Why are we writing this?
Throughout this quarter, our key goal is to dig deeply into an issue and make sure we fully understand it from many different angles before exploring potential solutions or ideas to address the problem. The reason we will do this is because too often with issues in our society, we see a problem only from our own perspective (whether that comes from personal experience, cultural backgrounds, lived experience of your circle, educational experiences, religious background and beliefs, or so many other important factors!). But, if we do not see a problem from all sides, we risk coming up with solutions that only address part of the problem.
Our first paper, then, is an attempt to dig into a problem and “wallow in complexity” as you do so.
Your Task
In this paper, you will explore a your chosen topic and identify the problem as you see it. In doing so, you will look at the issue from multiple points of view and explore potential causes of this problem. Your main task is simply to explore the problem as thoroughly as you are able to. What other stakeholders exist? What do they see as the cause of this problem? What impacts does the problem have? How does it change their lives or worlds? What does it prevent them from doing or force them to do?
Your paper should not focus on solving the problem–we will work on that in our later projects this term!
Qualities
Your Problematizing Paper should:
- clearly explain the problem as you see it
- explore and explain the causes of it
- explore and explain the impact of it
- do all of the above from multiple points of view
Example
If your paper is about the frequency of car accidents along Farnam Street in midtown, you might explore the origins of this problem from a number of points of view:
- why do neighbors think this problem exists? (I’d wager a bet that some would say it’s the confusing one-way traffic for 4 hours a day, or how fast people drive)
- why does the city think this problem exists? (I’d guess that they would want to blame residents who just shut down a plan to install roundabouts and get rid of the one-way problem
- Links to an external site.)
- why do drivers think this is a problem? (would they blame the confusion others have with the one way driving? would they blame pedestrians who cross randomly?)
- why do pedestrians think this is a problem? (they might look at speeding causes, lack of stop signs, poor lane markers)
Nuts and Bolts
Length:
Your paper should be approximately 250-300 words, which is about 2.5-3 pages in 12-point, double spaced, Times New Roman font.
Tone:
This is an informal essay that does not need to use formal writing.
Format:
You should use MLA or APA format, with 12-point, double spaced, Times New Roman font.