The Research Process Discussion! Only for Quality!
JAbrahm
Research2.docxThere are three primary rhetorical moves for opening up your paper in your introduction:
· Lead-in
· Background Article Reference
· Thesis Statement
There are several ways that you can open up the paper in your lead-in and background article reference:
· Introduce a recent/current event
· Introduce a recent film, popular media
· Introduce a person's story (actual story, hypothetical, your own), presenting a narrative
· Introduce a definition
· Introduce a previous historical event (past)
· Introduce research from experts
Students often think that an introduction can only be 1 paragraph, but that's not true. An introduction should adequately open up the conversation for the reader and acquaint your readers with the topic. A shorter paper requires a shorter introduction; a longer paper, a longer introduction. Your introduction will be longer (or shorter) depending on the topic, audience, and context.
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About the models. Below are two sample introductions from two NCTC students' papers that open up the conversation and preface a topic. As the introductions move into the thesis statements, the authors also move into the main discussion of the paper where they'll be making specific arguments about the topic.
Length. The first introduction comes from a major research paper (8-10 pages). It's a longer paper that has a lot of vital information to introduce to the reader; therefore, the introduction is longer. The second introduction comes from a shorter paper (4-5 pages). The rhetorical moves are identified in each example.
First-Person and Telegraphing. The models also demonstrate a standard "rule" that you've heard you cannot do in your introduction: Use "I" in this paper and telegraph "In this paper, I will discuss..." Yes, you absolutely can use "I" in a paper, and you can say, "In this paper, I will discuss..." However, you need to be aware that there are certain times, contexts, and genres when this sort of telegraphing is more appropriate than others.
For example, writers do not typically use first-person "I" when writing lab reports or empirical papers because the research should speak for itself, and the writer should be as invisible as possible. In those cases, you'd want to avoid first-person, "I." Here's an example (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. of scientific study from the African Journal of Emergency Medicine. Notice that the thesis statement is the first sentence (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. in the 4th paragraph.
In literature papers, writers typically do not include statements like "In this paper" or "This paper will show..." because audiences usually favor a more subtly introduced and nuanced approach. Here's an example (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. of a literature paper that illustrates this point.
In writing and rhetorical studies, though, "In this paper" or "I will show" is acceptable and welcomed because writers are often unpacking very intellectually challenging content. They want to make sure that it's clear what the writers' points are and that there isn't confusion or misunderstanding. Here's an example (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from a major journal in which the writer opens the conversation (with several paragraphs). The thesis statement is the first sentence in the 8th paragraph.
Perhaps you still don't like using "In this paper" or first-person "I." That's okay. You can always use it to get started with your thesis--to make sure you have one--and then delete it later when revising.
In this paper, I will explore those two representations further and will discuss how those stereotypes are problematic for the disabled community.
Revised to: The representations presented in the film What's Eating Gilbert Grape perpetuate stereotypes that are problematic for the disabled community.
Sample introduction on the portrayal of stereotypes of disability in the media (specifically, What's Eating Gilbert Grape)
One of the most influential instruments in how specific events, groups, and ideas are perceived is the media. The mass media encompasses television, newspapers, radio, film, and even the internet. All of these play a considerable role in our response to specific issues, for they hold the ability to portray a subject in whatever light they please. However, too often we only present stereotypes that are misguided and poorly informed. These stereotypes are, unfortunately, often confirmed or unintentionally advocated in the media.
One group that negatively portrayed are the physically or mentally disabled. We often don’t think of this as a problem in society, perhaps because we are typically uncomfortable with the subject. Professor Paul Longmore, a lifelong activist for the disabled and historian in disability studies, writes in his book Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability, “People with disabilities are not who or what we have been taught to assume they are. The experience of disability is not what we have been told” (14). There are many contributing factors to why we as a society tend to have such a falsified view of disability, stemming from hundreds of years of misconceptions. Though we have been able to move past some of these fallacies, certain stereotypes persist. Film is one aspect of the media that has tended to be especially influential in its depiction of the disabled, and many viewers rely on the media as their primary source to understand disability, illness, and impairment.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is one of the many movies we see offering its take on disability. Johnny Depp plays a small town grocery store bagger named Gilbert who is the caretaker of his developmentally disabled brother Arnie, played by Leonardo Dicaprio. Arnie is not the only disabled character in Gilbert’s life; his mother is practically immobile from her obesity. Her condition is the result of a deep depression that she succumbed to after the suicide of her husband, leaving her in the care of Gilbert and his two sisters. Throughout the movie, we can see that Gilbert feels weighed down by his family and the sluggishness of the town. Gilbert describes it in one scene when he says, “Nothing ever happens here, and nothing ever will” (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape). We watch him struggle to have a life of his own while being Arnie's primary caretaker.
The film is powerful because it also explores two common stereotypes about the disabled often portrayed in film; specifically, the mentally disabled are often shown in the media either as "supercrips" or as perpetual children. However, while What’s Eating Gilbert Grape moves away from the “supercrip” stereotype, it does not show either disabled characters as fully-functioning, independent adults. Instead, the film portrays Arnie and his mother as dependent burdens. This paper will explore those two representations further and will discuss how those stereotypes are problematic for the disabled community.
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Sample introduction of the portrayal of the "other" in popular culture (specifically, online memes)
When you look at a magazine, a commercial, or even a billboard, more than likely, you’ll see a thin, “attractive” individual rather than a heavier one. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 69.2% of Americans over the age of twenty are overweight or obese (“Obesity and Overweight”). When overweight people are featured in media, it is typically not in positive light; usually, they are shown as a close-up belly-shot or in an unflattering outfit, exposing their “flaws,” and are often mocked in the images. For example, Caitlyn Seida recently writes in “My Embarrassing Picture Went Viral” how a photo of herself, dressed in her Halloween costume became a viral internet sensation. Seida had posted a picture of herself as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider on her Facebook. Shortly after, someone copied the picture and added the phrase “Fridge Raider” to it. The image went viral, and comments on the image referred to Seida as a “waste of space” who should “go kill herself” (Seida).
The responses to Seida’s image illustrate how the overweight community is ridiculed and even threatened for doing nothing more than being themselves. Many people believe that making fun of obese people is not wrong and is socially acceptable. Chelsea Heuer writes in “Fattertainment” that fat-shaming leads many people to fall into depression, become anxious, and develop low self-esteem: “Researchers have even found evidence that some of the health problems associated with obesity may result from stigmatizing experiences, rather than just excess body weight itself.” So, while obesity poses the significant health problem for many Americans, “fatness” is often just as, if not more, “disabling” because of society’s prejudices against the obese. Because the media has twisted the perception of the overweight and obese community, in this paper, then, I will identify two perceptions of the obese: that they are socially awkward and that they are ugly and undesirable.
