Journal 5
What strategies might work best to convince your readers to adopt your point of view on the chosen controversy, including content and rhetorical strategies?
For my controversy, which is the education system involving public vs. home school, a causal argument would work nicely. I would need to start with an effect and then trace back to one or more causes. My effect could be lazy students, an uneducated work force, or high school dropouts. I am particularly interested in examining a high school drop out and seeing the way school effected that decision. On the other hand, this research might likely prove me wrong, or lead me to a new conclusion, because the drop out could simply trace the causes to family matter, etc.
I also would like to craft my argument as a satire. Perhaps I could talk about what would happen if all students were home schooled, or what would happen if there was no choice in public school. I could craft a short story to open and close my essay, and then in the middle of my essay could be that juicy causal argument. I like the Jonathan Swift idea; craft an entire argument around a proposal and see how the audience reacts. In this essay I could create a proposal for some sort of education change (I still need to think about it) and then within that proposal just keep building metaphors. Then, at the end of my essay, I would admit that this surely would be preposterous. I only think this would be effective if my proposal were completely outrageous, and since I do not yet know of y any outrageous ideas, I will need to spend some time brainstorming this.
For evidence I plan on using mainly observations and personal experience. Because I am dealing with this controversy personally, my own views and experience plays a big role in my argument. Unfortunate this is exactly the problem. I need to find other evidence that my readers will believe as well. Therefore, I would like to include maybe a personal interview from a home schooled family, as well as secondhand research from books in the library.