Once upon a time, there was a British philosopher and educator named Stephen Toulmin who was interested in the construction and analysis of arguments. He introduced what's now recognized as the Toulmin Model. I think it'll provide some helpful direction in not only our Thinking & Writing assignment but any critical analysis of media or communication we engage in. Here 'tis...
- Claim - AKA the thesis, the main idea, the primary point you're trying to make. What's the claim that Patricia Vieira makes about The Hunger Games in the essay we read? In your own essay, what's the primary idea driving your writing?
- Data - the grounds for your claim, your proof. The type of data you include (in our case narrative elements or aesthetic attributes of a media text, our personal experiences with it, our knowledge of the author or the institution behind its creation, our analysis of audience responses to it, etc.) will depend on your claim. What evidence does Vieira provide to support her argument? Is your own claim grounded in some kind of proof?
- Warrant - the link between your data and your claim, proof that your proof is relevant and proof that your claim is justified based on your proof. (And sometimes you even need to prove that your warrant is legit as well--that's called Backing--but we won't go that far down the rabbit hole yet). Does Vieira justify how her data supports his claim? Can you articulate why the evidence you provide legitimately supports your argument?
- Rebuttal - disclaimers, qualifiers, acknowledgments of any exceptions to your initial claim. Does Vieira respond to any possible counter-arguments? In your writing, do you consider opposing claims or at least acknowledge potential limitations to your argument.
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