Response
Exploring Limitations
Paging Dr Barlow
An Objective-Critical Response
Achtung!
You cannot adequately respond without a
good understanding of the text!
Review Reading With Renee - Close Reading
and Summary Writing
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Semi-Objective
You evaluate an argument
based on a set of criteria or
metrics.
You determine the criteria.
You explain the criteria.
You evaluate the argument.
Semi to Objective
You contextualize an argument or
compare it to other experts or
writers, and then usually evaluate it.
You find context/comparisons.
You compare/contrast.
(Usually) you evaluate based on that
comparison.
Objective-Creative
You take a main idea of claim from
the essay and apply it to another
subject or topic.
You select a claim or idea that is
interesting or transferable.
You apply that idea to something
else.
You show how this idea is relevant
outside of the boundaries of the
original argument.
Objective-Critical
You define limits to an author's
argument or uncover
assumptions, and show how that
hurts their argument.
You evaluate an argument for
limitations in scope.
You explain how the limitation
hurts the "big argument".
Ready Responses
Paging Dr Barlow
Eval. Comp. Lens Limits
What it is NOT Avoid these issues!
Straw-man fallacy
A logical fallacy that sets up an
argument different than the
original (i.e. not an accurate
summary) to defeat.
Puffer-fish moment
An emotional reaction that sets
you up to rant and stand on a
soap-box lecturing, rather than
creating an argument.
Drive-by
A laundry list of points that you
make against the text without
any real target.
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Identifying assumptions
An assumption is a belief upon which an
argument or statement is based.
All statements are based upon assumptions,
even the most boring ones.
"Tomorrow I will grade papers."
"The doctor will probably give her Amoxicillin"
Identifying assumptions opens the door to
problems in the argument, points of
contention, or limitations to the argument.
So what is it?
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Exploring Limitations
A limitation is the boundary of an argument's
validity.
No argument in academics is boundless, i.e.
true in all places, at all times, for all people.
When you explore the limitations of an
argument, you are showing how it isn't true in
all places/times using examples and logic.
So what is it?
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Let's begin with Tannen. Recall how we used the idea of "marked" as a
lens!
Each details means
something about the person.
There is no "norm".
How someone uses language
- correctly or not, with certain
idioms, certain accents -
marks a person.
An invisible disability is one
that is not obvious to others.
Their needs (because
invisible) mark them.
Women Language Use Invisible Disability
Using an Idea as a Lens The concept of marked
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In a racially homogenous
environment, all men have the
option of being unmarked,
but if one person is black and
others are white....
How someone uses language
- correctly or not, with certain
idioms, certain accents -
marks a person regardless of
sex.
A man in a wheelchair, using
a cane, or needing any help is
judged by others.
In fact, it might even be
worse for men.
Race Language Use Disability
Exploring Limitations Men have the option of being unmarked.
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The assumption that new kinds of
thinking (ala Carr) are artificial?
The idea that the wealth gap is as
bad in the US as elsewhere?
Limitations on the similarities
between rural and urban
communities?
What limits will you explore?
See you there!
Next time: The Anatomy of a Response
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