Homework answers / question archive / ENG 2105 – Spring 2021 Essay 4/The Final Exam/The “Extra” Essay The Task Write a thoughtful, issue-based, academic essay that focuses on pop culture’s effect on attitudes towards poverty and the poor; include at least some mention of the effect these attitudes have on policy making

ENG 2105 – Spring 2021 Essay 4/The Final Exam/The “Extra” Essay The Task Write a thoughtful, issue-based, academic essay that focuses on pop culture’s effect on attitudes towards poverty and the poor; include at least some mention of the effect these attitudes have on policy making

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ENG 2105 – Spring 2021 Essay 4/The Final Exam/The “Extra” Essay The Task Write a thoughtful, issue-based, academic essay that focuses on pop culture’s effect on attitudes towards poverty and the poor; include at least some mention of the effect these attitudes have on policy making. Three possible approaches, along with a caution: - Turn your essay into a straight argument that representations in the news, movies, TV shows, video games, and social media, influence our view of, and attitudes towards, the poor in a harmful way. - Use the body paragraphs to identify three or four existing policies or suggested policies that work against the poor, and connect those policies to pop culture representations of the poor that can be seen to justify acceptance of those harmful policies. - Use each body paragraph to reveal a separate common perception of the poor that is encouraged by pop culture representations of the poor. Conclude with… - Do NOT offer a collection of summaries of outside sources. Useful Prep Work? I recommend the Collect, Categorize, Analyze (CCA) invention method discussed previously. Assembling a large list of pop culture representations of the poor, whether in movies, TV shows, video games, social media apps, or music (perhaps required high school readings such as The Great Gatsby or The Outsiders can be included for some useful purpose?) allows you to conduct your own, original analysis and develop claims from the ground up, to make your own connections between representations of the poor and prevailing attitudes and public policies, and to have plenty of supporting examples on hand as you construct your essay. A focused freewrite can be useful for establishing your baseline attitudes towards the poor, or whether or not you have any thoughts regarding the poor. The results of your freewrite could be utilized in your essay. The Fine Print (always read the fine print) IF your score for this essay is higher than one or more of your scores for the previous three essays, then this score will replace the lowest of the previous scores. You must complete this assignment with a good faith effort, even if you are happy with your previous scores, in order to meet one of the basic writing requirements for the course. If you do not complete this assignment with a good faith effort, up to 25 points will be deducted from your highest previous essay grade, at my discretion. This essay does not replace an essay that was not turned in or was ridiculously short of the minimum length requirement. That “F” is forever. Requirements Font: Times New Roman, size 12 Margins: 1" top, bottom, left, right. You may have to adjust these in your word processor Pagination: MLA style, in the header, upper right, ½” down, as discussed in class Spacing: Double Justification: Left justification only (except for title and pagination) Minimum length: Five well-developed paragraphs, although you are always welcome to get crazy and add a sixth, and maybe even a seventh, paragraph. The final draft must be uploaded to Turnitin.com BEFORE 5pm on Wednesday, May 19. Notes As always, consider the fundamental essay instruction that you have been given throughout the semester, including the following pieces of advice: Offer a message that adds to a worthwhile “conversation”, instead of summarizing what someone else has already said. In other words, I expect you to create and construct your argument or analysis rather than “looking it up”. The majority of the ideas and writing should be yours. Sources support you; they should not do most of the hard work (the reasoning and the insightful claims). Do you understand what is considered worthwhile? Do you know the conventions of an academic essay? Is your essay should be anchored by a strong, worthwhile thesis? The three step “action plan” can be a helpful guide for essay content: 1) What is happening, and how do you know it is happening? Show me… 2) Why is it happening (reasoning). 3) Why is significant? Why should we care? That said, the reader should have a clear sense of issue throughout the essay, not just at the end. An argument is typically built on claims that are supported by reasons that are, in turn, supported by evidence. Too many students offer incomplete reasoning and limited evidence. Sometimes students argue solely in claims; don’t be one of those students. A connection to historical and/or societal events can be an effective development tool. An argument should develop and progress as the essay moves forward. Don’t offer a repetitive list that repeats a basic claim instead of developing it. There should be a clear progression or logical sequence to the development of your thesis statement. Avoid a list-like structure – or creating the sensation of one. List-like essays follow the structure of their sources rather than an strong argumentative one. These essays often have a descriptive thesis rather than an argumentative one. Paragraph openers that use "time" words ("first," "next," "after," "then") or "listing" words ("also," "another," "in addition") indicate the presence of a list-like structure, or they create the impression one. They suggest that the essay simply reproduces the chronology of a source text (in the case of time words: first this happens, then that, and afterwards another thing . . . ) or simply lists one example-based paragraph after another. It most cases, it is wiser to develop each body paragraph around a separate secondary claim (argumentative or analytical) rather than developing each paragraph around a separate example. Do you need to acknowledge one or more counterarguments? If so, where in the essay should this acknowledgement take place? Counterargument should connect directly to the specifics of your own argument, rather than loosely relate to the general topic. It is not just a different viewpoint; it is a counter to your argument. Avoid a conversational writing style; avoid the second person POV. Rely on a third-person POV approach. Avoid weak words such as “nowadays”, “stuff”, “things”, and “get”. Also, avoid words that suggest you are speculating or guessing. “May”, “might”, “can”, “could”, and “would” are commonly used words that undermine your ethos and, ultimately, the persuasiveness of your argument. Do not make a habit of interrupting the development of the ideas in the essay with the unnecessary introduction of an author. Only the occasional author warrants an intro, usually due to their ethos. In most cases, rely on the in-text citation to do the work you normally do with a wordy intro. An illustrative, SHOWing intro is often more powerful than a claim heavy intro. End the essay with a conclusion instead of a summary. When you have questions or confusion or concerns you can't easily reconcile on your own, speak up or send an email.