Rhetorical Analysis of Project 3

This post really made me think about what my topic will be, what I need to be thinking about when writing my paper, and how I need to go about writing my paper. This will help in the coming weeks.

Author.

1. How will you draw on any or some of the following for Project 3? Be specific about how your plans for Project 3 connect to some previous, current or burgeoning interest of your own, such as...

• your own general research interests.

I want to make sure that I am researching something that I care about. I want to be invested in this project and have motivation to work on it and find out more about my subject.

• your major(s) and/or minor(s) here at the University of Arizona.

I think that if I stay within my major here at the University of Arizona, I will be able to find something that I am interested in more easily. There is a reason that I am majoring in business and that is because I find it intriguing and want to learn more about it.

• other subjects of interest you have encountered here or elsewhere in your recent studies.

There are also other subjects that I find interesting and I think that there is a possibility that I can combine some of my interests outside of business with my interests inside of business in order to create the perfect subject for this project.

• your academic and/or professional goals.

I think that researching something in a specific area that I am interested in working in will also help me in this project. Researching within an industry I dream of working in will further help my motivation for this project. I think there is a subject that can work in all three of these areas and it should not be too difficult to find.

• current-day social, cultural or political issues that you follow and are interested in.

It would be interesting if I could find something involving the state of the environment, equal rights, or the culture surrounding people my age for this project. These interest me greatly and being able to find how they connect to business should be easy, since business is involved in all of these.

• civic, financial, governmental, economic, and/or judicial practices that you follow and are interested in.

This could be done relatively easy to connect with business. I am interested in how the stock market works greatly so I could find a way to argue about the current state of the stock market and how certain businesses are effecting the state of the stock market greatly.

• scientific and/or technological advances or news stories that you follow and and are interested in.

I think that I could find a way to talk about the use of animals in research and how there is a business for the use of these animals. There has to be someone buying and selling these animals and I could talk about this.

• subjects of personal interest or study, for instance:
• hobbies such as hiking & climbing, gaming/programming, following sports or movies or music, etc.

I am interested in sports and there has been a great increase in the involvement of business in sports and it could be interesting to advocate for this.

• skills you have committed yourself to acquiring like dedication to a sport, an instrument, a practice such as yoga or meditation, etc.

I spent a great deal of time in the developmental sports leagues as a kid and I could easily advocate for more kids and parents to be involved in these leagues instead of being scared that their kids could be injured by participating.

• subjects you’ve read about previously in science or history or literature, etc.

The Great Depression is very interesting to me and there was a great amount of business involved in it so I could talk about the state of businesses during this time.

• subjects connected to your life experiences, places you’ve travelled to, ideologies or philosophies you’ve encountered directly, unique experiences you’ve had.

I would love to advocate for families to take their kids on adventurous vacations. A great deal of parents take their kids to the same place and have the same experiences over and over again without trying anything new and that sets a tone for the kids life.

       2.     What are the preconceptions, previously held opinions and/or potential areas for

               personal bias that you should be aware of for Project 3? What about any of the

               following?:

• Your family of origin, and the spoken or unspoken set(s) of “family values” that come with belonging to that family.

My family is pretty conservative and I think that I should be aware if I begin stating my opinion that I grew up under. I want to be fare in this assignment and should not bring my beliefs into it.

• The social class of yourself/your family (consider honestly your family’s level of access to wealth, real estate, travel, leisure, luxury items, etc.).

I was lucky as a kid to grow up a in a relatively affluent family. I need to make sure if my argument involves the lower economic classes in any way that I do not make any assumptions about the people in these classes.

• The location/geography where you were raised, and whatever local norms, customs, attitudes, traditions, and/or prejudices come with belonging or not belonging.

I grew up in the suburbs and was surrounded by the outdoors. I do not know what it is truly like to live in a big city and I should research what it is like before I make any statements about large urban areas.

• The religious and/or spiritual tradition you were raised in, and whatever beliefs, values, worldviews and/or prejudices come with belonging or not belonging.

I grew up going to church most Sundays so I need to make sure that I do not bring those beliefs and traditions into my writing for this project.

• The political beliefs of the family, community, area/region or state in which you were raised, and whatever attitudes, beliefs, traditions, values and/or prejudices come with belonging or not belonging.

Most people that live in the area that I grew up in were conservative and so being in college is the first true experience I have had with people with liberal types of thinking. I need to be non-biased with my political and economic beliefs in this project.

o   Your level of access to cultural power, based on things like ethnicity/race, gender, sexual identity, age, level of education, differently-abledness, etc.

I am a straight white male so I have not had to encounter any traditional biases in my life. I need to make sure I research the different classes of people involved in my argument so I do not make any false assumptions.

Audience.

Based on your plans for Project 3, answer the following…

1. How are you thinking about your audience for this project? Who are you going to make this for? Describe them.

Those that care about the issue of national security as well as privacy will care about this issue. Therefore, this classification does not really fall under a specific gender, religion, or race. The people that care about this issue will be around the age of 16+. They will most likely be well educated as well.

2. What beliefs and assumptions might this audience already hold? What position are they likely to take on this issue? How will you respond to that position?

This audience will most likely have their opinion already made up. They are most likely not trying to be persuaded, but are trying to be educated more on their viewpoint or trying to figure out why the opposing side thinks the way that they do. Some people will be in between on the subject and not have a specific opinion, they will be in favor of both privacy and security. I will need to be educated on the subject and make sure that I do not make any assumptions while I write this paper.

