Assignment 1.2: Conflicting Viewpoints Essay – Part II
Presenting and Evaluating Arguments
Introduction
Wearing school uniforms has continued to gain popularity in United States. According to National Center for Education Statistics, the number of public schools requiring students to wear uniforms have gradually increased in United States. Between 1999 and 2014, the number of public schools requiring students to wear uniforms increased from 12% to 20%. Proponents of school uniforms argue that school uniforms reduce disparity among students, make students more focused on their academies, make schools safer, reduces delinquencies and improves attendances. However, the opponents of school uniforms tend to mainly rely on the impacts that school uniforms have on freedom of expression. I tend to agree with the opponents of school uniforms. I feel that the proponents of school uniforms are missing important points about school uniforms.
Logical arguments
When arguing against school uniforms, it is necessary that we understand the meaning of logical arguments. Logical arguments are arguments that follow certain guiding principles to at desired conclusion. In other words, logical arguments appeal to the use of logic in arguments. The use of logical arguments ensures that the points that are raised are not only consistent but are also coherent. Logical arguments have four main parts: proposition, premise, inference and conclusion. Propositions are the points that you are trying to prove while premises are the evidence that you are using to prove your propositions. Inferences are new propositions that arise from the premises or evidence. Conclusions are the judgment drawn from the evidence (Hitchcock).
Opponent’s argument (my view)
Conclusion: School uniforms can hinder student’s freedom of expression.
Premise1: Clothing choices are critical forms of self-expression.
Premise 2: Clothing is also another popular means to express support for social causes.
The conclusion and premises try to explain the why school uniforms violate freedom of expression, which is one of the fundamental human rights in the constitution. The conclusion and premises indicate how school uniforms violate the constitution.
The premises can be supported by sources that explore the relationship between cloth choices and freedom of expression. The sources chosen to need to be scholarly. Both premises will be supported by a study carried out by Kimberly A. Miller, and the work of Kirsi Niinimäki. In the study, Kimberly A. Miller explored how dress, which a form of clothing, is used to communicate private and secret aspects of the self. The study by Kirsi Niinimäki explores clothing in social context.
Looking at the premises, I think they are well supported. As a result, they do not need additional support. The conclusion is also well supported.
Proponent’s argument
Conclusion: School uniforms reduces disparities among students (ProCon.org).
Premise 1: students appear equal
Premise 2: competition between students over clothing choices reduces
The conclusion and premise try to explain why wearing uniforms makes students appear equal despite the presents of apparent differences. Scholarly work can be used to support the premises should be sources that explore the relationship between school uniforms and equality. Some of the sources that can be used to support the premises include the works of Damian Carney and Adele Sinclair, and Samantha Deane. Looking at the premises, I think they are not well-supported, and I need to look for more sources. The premises adequately support the conclusion.
Conclusion
The continued growth in popularity of school uniforms is a concern for us all. This because the concerns raised by critical stakeholders have never been fully been addressed. For instance, the issue of their impact on expression of has not been addressed despite several studies showing the negative impacts of school uniforms on expressions by students. Looking at the ongoing debate on school uniforms, I think both sides have raised important points. However, looking at the weight of the points raised, I think the opponents of school uniforms have raised more serious issues than the proponents. I, therefore, oppose the use of uniforms in schools.
Works Cited
Carney, Damian, and Adele Sinclair. "School uniform revisited: procedure, pressure and equality." Education and the Law, vol. 18, no. 2-3, 2006, pp. 131-148, doi: 10.1080/09539960600919829.
Deane, Samantha. "Dressing Diversity: Politics of Difference and the Case of School Uniforms." Philosophical Studies in Education 46 (2015): 111-120.
Hitchcock, D. "Informal Logic and the Concept of Argument." Philosophy of Logic, 2007, pp. 101-129, doi:10.1016/b978-044451541-4/50007-5.
Miller, Kimberly A. "Dress: Private and Secret Self-Expression." Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, vol. 15, no. 4, 1997, pp. 223-234, doi: 10.1177/0887302x9701500404.
National Center for Education Statistics. "Fast Facts." 2018, nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=50. Accessed 28 Oct. 2018.
Niinimäki, Kirsi. "Eco-clothing, consumer identity and ideology." Sustainable Development, vol. 18, no. 3, 2010, pp. 150-162, doi:10.1002/sd.455.
ProCon.org. "Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms?" School Uniforms - ProCon.org, school-uniforms.procon.org. Accessed 28 Oct. 2018.