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Touchstone 3.1: Construct a Rogerian Argument

ASSIGNMENT: As you learned in this unit, a Rogerian argument is one that presents two sides of a debate and argues for a solution that will satisfy both sides. Given the two articles linked below that present opposing sides of an issue (mandatory uniforms in schools vs. some kind of dress code), construct your own 2-3 page Rogerian argument essay in which you attempt to arrive at a concrete, workable solution or “middle ground” citing three accurate, direct quotations from the sources to support your claim.

NOTE: Citing or referencing sources not included in this assignment or inaccurately citing direct quotations not found in these sources will negatively impact the score (see Summary of Positions and Thesis/Claim components in the rubric).

The essay should contain the following components:

1. An introduction that accurately presents both sources (i.e., author, title, year of publication, and their relative position in the debate), as well as your middle ground thesis statement.

2. A body paragraph that summarizes the pro-uniform rationales. (Both articles can be used, but focus on Anderson).

3. A body paragraph that summarizes the anti-uniform/pro-dress code rationales. (Both articles can be used, but focus on Deane).

4. A body paragraph that critically compares and contrasts both sides of the debate.

5. A conclusion that further develops your proposed middle-ground solution and demonstrates how it satisfies both sides of the debate.

In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review .

A. Assignment Guidelines

DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines. Refer to the Sample Touchstone for additional guidance on structure, formatting, and citation.

1. Introduction

Have you briefly and accurately introduced the author, title, and publication context (year, journal, etc.) of Article 1?

Have you briefly and accurately introduced the author, title, and publication context (year, journal, etc.) of Article 2?

Have you ended the introduction with a thesis statement/claim that presents a clear, workable solution that could be viewed as a “middle ground” between the two sides?

2. Body Paragraphs

Have you included a summary of the pro-uniform stances in the first body paragraph (including accurate page-numbered citations)?

Have you included a summary of the anti-uniform stances in the second body paragraph (including accurate page-numbered citations)?

Have you included at least three direct quotations, supplementing them with your own explanation of their relevance?

Have you adequately compared and contrasted both sides of the debate (with cited examples from the articles) in the third body paragraph?

3. Conclusion

Does your expanded claim address both sides of the issue, including specific points raised in the articles?

Have you backed up your claim using cited, verifiable facts from both sides of the argument?

4. Reflection

Have you answered all reflection questions including specific and concrete examples that provide thoughtful insight in all responses?

Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?

B. Reflection

DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.

1. How does the Rogerian model of argument help you better understand the topic thats being discussed? Why is it a good practice to acknowledge both sides of the argument? (3-4 sentences)
2. How might the Rogerian approach help you gain insight into your own argumentative essay? (2-3 sentences)

D. Requirements

The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:

• Composition must be 2-3 pages (approximately 500-750 words).
• Double-space the composition and use one-inch margins.
• Use a readable 12-point font.
• All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
• Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
• Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
• Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
• Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
• Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
• Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.

Career = Marketing

Goal = Head of Marketing at a big company (like Microsoft)

Paragraph 1: Documents marketers write

Answer:

What do marketers write at work?

Examples:

Emails

Marketing plans

Ads

Social media content

Reports

Presentations

Explain why clear writing matters.

Paragraph 2: Writing skills needed

Answer:

How good do you have to be at writing?

Talk about:

Being clear

Being persuasive

Writing for bosses vs customers

Writing professionally

Paragraph 3: Writing & career growth

Answer:

How does writing help you get promoted?

Talk about:

Leadership

Trust

Being taken seriously

Moving into management roles

Paragraph 4: Ethics in marketing

Answer:

Why honesty and ethics matter

Talk about:

Truthful advertising

Not misleading customers

Brand trust

Big companies like Microsoft needing strong ethics

STEP 4: Conclusion

Do this:

Restate your thesis (in different words)

Say why writing + ethics matter

End with your career goal

STEP 5: Use SOURCES (very important)

You need at least 3 sources:

2 from the library or textbook

1 outside source (NOT Wikipedia)

Use sources to:

Support your points

Add credibility

Dont over-quote. Mostly use your own words.

STEP 6: MLA FORMAT (required)