Draft 1'1: Analysis

1
Draft 1.1 Analysis

• Due Date October 4

2
Assignment Description

• Objective To complete an initial draft of your
  extended analysis assignmentDescription For
  this assignment, formulate a question about an
  ethical practice, and write thesis-driven
  analysis about your topic. In preparation for
  writing an analysis, read Making Ethical
  Decisions by Gerald F. Cavanagh (pages 384386).
  In this piece you will find three principles for
  analysisutilitarianism, justice, and individual
  rightsthat you can use to answer your chosen
  question about ethical practices. To answer your
  question, select oneor, if you are feeling
  ambitious, more than oneprinciple from
  Cavanaghs article and use it as a lens to
  analyze your chosen topic. As you write, be sure
  to focus on answering the question you have
  posed. Your answer will be an argument, guided by
  one of two claims. Your claims will take one of
  the following forms (using the question of legacy
  admissions as an example)1. The college
  admissions practice of giving legacy applicants
  preferential treatment is ethical because . .
  .2. The college admissions practice of giving
  legacy applicants preferential treatment is
  unethical because . . .Complete your chosen
  claim by providing reasons to be developed
  through your analysis. In writing your analysis,
  follow the Guidelines for Writing Analysis on
  page 360, in Chapter 10. Use the fruits of your
  earlier assignments involving summary,
  paraphrase, and explanation. Certainly, before
  you analyze a phenomenon, you must define or
  explain it, and your earlier work should help you
  to do this. Consider using the following
  structure for your analysis A paragraph of
  introduction that sets a context for the topic
  and presents the claim you are going to support
  in the analysis that follows. Your claim (your
  thesis) may appear at the end of this paragraph
  (or introductory section). A paragraph defining
  the practice and extent of the issue. A
  paragraph that paraphrases the history of the
  issue. A paragraph or two explaining the
  objections to the issue. A paragraph or two
  explaining the support for the issue. An
  analysis of your topic using one (or more) of
  Cavanaghs principles for reaching ethical
  decisions. This is the key part of your paper. If
  you use one of Cavanaghs principles, your
  analysis should be three or four paragraphs. If
  you use more than one of Cavanaghs principles,
  limit yourself to two paragraphs of development
  for each. Remember that your analysis provides
  your reasons for judging the practice of the
  issue to be ethical or unethical. A conclusion
  in which you argue that, based on the insights
  gained through your analysis, the issue is
  ethical or unethical.A Works Cited list in MLA
  format is required for this draft.Your draft
  should be 1200 words in length.

3
What is an ethical practice?

• For this assignment, formulate a question about
  an ethical practice, and write thesis-driven
  analysis about your topic.
• Ethical pertaining to or dealing with morals or
  the principles of morality pertaining to right
  and wrong in conduct.
• Can you think of an ethical issue?
• How can you turn that issue into a question?
• How can that issue be turned into a thesis
  statement for your essay?

4
Making Ethical Decisions by Gerald F. Cavanagh
(pages 384386)

• The basic method of making ethical judgments
  involves three steps
• Gathering relevant factual information
• Determining the moral norm that is most
  applicable
• Making the ethical judgment on the rightness or
  wrongness of the act or policy

5
Making Ethical Decisions by Gerald F. Cavanagh
(pages 384386)

• Moral/Ethical Norms
• Utilitarianism
• The greatest good for the greatest number
• Justice
• Guided by fairness, equity, and impartiality
• Individual Rights
• A persons entitlement to something
• To answer your question, select oneor, if you
  are feeling ambitious, more than oneprinciple
  from Cavanaghs article and use it as a lens to
  analyze your chosen topic.

6
Writing the analysis

• Once youve chosen an issue to work with and
  examined it with the different moral/ethical
  norms, you are ready to begin drafting your
  analysis.
• First, you need to write a thesis statement. It
  will look like this
• The college admissions practice of giving legacy
  applicants preferential treatment is ethical
  because . . .
• OR
• The college admissions practice of giving legacy
  applicants preferential treatment is unethical
  because . . .

7
Structuring the analysis

• A paragraph of introduction that sets a context
  for the topic and presents the claim you are
  going to support in the analysis that follows.
  Your claim (your thesis) may appear at the end of
  this paragraph (or introductory section).
• A paragraph defining the practice and extent of
  the issue.
• A paragraph that paraphrases the history of the
  issue.
• A paragraph or two explaining the objections to
  the issue.
• A paragraph or two explaining the support for the
  issue.
• An analysis of your topic using one (or more) of
  Cavanaghs principles for reaching ethical
  decisions. This is the key part of your paper. If
  you use one of Cavanaghs principles, your
  analysis should be three or four paragraphs. If
  you use more than one of Cavanaghs principles,
  limit yourself to two paragraphs of development
  for each. Remember that your analysis provides
  your reasons for judging the practice of the
  issue to be ethical or unethical.
• A conclusion in which you argue that, based on
  the insights gained through your analysis, the
  issue is ethical or unethical.

8
Using Sources

• You should find 4-5 sources to support your
  analysis.
• Depending on the issue you choose, you can use
  books, journal articles, newspaper articles,
  websites, and so on.
• Next week in class, we will discuss how to use
  MLA Style. If you want to get ahead, look at the
  examples on pages 300-147 in the St. Martins
  Handbook.

9
Using Sources

10
For next week

• You should have chosen an issue to work with and
  found sources.
• Bring your sources with you to class.
• Bring a rough draft of your analysis.
• THIS MEANS YOU WILL HAVE TO WRITE BRIEF
  ASSIGNMENT 4 AND A DRAFT OF YOUR ANALYSIS THIS
  WEEK!
• Be prepared to discuss your draft, sources, and
  issue in class.