3. How might they react to your argument?

People will most likely agree stick to their original opinion on this subject after reading my paper. The thing that I need to do is give them a more educated stance on the subject and allow them to analyze what they think after. Some people may end up switching their stance in the end.

4. How are you going to relate to or connect with your audience? Are there any specific words, ideas or ways of arguing that will help you relate to them in this way?

What I need to do is relate to the personal struggles that come with this issue. I need to talk about what it feels like to feel unsafe when the nation’s security is unsure. I need to talk about what it feels like to feel like your privacy is being over stepped. I need to connect with people on a personal level.

5.     Think of one specific person or a set of people you know personally or professionally who fall within the definition of ‘target audience’ you’re using for Project 3. What could you tell them or say to them in order to convince them of your perspective? What would need to happen for them to agree with you?

One group that will definitely fall under the target audience is liberals in favor of total privacy. I need to say things such as “How would it feel to have another 911 happen?” To the conservatives that fall under the target audience, I need to say things such as “Do you want someone going through all of your personal items, would you want your house to be unlawfully searched?”

Purpose/Message.

1. What do you want to accomplish with Project 3? What affect do you want it to have on your intended audience? For instance:

• What might you want your audience to do after reading/watching/listening to my project?

What I want my audience to understand after reading this paper is what is going on both sides of the argument, and that there needs to be a balance of both privacy and security.

• What might you want your audience to consider after reading/watching/ listening to your project?

I want my audiences to consider what they really want to give up, because each side will need to give a little bit up in order for the perfect situation to occur.

• What might you want your audience to believe after reading/watching/ listening to your project?

I want my audience to believe in giving up some of their rights for security and giving up some of their sense of security for the rights they should receive by living in the United States.

      2.    Now that you’ve done all your research and figured out what you think about the

             controversy you’ve chosen, what still needs to be accomplished? For instance:

• Is there anything that still needs to be explained or pointed out to the people talking about this issue?

People need to understand that they are going to have to give up some of their privacy. As much of a burden that it is to have the government “spying on you”, it can prevent a disaster.

• Is there anything that the people arguing about this need to be reminded of or made aware of?

911. People need to realize that security is a necessary reason to give up some of their privacy to prevent disasters such as 911. People also need to remember the 4^th amendment, one of the amendments our country was founded on.

• Are there any perspectives on the issue that still need to be expressed?

Both main opinions have been expressed a great deal.

• Are there any persons who we still need to hear from?

All kinds of people have expressed their opinions to my knowledge.

o   Is there any information that we still need to gather?

What does the future hold?

Context. What are the particular circumstances surrounding this assignment?

What are the current arguments and what are people saying about the controversy right now? Why?

What genre?

1. What course genre will you be writing in for Project 3?

I will be writing in the Standard College Essay genre.

2. What kinds of audience expectations come along with this genre, generally?

The audience expects to be entertained for the entirety of the paper, I will need to keep my information interesting.

3. What is your history working in the genre you have selected for Project 3?

I have written many papers in this format in the past throughout my education starting in middle school.

4. Describe your comfort level and general feelings about the genre. How will they affect your work on Project 3?

I am very comfortable writing in this genre, more so than in any other genre I have/will work in this semester.

5.     What are the two most effective conventions in this genre, in your opinion? Why? Be specific.

The professionalism and ease of conveying information are the most effective conventions because it they keep the audience focused and the author on track. They keep the subject and opinions moving.

When?

1. Are there any historical events that might impact how your audience perceives your argument or the kind of background information or evidence you need to include? For instance, does media reporting on any of the following involve your issue/subject for Project 3?:

• The approval or rejections of laws and/or budgets by the Executive branch of the U.S. government.

The Fourth Amendment, The Patriot Act, and the NSA are the three most major laws and governmental agencies.

• Cabinet appointments and removals made by the Executive branch of the U.S. government.

None that I know of yet.

• The authorization or funding of military hostilities by the Executive branch of the U.S. government.

The Iraq War was the result of 911 and this was the most expensive war in our nation’s history.

• The writing of, discussion about and voting on laws and/or budgets in the Legislative branch of the U.S. government.

After 911 there was a great deal of emphasis on security such as the TSA and the Iraq War.

• The explanations made for legal decisions in the Judicial branch of the U.S. government.

The Patriot Act was deemed necessary in order to prevent terrorist acts by surveying things such as emails, text messages, and calls.

2.     Who else is talking about this topic? Provide us with working hyperlinks to coverage of the controversy on FOUR different media outlets.

1.     http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/01/22/high-tech-government-spying-vs-your-constitutional-right-to-privacy.html

2.     http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/governments-invade-privacy-tools-encryption-grow-popular/

3.     http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/privacy-vs-security-false-choice-poisons-debate-nsa-leaks-6c10536226

4.     http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/06/18802435-privacy-vs-protection-public-wrestles-with-whats-most-important?lite

3.     What are the three or four major counter-arguments you’ll have to respond to, based upon what people are saying in the press/media? Be specific and cite your sources using working hyperlinks.

1.      “There is no need to give up civil liberties for national security.”

2.      “There aren’t enough surveillance policies to stop a terrorist attack.”

3.      “What is one time that surveillance has prevented a terrorist attack?”

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/29/what-americans-think-about-nsa-surveillance-national-security-and-privacy/