BergstromandWestbelievethatthey.Ess2.docx

Bergstrom and West believe that they “feel that a democracy is healthiest when voters can see through bullshit coming from all sides” (xv). In this essay, we will take up the implied obligation to call bullshit when we encounter an instance that threatens to damage our community.
The notion of the community will be central to the work you do on this paper. Most of us belong to more than one community. Some common ways to identify community are by geography, culture, politics, economic situation, religion, education, or interest. You are free to define community in whatever way makes the most sense to you, and you will be writing to and about this community in your essay. 
You will also have a chance to choose how you present your critique of bullshit. You can write an essay, record some audio, or produce a video.  If you decide to do something other than an essay, you can use whatever tools you like to record your work. Be aware, though, that you will need to be able to post it to Canvas. Know, too, that Canvas has some (https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/How-do-I-submit-a-media-file-as-an-assignment-submission/ta-p/279 ) for creating audio and video. Each type of submission has different requirements, so be sure to review the assignment carefully. 
I have asked the library to put together some resources to help you find the sources you’ll use in this essay. You can access those tools ( https://libguides.arc.losrios.edu/c.php?g=1127557 )
Note: This assignment requires that you submit both an essay, an audience analysis, and a self-reflection.
Assignment
Before you write
You will need to find an editorial or other opinion piece in a periodical that takes a position you can demonstrate to be bullshit. The library resources can be very useful with this point. The essay you choose will have to sustain a several-page essay, so pick something that has some depth to it.
Assignment Elements
This assignment has three parts
Bullshit Analysis (You can choose to present an essay, an audio file, or a video file. See below for specifics.)
· Identify a significant example of bullshit in an editorial or opinion piece in a major newspaper or periodical. And then demonstrate that elements of it are bullshit. You will need to integrate at least five sources. One must be the opinion piece you are critiquing. The remainder should help you to demonstrate the bullshit in that claim.
· Some suggestions: (You do not need to address these points in this , but you should weave all of them into your paper.)
· Draw on stasis theory to determine the type(s) of the argument being made in the source. Clearly identify what those elements are. Be aware that your audience may not know the terms for different types of stasis. So be sure to explain those in terms your audience will be able to follow.
· What are the most appealing elements of the bullshit? Why might they appeal to your audience?
· Why are those appealing claims ultimately bullshit?
· Are there elements of the argument that are valid?
Audience analysis (must be written)
Write a one-to-two-page analysis of your chosen community. Begin with the title “Audience Analysis”.  The community you choose will be your audience so talk about what assumptions they will accept, what they will resist, and most importantly how you will appeal to them. Be sure to include some evidence. (Remember, we have talked about how to analyze an audience.)
Self-reflection (must be written)
Include a one-to-two-page page self-reflection. Attach the self-reflection as a separate page. Begin with the title “Self-Reflection”; then write at least one paragraph for each of the following points:
·
· What went well in the essay draft?
· What one or two areas could use improvement?
· What you’ll change in your writing process to focus on those areas of improvement?
· Did you achieve the individual writing goals that you identified in the proposal for this essay? If so, what steps helped you to be successful? If you haven’t yet achieved your goal, how, exactly, are you going to change your process to help you to achieve your goals?
Types of submission of bullshit analysis
Essay
If you decide to write an essay, you will need to develop an argument that runs 1,250-1,750 words long. You will need to follow the guidelines for MLA 8 citation. You may choose to write in whatever level of formality makes the most sense for your audience.
Audio
If you decide to record your analysis as an audio file, please base it on a segment from a talk radio station. NPR has quite a few 
examples of top-quality segments  (Links to an external site.)
( https://www.npr.org/programs/ ) you could use as a basis for your presentation. Your presentation will need to be 4-5 minutes long. You will need to upload your audience analysis and self-reflection files one at a time to the assignment. And you will need to also submit a bibliography of the sources you use. Be sure to format it according to MLA 8 standards. Your audio file should demonstrate that you’ve rehearsed your message several times
Video 
If you decide to present your analysis as a video, you will need to have both a visual and an auditory component. The video should be 3-5 minutes long. The video will need to include at least three visuals that contribute to your point. One solution would be to talk over a slide show. Another would be to hold up some props you’ve made while you record yourself talking. How you choose to do it is up to you. At the end of your analysis, please include a bibliography formatted according to MLA 8 standards of all the sources you’ve integrated. You will need to upload your audience analysis and self-reflection files one at a time to the assignment. Your video file should demonstrate that you’ve rehearsed your message several times. 
Here’s a tutorial for recording your video (Links to an external site.)
.
Specifics
· Define bullshit
· Demonstrate that the opinion piece contains bullshit
· Integrate at least 5 sources.
· Follow the specific guidelines for the submission type you’ve chosen
· Your audience analysis should be at least 250 words long. 
· Your self-analysis should be at least 250 words long. 
· Conclude with a Works Cited page.
Suggestions for getting started:
· Devote some time to prewriting before you sit down to draft the essay.
· Work from questions, not answers. If you explore something that you find interesting, you are much more likely to write engagingly
· Integrate sources, but do so thoughtfully. Make sure that each source serves a specific purpose in your paper. If you quote, make sure the quotation directly supports your claim.
· Stay focused. You do not have much space. A focused discussion of one element with ample supporting evidence and analysis will be more effective than a diffuse conversation about multiple features.