Arguing from an Alternative Position

You have just completed Phase 7 and submitted your Paper: Final Version. That was hard work, wasn't it! In your paper, you worked hard to develop, expand, and refine your thesis and main points. Now, in Side Trip 3, you will be asked to consider the viewpoints of people who may not agree with you . . . and to incorporate them into your paper! Why? Because incorporating alternative viewpoints into your paper--and learning how to respond to alternative viewpoints--will insure that your own arguments are stronger. You will show that your own conclusions have been derived after careful consideration of the views of others, not from pure opinion or from one-sided thinking. This will gain much respect from your readers--but only if it is done in a MEANINGFUL manner. And learning to do that is the goal of Side Trip 3. So throughout Side Trip 3, you will play the role of someone whose position is different from your own. You will re-read your Paper: Final Version, looking carefully at your thesis and main points. Then, you will think of ways to meaningfully incorporate a discussion of your newly adopted alternative position into the paper. To begin playing the role of someone with an alternative position, look at your original thesis and then formulate a new thesis from the alternative position. For instance, if this is the thesis of your current research paper: Parents of gang members should not tolerate the involvement of their children in violent gangs. Then you might formulate a thesis from a completely opposing position: Parents of gang members SHOULD tolerate the involvement of their children in violent gangs. OR, you might formulate a thesis from a position that is not opposing, but which represents some type of modification of your original thesis, such as: Parents of gang members should not tolerate the involvement of their children in violent gangs UNLESS it provides children a type of physical or emotional security they do not receive at home. After formulating an alternative thesis in your mind, you are ready to begin incorporating a more full developed discussion of the alternative position into the paper in a variety of ways (all to be discussed soon).

Any questions or comments for Kenn?

Where do I go next? Go to "Side Trip Assignment 3A."