Page Requirement: 4-5 pages. You also need to include a Works Cited page (the paper should be at least four pages before the inclusion of the Works Cited Page). As with the previous assignments, I will deduct points from your paper if it doesn’t adhere to MLA 8th Edition standards, including the following:
A properly-formatted header
Properly-formatted page numbers
Appropriate spacing, both between lines as well as between paragraphs
A title
Properly-formatted margins
Rationale:
As our previous assignment exposed, people often like to oversimplify complex topics. Sadly, these people are unwilling to conduct in-depth research to arrive at a fully developed understanding of the issue. They “believe what they believe” without any solid evidence to support their assertions. This final paper asks you to explore the full complexity of a phenomenon or trend.
For the first paper in this class, the Personal Narrative, you explored how an important event affected you. For this final paper, the Causal Analysis, you will explore the causes of a specific phenomenon OR analyze how that specific phenomenon affects the community/culture.
Causal Analysis Basic Description–You have two options for this assignment. Complete ONE of the following:
Identify what factors allow a certain trend/phenomenon to exist (what factors allowed this thing to exist/rise), OR
Identify how a certain trend/phenomenon impacts the culture (how does this affect everyone in the community).
Topic/Scope– When I say phenomenon, I mean you are analyzing something prominent in the community, something you commonly see around you. This does not imply that the topic has to be inherently bad. Most people feel as though they need to cover homelessness or substance abuse. These are fine topics, but if you want to cover something like the rise in street art, that would be fine, as well. You could definitely explore what caused it to become popular or how it affects the community.
Ideally, I would like the topic to focus on a local trend/phenomenon, as in something that exists in Las Vegas or Nevada. The more you focus your topic down, the easier it is to identify the specific causes or how the community is affected by something. In addition, you avoid making grand generalizations. For example, there are certain causes and effects of homeless that are unique to Las Vegas that wouldn’t apply to, say, Salt Lake City.
If you feel that you aren’t inspired by any local topics, you can explore a national/global trend. Just make sure to keep it as focused as possible. PAY ATTENTION TO SCOPE. The topic, “The Effects of Technology,” is way too big. You wouldn’t be able to cover it in a paper of this size. Something along the lines of “The Cultural Effects of Instagram” or “The Rise of Twitter” might be more appropriate. These focus on one platform, and your research won’t approach the topic in a generalized manner.
***By the way, your title should be something more inspiring than “The Causes/Effects of X”***
Thesis/Support– For this paper, you will present an argumentative thesis statement that identifies what you see as the cause, or more likely multiple causes, of the phenomenon, or identify some of the ramifications of this issue:
Cause Thesis Statement: “Nevada’s high teen pregnancy rate is caused by a lack of proper sex education, the overly-sexualized nature of Las Vegas, and a general lack of parental interaction.”
Effect Thesis Statement: “Those who become pregnant at a young age are likely to drop out of high school, make less money, and provide an unstable household for their child.”
As I mentioned, most people oversimplify an issue, blaming it on one factor. You will often find through significant research that most issues are complex and are caused by multiple elements. In addition, they affect multiple communities.
Throughout the paper, it will be your goal to support your thesis, providing evidence from multiple sources that definitively prove a causal link between the causes and the effects. Please find substantive evidence.
Counterargument/Rebuttal (Not required, but it can help to flush out your argument)- In addition, I would CONSIDER you summarize and respond to at least one point of opposition. What assumptions are made that counter your stance? Often, these points of opposition come from people who believe that the problem lies somewhere it doesn’t or that it has certain effects with which you disagree. Do they have evidence to support their claims? After you have analyzed their argument, and we feel as though the argument has been fully unpacked, you will rebut/refute their claims, proving that your argument is stronger.
Questions to Consider– Throughout your argument, you will want to consider some of the following questions:
Questions if you are analyzing the causes:
What historical events led to this becoming an issue/trend/phenomenon in our city?
What sociopolitical movements have been made in the community that allowed this to become an issue/trend?
What psychological causes might have caused this to occur?
Questions if you are analyzing the effects:
Who is affected by this? What communities have been or might be affected by this phenomenon or trend? To what degree are they affected? Really unpack communities that are directly affected, but also secondary groups that might be indirectly affected.
What might be the long-term effects of this issue continuing to exist? Basically, what will happen if this phenomenon or trend continues?
Evidence– In this paper, you are required to use at least five sources (although you are not limited to five sources). A certain amount of evidence should help elucidate the local issue, providing data that exhibits this is an issue in the local community. In addition, I would suggest finding evidence that outlines other areas in the world where this type of issue has also existed.
At least two of your sources should be one of the following:
A peer-reviewed source (which you should indicate on the Works Cited Page by putting it in bold)
A source that represents field research. Field research can be defined as an interview, site visit, or survey that you have conducted. As these are local issues, I would like to see that you are engaged personally.
A book source