The paper you will will analyzing and evaluating will be: “Why Social Media Makes Us More Polarized and How to Fix It by Damon Centola
I have attached the article in a PDF and it can be found online: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-social-media-makes-us-more-polarized-and-how-to-fix-it/
I have attached the essay instructions and a checklist that you have to follow.
Paper 3 asks you to evaluate an argumentative essay. In doing so, you are to analyze and evaluate the authors use of the three appeals of persuasion: the emotional appeal, the logical appeal, and the character and credibility (ethical) appeal. The essay must demonstrate critical thinking. You must use quotations effectively to prove your points. Further, the essay must be written coherently, observing grammatical, mechanical, and stylistic conventions.
ESSAY ON THIS ARTICLE — Why Social Media Makes Us More Polarized and How to Fix It by Damon Centola
Organize your paper as follows:
I. Introduction (one paragraph)
Identify the author, title of the essay, the publication in which the essay appeared and the publication date.. Then provide a summary of the essays key ideas. Be sure to include the authors claim (thesis). There is no need to quote in this paragraph, except perhaps the authors claim. Then conclude the introduction with your thesis, which should be a statement of the essays effectiveness as a persuasive essay. This evaluative thesis can be entirely positive, entirely negative, or some mixture.
II. Body (multiple paragraphs)
A. The Discussion of the Appeals. Discuss and evaluate the authors use of the logical, emotional, and/or ethical appeals. You should have at least one paragraph per appeal, but for a higher grade, you may need multiple paragraphs on the more dominant appeals. These paragraphs serve several purposes. You demonstrate that you understand the appeal under discussion. You show the reader specifically where in the essay the writer uses the appeal. And you evaluate the appeal for its effectiveness, given the intended audience. In evaluating the effectiveness of the appeal, you can look at whether an author is using a logical fallacy. Of course, logical fallacies are indications that the essay will not be effective with astute readers.
* The logical appeal: Discuss the essays process of reasoning. Identify the types of evidence presented in support of the essays claims, and give examples. Remember that the logical appeal includes reasoning and well as hard evidence. Hard evidence can include personal experience, facts & statistics, expert testimony, anecdotal evidence, examples from history or current events, etc).
* Emotional appeal: Discuss how the essay appeals to readers emotions (needs, fears, feelings, beliefs/values, and sympathies). The key here is to find passages that are meant to evoke emotion in the reader. Identify those passages and explain how they are likely to affect the audience.
* Ethical appeal (defined on exit test as appeal to character/credibility): Consider the authors word choice, selection of evidence, presentation of credentials or personal experience, presentation of opposing viewpoints, tone, use of good sources, etc. Remember that this appeal is about how the author presents himself or herself. Does the writer come across as likeable, knowledgeable, trustworthy, moral, etc? Or does the writer sometimes come across as hostile, ignorant, narrow minded, etc.
In these body paragraphs, you must directly quote words, phrases and sentences from the essay to prove your points. Formal documentation is not required.
Use the point, quote, explain, evaluate structure (detailed in a separate handout) as you analyze.
1. Make a point about the appeal.
2. Quote evidence of that appeal.
3. Explain/Analyze how that evidence is an example of the appeal in question
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the appeal.
III. Conclusion
Sum up your evaluation of the essay. Remind the reader of the essays strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to comment on the effectiveness of the essay for its given audience.
Explain How to Analyze and Evaluate.
Many students struggle with the concepts of analysis and evaluation. The point of paper 4, the exit essay test, and any analytical paper is that you can draw conclusions from the text. Analysis is not summary, which involves merely repeating the authors point. It is not your opinion on the issue, which is irrelevant for the purpose of this assignment.
If you follow the structure below, you will be analyzing and evaluating.
1. Make a point (for the purpose of this paper note the appeal and the strategy)
2. Quote your evidence.
3. Explain, where not completely obvious, why that quote is an example of that appeal.
4. Evaluate how effective the example is, given the audience.
