Defend a position in which the key issue turns on a definition. You may write on a controversial issue of your choice. As discussed in Everything's an Argument (p. 109-128), your claim must be an issue of definition, rather than any of the other stases, and it must be controversial (or a borderline case).
Finding a Topic
For a definitional claim to be worth arguing, it must involve or raise a controversy. The controversy may arise because including some new instance into a category might change the way people think about the category. For example, suppose someone argued that an animal that was used in combat should be given membership in a veteran's organization. Or the controversy may arise because the category itself is not well established--you may be creating a new category through your argument.
Sample rhetorical situations
1. You are a member of the editorial board of a small magazine devoted to contemporary music and culture. The summer edition is to be devoted to influential punk rock bands. The issue will include tributes to the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, the Clash, Patti Smith, and Black Flag. One of the committee members suggests a story on Nirvana. Another member objects, arguing that Nirvana is not a punk band. Your job is to take a position on the issue, and to submit an argument to the board, explaining why Nirvana is (or is not) a punk band.
2. You are a high-powered producer with CBS and you have been charged to create an awards show for the movie industry. Market research shows that audiences would like to watch an awards program that classifies films by genre: action, comedy, drama, sci-fi, horror, etc. When the nominations come pouring in, you find that "The Fifth Element" has been nominated in both the action and the science-fiction categories. The show must go on, and you must argue for a single classification. Write an argument to your production team explaining your decision to categorize the film as one or the other.
3. He's gone and done it again: the local "shock jock" of the morning airwaves has staged a skit on the air in which the characters make constant reference to genitalia and sex acts, including sodomy. Public uproar ensues, with editorials and comment in the newspapers and on TV and radio. The FCC is soliciting arguments from listeners in the hope of determining whether or not the skit is protected speech under the First Amendment. Write a letter to the FCC arguing for or against prosecution.
4. You're trying out for a job as the sports columnist for the local newspaper; they want a writing sample that shows your ability. Since you know that Sports Illustrated will soon release their all-90's NBA list, you decide to write about Dennis Rodman, surely one of the most controversial players of the decade. No one is sure how SI will categorize Rodman -- is he a forward, a power-forward, or a defensive specialist? Write a column arguing that Rodman is or is not a true power-forward.
Developing Your Content
As you write your definition argument, be sure to work on doing each of the following:
- ESTABLISH THE PURPOSE AND VALUE OF THE ARGUMENT. Why is your argument important? Why is it controversial? What is at stake? Make sure your readers care about the topic and give them enough information to understand your position.
- CREATE A WORKABLE DEFINITIONAL CLAIM. Be sure your claim is an arguable proposition. The case you choose shouldn't be so obvious that an argument is unnecessary. Including your case might even have consequences on people's feelings about the category.
- DESCRIBE AND DEFEND A SET OF CRITERIA FOR YOUR CATEGORY TERM that any instance must normally meet to be included. Your goal is to persuade readers on any side of the issue that you have included all the sufficient and/or necessary criteria. Only after you have argued the criteria for your category will you actually match your case to these criteria.
- MATCH YOUR CASE AGAINST THE CRITERIA. How well does your case match the criteria? In most cases, your case will match some but not all criteria. Then you may argue that certain criteria are more important than others or that this case warrants adding some new criteria or making some optional.
Additional Requirements
SOURCES: You must use three or more secondary sources and include a Works Cited page. Your source material adds authority to your argument, so you must use reliable sources. Source material should contribute something to your paper that you cannot: specific facts, clarification or emphasis of a point, a voice with authority in a specific area, illustration of the controversy or complexity around your issue.
FORMAT: Your final draft should be 4-6 pages long, typed, double-spaced, and carefully proofread. The paper version of your draft should look like the model paper on p. 821-33 of The SF Handbook for Writers. Be sure to provide solid introductory and concluding paragraphs, organize the essay coherently, and avoid errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If you have any questions about these or other aspects of your paper, please come see me during office hours or make an appointment.
SUBMIT: Submit your draft as an MSWord document. Follow the naming conventions below for your rough and final drafts:
Rough Draft: yourname-rd1.doc (For example: mariela-rd1.doc).
Final Draft: yourname-fd1.doc (For example: mariela-fd1.doc).
Grading Criteria
I will evaluate your essay according to these criteria:
- Careful exposition of the significance and rhetorical context of your argument.
- Demonstrated ability to recognize argumentative strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to use principles of argument to construct a persuasive, coherent, well-supported definition argument.
- Acknowledgement and consideration of alternative claims and conditions for rebuttal.
- Effective essay organization.
- Clear and precise sentence-level rhetoric (grammar and style).
Consult the Student Handbook on RHE 306 Web.