Arguing Quality
For this third report, you will examine internet and print sources to analyze evlauative claims and arguments. Arguments of evaluation are based on questions of quality. For eaxmple: how serious is it? how good is it? how sucessful is it? how important is it? how dangerous is it? how entertaining is it? how valuable is it? and so forth. A key part of your analysis will be to identify and explore the criteria that claims of quality are based on and how those criteria are argued for or warranted (see p. 135-142 and p. 214-227) in order to support and justify evaluative claims. For example, in his evaluation of Wikipedia game (Wiki Hunt) as "fun" and "educational" Kamperman (p. 235-239) is assuming that it is appropriate to seriously evaluate a resource that otherwise gets "a bad rap" in academic contexts. Considering that he originally wrote this article for a college level course assignment, it is warranted that such an approach is not inappropriate for an audience who accepts reading such serious commentary in such contexts as in a college course or in a textbook on writing about arguments.
Choose an event, publication, person, or policy that you are aware has generated claims of quality. Some examples of general classifications are: films, books, laws, politicians, universities, athletic teams, buildings, social programs, government policies. These are some suggestions to get you started. I’m sure you can think of many more possibilities. A good topic choice will be one that has generated a fair amount of controversy and critique in a variety of venues and from a variety of perspectives. For example: President Obama as a leader; Thelma and Louise as a film dealing with perceptions of women and gender equality; SB 1070 as state immigration policy; Starbucks Corp. as environmentally responsible; the Vietnam War.
Once you have decided what subject you will study, take some time to write down everything you already know (or think you know) about it, as well as any evaluations and value judgements on the subject that you already hold or that you are aware others already hold. Then use an internet search engine such as www.google.com or www.dogpile.com or www.bing.com to look for .org, .gov, .edu. and .com news media sites that feature your subject. Before you study each site, write a few notes about how you expect the site to evaluate your subject and why. Then analyze the arguments of quality that you find and take lots of observational notes. Use Chapter 10 of the text book to guide you in the key features of evaluative arguments to look for. Take special care to look at the tacitly assumed and directly stated criteria that evaluations are based on, and how the criteria are either warranted or argued for in support of judgments.
Write a paper reporting on your observations and findings about evaluative arguments.
Please note that you are not being asked to summarize, evaluate, or
critique these sources. You are being asked to explore, observe, analyze
and present your findings on arguments of quality.