beliving and doubting essay

/in /by

this essay you must find a solution of the lowering levels of Lake Meads water and find a solution for the problem you will then believe the solution will work and then you will doubt that the solution will work. please be sure to read through assignment description carefully. this is 4-5 pages double spaced.

Rationale:

Most people like to oversimplify complex issues. They establish a hypothesis/potential proposal and only seek out evidence that serves to support it, assuming their audience will naturally support them. That is the essence of confirmation bias, which we have addressed. By engaging in such practices, you are exposing to your reader that you unwilling to recognize alternative perspectives or beliefs (which your audience might hold). If your audience does not feel as though their concerns are being recognized, they won’t listen to your argument.

Assignment Description:

From identification to action: This signifies the next stage in the process leading to that final Proposal Paper. In the last paper, you identified a problem. For this assignment, you will establish a hypothetical proposal that should help to reduce or eliminate the problem you identified. This proposal should be something actionable that is implemented by a specific audience. REMEMBER: there is a difference between an actionable proposal and a proposal purely based on an ideology/intention.

***Example of an actionable thesis statement: CSN needs to build a multi-level parking lot. Sample proposal based on ideology/intention: CSN should do something about their parking.

Approach/Framing: You will approach this hypothetical proposal through an investigative/skeptical lens. By which, I mean you will question the proposal’s efficacy. At the beginning of your essay, after briefly summarizing the problem, you will present a research question in place of a thesis statement (example: Should a school uniform policy be implemented across the Clark County School District?).

Body: For the rest of the paper, you will play the believing and doubting game; you will essentially “wallow in complexity”. This video (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. provides a nice way to conceptualize that form of thinking. Your goal is to test the strength of your hypothetical proposal. Think in terms of a scientific experiment: scientists are told to present a hypothesis and test the durability of that hypothesis by critically examining its limitations. Don’t rush through this assignment.

Arguments and Evidence: Supported by research from at least 6 sources, you will present arguments that serve to display the potential effectiveness of your proposal, as well as arguments that highlight points of opposition. Below is a way to approach each section:

  1. Believing portion: In this section, you need to show us how you can support that a proposal of this type can work. The best way is to find data collected from other areas where a comparable proposal has effectively resolved a similar problem. Try to rely on that empirical data that displays its efficacy. When examining other areas where a proposal of this sort has been implemented, really show us how those areas are comparable. For example: if you want to show us that solar energy can provide for the city’s energy needs and use another city as a point of support, you will need to prove that this other city has the the same needs as we do. If this is a new proposal, expert testimony can also serve as a point of support; although, it’s definitely not as strong. If you go this route, really extrapolate on the ways in which experts actually support their theories.
  2. Doubting portion: In this section, you need to identify valid points of opposition that one might present to this proposal. First off, consider thinking of logistical issues: do we have the resources to implement something like this? Next, think of theoretical counterarguments that one might make based on the very idea of this proposal. If you can’t think of ways to doubt your proposal, keep this question in mind: why isn’t this proposal currently being implemented? In addition, make sure to identify reasonable arguments that someone would actually present. For example, if your argument is that we need to tax the casinos more heavily in order to fund public schools, don’t present a silly argument like “Some people may not want to fund schools, because it will encourage more students to go to school, and then, schools will be overcrowded” (sample argument presented in a student’s paper). Good rule of thumb: if you can’t locate evidence that supports the idea, or find somebody who presents the theory, don’t include it in your paper. In addition, DO NOT REFUTE THESE CLAIMS IN THIS PAPER. Save that for the final paper.

Your goal: After reading this paper, I should feel as though you’ve examined different angles of your proposal and you haven’t merely skimmed the surface. You may find that this exercise helped you identify that this particular claim can’t stand up to opposition…and that’s a good thing. You don’t want to go forward with a weak proposal. Remember that you can always revise your proposal.

Tangible Evidence: Remember: when you present the different arguments that surround this issue, don’t merely present the general claims that different people present. Don’t merely shop for quotes that sound great. Present the hard, tangible data they would use to support their argument (even if it doesn’t help to support your argument). I really want to see those solid facts represented in this paper.***

  1. Introductory Paragraph
    1. Provide a basic introduction of the problem, a snapshot
    2. Present some piece of data to illustrate the problem
    3. In place of an argumentative thesis, provide a question that will guide your exploration of this proposal (Ex: Would a system like Housing First work to reduce homelessness in Las Vegas?), or present a generalized thesis about the different arguments surrounding the proposal (Ex: There are different perspectives concerning the effectiveness of a Housing First program in Las Vegas.).
  2. First Claim-
    1. 1st benefit of the proposal (“If we engage in this action, it will…” or “We need to do this because…”)
    2. Support with data/theories
    3. Analyze that data (What does this data mean for this argument? How does it help to support this particular claim?)
  3. Second Claim-
    1. One possible complication or point of opposition to the proposal (“Unfortunately, some would claim…” or “The possible limitations to this approach are…”)
    2. Support with data/theories
    3. Analyze that data (What does this data mean for this argument? How does it support this particular claim? How could it complicate the information presented in the previous argument/source?)
  4. Third Claim-
    1. Another benefit of this proposal (“It can also help to…”)
    2. Support with data/theories
    3. Analyze that data (What does it mean? How does it support this claim? How could it complicate the information presented in the previous claims?)
  5. Fourth Claim
    1. (Continue the established structure for all your claims)
  6. Conclusion
    1. Provide an analysis of where you need to go in the research/exploration process and/or what evidence is currently coming through stronger to you