Deanza College Chapter 2 Social Problems & Power of Stories Review
Review “Claimsmaking” (Chapter 2 of Social Problems)
In the first half of Chapter 2 of Social Problems, Joel Best analyzes the rhetoric of social problems claims, which have a structure of
- grounds, which name and define the problem, offer statistics about it and provide typifying examples
- warrants, which justify why something ought to be done about the problem, and
- conclusions, which specify the actions that will address the problem.
He discusses the most common types of additional grounds claimsmakers draw upon and the most effective warrants American claimsmakers rely upon. In the second half of the chapter, he describes the conditions under which claimsmakers compete in the social problems marketplace and analyzes how claims evolve over time in response to audiences and opposition. He also discusses how cultural resources shape the kinds of claims that claimsmakers can make.
Read “The Power of Stories,” Chapter 4 of When We Fight We Win
For this assignment, you will read Chapter 4 (pp. 77-102) of When We Fight We Win, entitled “The Power of Stories.”
Apply Best’s Concepts to the Immigrant Rights Case Study
For this application, you have two tasks to complete.
1. Choose one of the following political posters from the chapter:
- the series on p. 82-83
- the individual poster on p. 87
- the individual poster on p. 95
- the individual poster on p. 96
Identify the grounds, warrants and conclusions on the poster you chose. If you think one of these three parts is missing, discuss which and why. Be sure to make clear in your submission which poster you analyzed. If you haven’t yet, review the Screencast: How to Analyze Grounds, Warrants and Conclusions on Political Posters
2. Write at least one paragraph–roughly 150 words–that apply at least 2 of the points Joel Best makes in Chapter 2 of Social Problems about what makes claims effective to Chapter 4 of When We Fight We Win, entitled “The Power of Stories: The Dreams and Immigrant Rights.” How do the stories used by the immigrant rights movement illustrate the arguments Joel Best makes about effective claimsmaking?
Rubric
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis of the poster’s grounds, warrants and conclusionsThis analysis should make clear the DISTINCTION/DIFFERENCES between grounds, warrants and conclusions. These are three DIFFERENT elements of a claim. |
10.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeApplication of 2 ideas from Joel Best’s points in “Claimsmaking” to the case of immigrant rights activismEvery idea you use from the Joel Best text should be defined and explained and then your analysis should explain in specific detail HOW it applies to the case study in When We Fight We Win. |
10.0 pts |
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Total Points: 20.0 |
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