect? Could you have a case of reciprocal causality? Will chance or accident be an important part of your account? “(Fahenstock & Secor, 2006, p. 213).

7 S TEPS TO WRITING A CAUSAL ARGUMENT CON ’ T 4. Think about your audience 5. Try out cause-effect links “ Mill’s Methods: Common factor: Are there individual cases that have something in common? Single difference: Do you have at least two cases, one where the effect occurs and one where it doesn’t? What is not the same in the two cases? Varying together: Are the two things that might be linked as cause and effect varying or changing together? That is, as one increases or decreases does the other increase or decrease in a similar way? Eliminating possibilities: Can you name all the possible causes that could be reasonably considered and then rule out all, most, or some, leaving a more plausible case for those left?” (Fahnestock & Secor, 2006, p. 214).

7 S TEPS TO WRITING A CAUSAL ARGUMENT CON ’ T 6. Look at steps 3 and 5 and create “causal story” 7. Write your claim

W HY IS REALITY TV SO POPULAR IN A MERICAN CULTURE ?” Consider all the elements of causal arguments. E basics-2/why-are-reality-shows-so-popular-with- audiences

F INAL P ROJECT How can you include causal arguments in your final project? Discuss a current workplace problem. What are some of the causes of this problem? What are some proposed solutions for resolving this workplace problem?