SO WHAT? (w/ Readings): The Writer's Argument

by Kurt Schick, Laura Miller

Overview

So What? The Writer's Argument, Third Edition, teaches students how to write compelling arguments and explains why practicing argumentation is essential to learning and communicating with others. Practical exercises throughout each chapter reinforce this broader academic aim by focusing on the key issue of significance—helping writers answer the "So What?" question for themselves and their audiences. By showing students how their writing fits within the broader context of academic inquiry, So What?, Third Edition, encourages them to emulate and adapt the authentic academic styles, foundational organizing structures, and helpful rhetorical moves to their college classes and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780197537213
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/15/2020
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 5.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Kurt Schick is Director of First-Year Writing and Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication at James Madison University.

Laura Miller is Assistant Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication and Executive Director of the Learning Centers at James Madison University.

Table of Contents

Preface
To the Instructor
The Scholarly Apprentice Model
Transferability
Contents
Features
Readings
To the Student

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. What's the Purpose of Scholarly Writing?
So, What's the Point of Scholarly Writing?
A Scholar's Work-in College and Beyond
Why Bother?
Scholarly Habits of mind
The Rhetorical Situation
Analyzing Rhetorical Elements
Scholarly Writing as a Rhetorical Activity

Chapter 2. How Do Scholars Read and Write?
Read Like a Scholar
Challenges to Effective Reading
Reading Strategically
Genre and Its Uses
Write More Like a Scholar
The One-Draft Wonder
A Better Writing Process
Experienced Writers' Processes
Set Priorities and Adapt Your Process
Manage the Writing Process
Interpreting Assignments
Writing with Purpose
Writing for Multiple Audiences
Make It Matter: The So What? Factor

Chapter 3. How Do We Select and Use Sources Responsibly?
Sifting through Sources
So What's a Better Source?
How Do We Find Credible Scholarly Sources?
What's the Best Research Container?
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting Sources
How to Summarize
How to Paraphrase
How to Quote and Integrate Sources
How to Create a Conversation
Citing Sources
When We Need to Cite Something?
Citation Fundamentals
So Many Styles...
Write with Integrity
Plagiarism
Unauthorized Collaboration
Recycled Writing
Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

Chapter 4. How Do Arguments Work?
What Does Argument Look Like in Different Contexts?
What about Specialized Scholarly Arguments?
How Do Scholars Create Arguments?
Argument as Investigation and Case Building
Implications and Applications
How Do We Build Arguments?
Supporting Claims
Linking Support to Claims
An Everyday Argument
Getting to the Bottom of Things
Making Assumptions
"Above-Water" Arguments
Rookie Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Chapter 5. How Do We Analyze Arguments?
Analyzing Rhetorical Elements
So What? The Inspiration, Purpose, and Implications
Author and Audience
Context
Genre
Identifying the Controversy
A Guided Analysis of a Scholarly Argument
Identify the Audience and Context
Identify the Author and Inspiration
Identify Contents of the Argument
Identify the Purpose of the Argument
Identify the Implications
Analyzing Visual Arguments
Responding to Arguments
Play the "Believing and Doubting Game"
Mind and Mine the Gaps

Chapter 6. How Can We Create a Compelling Thesis?
Every Great Thesis Grows from a Stimulating Question
Ask the Right Questions
Picking Juicier Questions
Turning Clichéd Arguments into Better Ones
Use Sources to Generate Ideas
Alternative Competing Hypotheses
Can I Change My Thesis?
Why Would I Change My Thesis?
Writing an Evolving Thesis
Infuse a Little Style
"Although" Statements
Try Something Unexpected
Checklist for Thesis Statements

Chapter 7. How Do We Organize and Develop Arguments?
Organizing Rhetorically
Techniques for Organizing Your Thoughts
Visualize Your Organization
Experiment with Maps, Graphics, and Software
Patterns for Organizing Arguments
Start with What Others Have Said
Follow Scholarly Models
The Scholarly Model
Use the Controversy Categories
Techniques for Organizing Paragraphs
Move from General to Specific, Known to Unknown
Highlight Agreement before Disagreement
Repeat Key Terms
Stick to the Point
Create a Reverse Outline
How to Develop and Expand Arguments
Build Transitions
Add Metacommentary
Aim for Reader-Centered Writing
Anticipate and Respond to Opposing Views
Anticipate Objections
Respond to Objections

Chapter 8. How Do We Support Arguments?
Building Credibility
Activating Reasoning or Logic with Evidence
Quantitative Evidence
Qualitative Evidence
Research Methods
Analyzing Research
Evoke an Audience's Emotions
Crossover Effects
Personal Experience as Support
Narrating
Select Support According to the Controversy Categories
Arguments about Existence and Fact
Arguments about Definition
Arguments about Cause and Consequence
Arguments about Evaluation
Arguments about Policy
Provide Rationales to Link Support to Claims

