Response Comparison Contrast paper

This assignment assessed several things including:

1. thesis and/or thesis statement construction
2. research and citations
3. organization and rhetorical construction and success of argument.
4. all the mechanical and format concerns addressed on previous papers.
   

Several students have noted that the thing they liked most about this assignment is the range and freedom they have to explore their interests. Oddly, but perhaps predictably, that revealed the greatest common challenge we face - the crafting of workable thesis statements.

We need to do a workshop on the difference between a thesis and a topic. I've started a page collecting links to resources for the explanation of what a thesis statement is and tips on how to create one. Several links have online "thesis statement generators" which might be fun.

below are some thoughts and responses to what I've read this week.

Research
I'm a skeptic. I also come from a different background. You may live in a world where men are dominant and incapable of nurture, and women are never found driving cabs, working construction or in positions of leadership, but I've lived in places - both here and abroad - where these things can't be taken for granted.

Beware of unsubstantiated claims like, "some say," "research shows" and "people think." They need to be backed up with some kind of documentation. Without knowing who "they" are, these comments throw up red flags. What informs your opinion could be personal experience, a book or article you read, T.V. program, a video or other media available through ANGEL or class wiki, or whatever - but the reader needs to know where claims come from.

Even if you believe something to be true - imagine your audience. How well do you know them? Would they believe the same?

Several claims reminded me of a report I read that claimed second-hand smoke wasn't dangerous. When I looked up the original research it came from the National Tobacco Foundation or similar such agency. The research wasn't rigorous and it was biased. You can learn much by looking at people's research sources.

Wikipedia is more of an example of a research essay (a tertiary research soure) and not what college professors generally consider to be primary or secondary research source. I've long had a love -hate relationship with wikipedia - see previous post. But with wikipedia - it is their sources that are of more use. Check out their sources and draw your own conclusions.

And even if Wikipedia falls under "common knowledge" and therefor deemed unnecessary to cite - you must put anything you quote in quotation marks and provide documentation info on your works cited page. YOU CAN'T CUT and PASTE FROM ANYWHERE on the web without giving credit to your source - and believe me - people can tell.

Quoting sources
A general rule of thumb is that if 5 words or more in a row in your paper are found in your text you must put quotes around it - or if it is over 4 lines long set it off with a block quote. See quoting sources for details.

Anything cited, referred to, or quoted in your text must have documentation info on the works cited page. If not quotes or documentation exists and your reader finds the phrase word-for-word somewhere (and it's easy to catch - if you've taught a subject for a while and/or know how to use Turnitin.com)

Works Cited page
I advocate (and requested for this paper) a "Works Consulted" page rather than a "Works Cited" page per se, reasoning that any work that informed your opinion in researching this assignment should be referenced. I'm encouraging you to err on the side of caution. It's better to have a source on your works cited page that isn't referenced than not have a source that is used.

On the works page - each source should be formatted with a hanging indent. It's visually obvious when that isn't done. It screams "I didn't make the slightest effort to use any acceptable format for citations. I spit on MLA, APA, Chicago and Turabian." For instructions how to do this click here.

Coherence
Sleep deprivation (aka all-nighters), drugs and/or alcohol may seem like a source of inspiration - but the results are not coherent. Reread your drafts and make sure they make sense in the cold, sober, light of day.

Sources
In class, our sources have been decidedly feminist - you may be interested in:

• Cathy Young - proponent of equity feminism. Born in the USSR, but fluent in English as anyone, she's brilliant and not embraced by either feminists or masculists
• identity politics - I just learned of the term from my dialogue with you all over this paper. I haven't decided what to make of it or how (or if) to apply the lesson to my class
  
• wikipedia page on income disparity (thanks P)
• Warren Farrell - only man elected to the National Organization for Women's board of directors 3 times. He's now an icon of Men's Studies.
  

Questions from my reading of your papers

1. What is the relationship between care or nurture and dominance? Are they mutually exclusive?
2. Can one provide for another without it affecting power in the relationship?
3. Is gender disparity in any profession ever a good thing?
   

Reponse to late drafts Metaphor Paper

Most of the drafts are really shaping up, but all will need clarification and refinement to be "A" papers. I scratched most of everybody's introductions - so don't take it personal. What's relevant to me is the student's assessment of the language of the magazine article they chose. With few, if any, exceptions my advice has been to more closely establish the link between the papers and the articles they should be examining.

I've seen few good thesis statements yet. Some can be infered from the overall text - but that's more work for me and less educational for students so all theses should appear in the first sentence. They should be statements not questions - at least in my class. Often the answer to the question students identify as a thesis statement is the thesis. Make sure the thesis statement is clear and specific. It should be able to stand alone and make sense. If you read it, and only it, you know the point of the essay. If you have to use a pronoun make sure the antecedent is clear.

Make sure the relationship of all paragraphs to the thesis is clear. The history or general utility of metaphors isn't necessary. If something isn't necessary or relevant to your thesis - omit it.

The thesis statement should mention the article and the theme (or the effect of the figurative language). For example,

In "Giget goes to Spanish Harlem" George Carlin pokes fun at the racist roots of many common idioms.

• We need to photo-copy the source articles and attach them to the next draft, and use passages - with quotes and page #'s
  
• We need to attach the bibliography info (ie works consulted page)
  
• I want to see a new draft with these items briefly in class on Tuesday, 11-10-9 (30 points)
  

At times this week I've been cranky. Various reasons. Don't read too much into my tone in my comments - I want to be honest and direct. Sometimes it could come across blunt or tactless. Hope not.

Your ideas have generally been good, and wonder about the correlation of those who missed early conferences and article choice/deadlines with the papers that looked like first drafts.