The thesis for the causal argument writing
must convey the CAUSEs of the EFFECTs on an issue.
Therefore, create a thesis that argues certain aspects (effects) of the American culture have been caused by social media.
A simple strategy to figuring out what you want to argue would be to fill in this sentence: Social media has impacted the American culture by X, Y, and Z.
A simple strategy to figuring out what you want to argue would be to fill in this sentence: Social media has impacted the American culture by X, Y, and Z.
Example of a straight-forward cause/effect thesis:
Social media has impacted
American culture by distorting one's reality, causing electronic rifts in
families, and creating one more way for bullying to occur.
This style of a thesis can be structured through a traditional
outline. This general outline style can be found posted to the Blackboard
classroom with updated notes, or a similar layout can be found online
here: https://fgc-enc1101.blogspot.com/2019/02/causeeffect-argument-outline.html
Example of a positive/negative cause/effect thesis:
Social media has impacted career
opportunities, family togetherness, and personal privacy in American culture
through positive and negative outcomes.
This style of a thesis is one that is arguing that there
are both
positive and negative effects from social media on the American
culture. This example is for a writer who is willing to see both sides
to each of the items in the thesis.
1.
If your thesis is going to be more
straight-forward, go to the traditional outline layout found above in the
posted link (or in Blackboard).
2. If you
wish to address both
positive and negative effects from social media on the American
culture in your thesis and ultimately, in each of the body
paragraphs, follow the outline content and guidelines listed below.
Example THESIS: Social media has impacted career opportunities, family togetherness, and personal privacy in American culture through positive and negative outcomes.
Example THESIS Explained: Social media [key point focus] has impacted career opportunities [1st sub-point to argue social media affecting job pursuits], family togetherness [2nd sub-point to argue family bonds and closeness has been affected by social media], and personal privacy [3rd sub-point to argue social media has affected personal privacy], in the American culture [key point focus] through positive and negative outcomes [key point focus].
The essay paragraphs would then follow the essay mapping to argue the sub-points in the causal analysis (cause/effect) argument:
Introduction paragraph: HOOK sentence, background (no sources allowed), Thesis—that includes the issue of social media altering aspects of the American culture (3-7 sentences)
Body paragraph 1: Sample Topic Sentence (that establishes clearly a causal analysis sub-point): Social media [key point focus] has impacted career pursuits in the American culture [1st sub-point to argue social media affecting job pursuits]. Positive: able to locate and apply for job openings across the United States. Negative: posts to Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks cost Americans career opportunities through company searches online.
Body-paragraph 2: Sample Topic Sentence (that establishes clearly a causal analysis sub-point): Social media has affected the culture of the American family, unity, and togetherness [2nd sub-point to argue family bonds and closeness has been affected by social media]. Positive: Families spread across the United States can communicate through social media and video conferencing. Negative: Families often lack intimacy and communication due to addictions to social media as a monopolizing of time: while driving, at meals, and during traditional ‘family-time’.
Body-paragraph 3: Sample Topic Sentence (that establishes clearly a causal analysis sub-point): Social media has altered the culture of American privacy [3rd sub-point to argue social media has affected personal privacy]. Positive: Negative:
Body-paragraph Counter-arguments: oppositional viewpoints to your causal analysis argument as to how social media has affected the American culture (and then argue why these counter-arguments aren’t as logical and productive as your causal argument). Sample Topic Sentence to begin Counter-argument paragraph: Proponents of social media argue that there has been no change to the culture in America through this medium; however, these supporters of social media are either too young or too ignorant to remember the American culture prior to social media embedding itself into the nation.
Conclusion paragraph: Thesis revisited; summarize topic sentence/closing sentences from body paragraphs to refocus the audience to the logical analysis of how social media has affected the American culture; exit sentence to leave the reader accepting social media as a standard in American society, yet not accepting the negative impacts of this medium by allowing it to disrupt positive lifestyle choices, opportunities, and family unity (3-10 sentences)
After reviewing the sample above, you will notice that every body-paragraph focuses on a single change to the culture, and the positive and negatives affected by that area of change: employment, family, privacy.
Only use this layout if you are willing to address both sides (+ and -) in EACH body paragraph. Typically, students find this set-up hard to follow-through with for long periods of time, and so the GENERAL OUTLINE is often the preferred choice for the cause/effect assignment.
If you do not see (or wish to argue) both positives and negatives in the causes/effects of the American culture, then you will stick to the basic outline posted to the Blackboard classroom. A similar layout can be found online here: https://fgc-enc1101.blogspot.com/2019/02/causeeffect-argument-outline.html
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(What do you want to prove?) THESIS: __________________________ INTRODUCTION TO ASSERT YOUR CAUSAL ARGUMENT ...
fgc-enc1101.blogspot.com
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