Chapter 9. How Can We Find and Fix Faults in Arguments?
Relevance and Sufficiency
Fallacious Arguments
Faulty Reasoning
Jumping to Conclusions
Qualifying Your Claims
Fallacies of Relevance
Other Reasoning Fallacies
Relying Too Much on Credibility
Getting Emotional
Hidden Benefits of Studying Fallacies
Fallacies and Critical Thinking

Chapter 10. How Can We Improve Our Style?
Revise Globally and Edit Locally
Writing with Style
Clarity and Vividness
Start Easy
Remember, Less Can Be More
Punctuate for Readability
Use Strong Verbs
Assert Your Active Voice
Use Vivid and Precise Language
Mechanics
Errors and Mistakes
Grammar versus Usage
Bending the Rules
Creative Choices We Make to Improve Style
Imitate Models
Remix Sentences
Use Figures of Speech
Invest in a Good Title
Proofreading and Editing
Reviewing with Others
Using Technology
Developing More Style

Readings

Section 1. How Do We Know What We Know?
"The Real Reason You Shouldn't Text While Driving?" by Aline Holzwarth
"How to Know What to Believe Anymore" by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
"Why You Think You're Right Even When You're Wrong" by Julia Galef
"How Does Our Language Shape The Way We Think?" by Lera Boroditsky
Excerpt from Introduction to Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War 1 to 9/11 by Kathryn S. Olmstead
"Seeing Red? The Mind-Bending Power of Colour" by Tom Chivers
"Post Hoc Rides Again" by Darrell Huff

Section 2. What Are the Costs of Racism?
"The Halloween Wars: Who Gets Candy and Who Doesn't" by Adrienne Samuels Gibbs
"The Least Convenient Truth: Part I-Climate Change and White Supremacy" by Bani Amor
"Online Racial Discrimination: A Growing Problem for Adolescents" by Brendesha M. Tynes
"The 'Whitening' of Asian Americans" by Iris Kuo
"A History of Anti-Hispanic Bigotry in the United States" by Marie Arana
"How Black Boots Lit My Way Along the Appalachian Trail" by Rahawa Haile
"On the First Amendment" by Lauren Robel

Section 3. What Makes Us Happy?
"Pursuing the Science of Happiness" by Andrew Guest
"A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind" by Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert
"Who's Your Real Boss" by Kristian Sørensen and Mikkel Holm Sørensen
"For the Love of Money" by Sam Polk
Excerpt from "An Interview on 'The Paradox of Choice' with Barry Schwartz" by Elizabeth Cosgriff
"Can Brain Science Help Us Break Bad Habits?" by Jerome Groopman
"Hey Internet, Please Quit With the Happiness Articles" by Katy Waldman
"I've Picked My Job Over My Kids" by Lara Bazelon

Section 4. Why Does Good Writing Matter?
"9 Qualities of Good Writing" by Ann Handley
"Will We Use Commas in the Future?" by Matthew J.X. Malady
"Through Glasses Half Full" by Kurt Schick
"The Art of the Police Report" by Ellen Collett
"Zombie Nouns" by Helen Sword
"N/A 101, Prof. Blank, A Month/Some Day/The Year, A Love Story" by Alan Linic

Section 5. What Challenges Do College Students Face?
"Crass Frat Boys at Old Dominion" by Conor Friedersdorf
"Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of Perfection" by Julie Scelfo
"Taking My Parents to College" by Jennine Capó Crucet
"Let's Give Chivalry Another Chance" by Emily Esfahani Smith
"Accents and Ebonics: When the Hood Goes to College" by Taylor Callwood
"How to Live Wisely" by Richard J. Light
"Get Your Stadiums out of Our Churches" by Alan Levinovitz
"Effects of Gender and Type of Praise on Task Performance Among Undergraduates" by Leah Lessard, Andrew Grossman, and Maggie L. Syme

Appendix A How to Benefit from Peer Review and Collaboration
Appendix B Templates for Organizing Arguments
Appendix C Sample Rhetorical Analysis

Index

Editorial Reviews

"SO WHAT? is a great text for introducing students to genres of academic writing across college campuses. Its focus on various approaches to argument development used by different disciplines helps students understand how writing changes in various situations."—Amber Pfannenstiel, Millersville University

"The focus on a more sophisticated approach to both research and argument is what I prize in Schick and Miller's book. It is a very powerful text."—Carol Curiel, California Polytech State University

"SO WHAT? is an excellent book and a great building block for students. It is a thorough and accessible writing textbook that truly gets at what we mean by 'argument' in the academy."—Candace Nadon, Fort Lewis College

From the Publisher