Summary & Response: The Moves

Summary & Response: The Moves

Dance Moves • You got any? • Let’s try some out… • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZGrufYSQPc • Do they all work within each context? Which ones don’t work so well?

Do they fit the situation? Rapper’s Delight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTv2i8FEs9w Nuthin But a G Thanghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEXI9tdXgyI Trenchtown Rock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziQSNGFzlp4

If Writing is like dancing… • … We need the right moves • The Moves depend on the genre and Rhetorical Situation

Summary Moves • Introduction • Identify the title, the author, and the subject (of the original argument) • Try a slightly different move to draw the reader into the topic • What opening “moves” are available? • Set up the Thesis • Thesis Move: Re-state the author and/ or title, clearly state the main argument of the article.

Summary Intro Moves Applied • In the city of White Lake, citizens are up in arms about Wal-Mart sizing up the land to build their store. The article “White Lake Wal-Mart May Not Be the End of the World”, by David Kolb, sheds some light on this topic. Featured in the Muskegon Chronicle and found on mlive.com, Kolb argues that a Wal-Mart in White Lake might not necessarily be a bad thing. • As a society, is there ever a point when our moral ideals become absurd, and get in the way of larger goals? In an opinion article – titled “Adoption Bills Put Catholic Church’s Interests ahead of Kid’s” – on Detroit Free Press website, freep.com, Brian Dickerson questions the intentions of two potential adoption bills. Dickerson asserts that the adoption bills may be more closely related to a means of reaching political goals, rather than promoting the best interest of the children these bills concern.

The Next Step: Background • Writer’s writing/ publication experience • Writer’s experience with the subject

The “Background” Move Applied Kolb is a former editorial page editor of the Muskegon Chronicle and has since became a columnist for the paper. The author seems to refer to personal shopping preference as a guideline for the rest of the article. Kolb doesn't believe that Wal-Mart will pose a threat to the White Lake community of commerce, despite the fears of the people within it. He believes it could be a good opportunity for the city. Brian Dickerson graduated from Princeton University. He was a journalist for the Miami Herald, and served as staff writer, 1979-83; editorial writer, 1983-85; and editor, 1885-88. He is a frequent columnist for the Detroit Free Press, and currently serves as Deputy Editorial Page Editor for the Detroit Free Press. (linkedin.com)

Summary Body Paragraph Moves • Issue in context move (History) • Current Status move (Rhetorical Situation) • The Conflict move (might fall in line with Rhetorical Situation) • What is the “tension” between the author and the topic being argued about?

Issue in Context Move • The author mentions that supermarket stores have taken on Wal-Mart in the past. Wal-Mart built a store in Norton Shores, a city close to Muskegon, and the local Meijer accepted the competition. Meijer, the supermarket underdog, made some changes to take the wind from Wal-Mart's sails. Kolb states that Meijer changed “its … orientation to directly face Wal-Mart across Henry Street.” (par. 13) Also, in Grand Haven, the city fought to slow the progress of another Wal-Mart being erected within the city. Grand Haven stacked high expectations of the construction style and building codes to make the store more expensive to create. Although those actions taken by the city didn't deter Wal-Mart from its construction, Kolb states that the surrounding businesses are still doing well and everything is great. (par. 12)

Current Situation Move Essentially, the bills in question have provisions that would sanction adoption agencies to discriminate against persons pursuing adoption, if they follow moral codes that are different than those of said agencies. In his second paragraph, Dickerson stresses that these bills would potentially allow “faith-based adoption agencies to discriminate against gays seeking to adopt hard-to-place foster children.” He goes on to relay that, in Michigan, there are already a number of legal barriers hindering gay couples seeking to adopt. One such barrier mentioned is the ban on gay marriage, which ultimately impedes the option for same-sex couples to cross-adopt children. …

The Conflict Move The citizens of White Lake do not believe that everything will be fine should the Wal-Mart store be built. Many small business owners do not care for the highly competitive pricing and the large amount of buying power that Wal-Mart has. Smaller business can not compete with those practices, and fear of failing. Other citizens do not care for the anti-union policies and discrimination rumors that surround the “mega-corporation.” (par. 6)

The Conflict Move Dickerson criticizes officials who support these bills, even going so far as to accuse them of being “lawmakers who style themselves small government conservatives [of using] taxpayer dollars to subsidize discriminatory practices” (par. 18). He explains that most opponents of the bills are at battle with the idea of gay discrimination, although they could technically discriminate against any group that doesn’t share the same beliefs as the agencies. It’s apparent, however that there are few-to-zero faith-based agencies that would discriminate against other religious groups. Therefore, there must be a specific target group that these agencies want to single out – most probably being persons of LGBT background (Dickerson, par. 17).

Other Summary Moves Throughout the rest of a summary essay, you are essentially repeating the same moves. You will probably need multiple paragraphs which communicate the author’s argument (Conflict between author and subject) Paraphrasing and Direct quoting are most important moves More important than some of the moves, is how you decide to organize the author’s ideas into your own context (your summary).

When the Tune Changes: Response Moves • Elaine Benis • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQu_NLRvULM • Would our moves work for… • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TwT69i1lU

Response Move 1Intro • Refer back to the subject of your Summary (the article’s argument) • Mention the author and his/ her main argument in the article • Guide your reader into what your Response is going to be • Begin establishing your own perspective on the argument– how your opinion either coincides with, or diverges from the author’s • Present your Response (Your Thesis) • 1 sentence only • Should refer to the author • State your argument on the article and the topic in general

Response Intro Example • Charles Krauthammer, author of “The ‘Real’ Navy Yard Scandal,” uses his essay as a response to the mass shootings that have been taking place around the United States, specifically the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013. He believes that these shootings are a result of a failure in the approach that the United States takes to caring for people who have mental health issues. I agree with Krauthammer’s main ideas stated throughout his essay; however, I do believe he forget to mention the positive things our country is doing to fix this problem. Likewise, I feel that the way he shows what he would have done if he was working as a psychiatrist and the shooter was brought to him weakens the overall effectiveness of his essay. Therefore, although Krauthammer uses valid reasoning, his lack of pointing out both sides of the argument weakens his argument.

Response Move 2 Thesis: Some Good ONes • Although my beliefs don’t necessarily coincide with Catholic teachings, I find a number of Pope Francis’s moral principles found in Carrie Wofford’s article, “Saving the Catholic Church From Itself,” such as his views on social mindset, Papal privilege, homosexuality, and service, to be commendable. • Bethke tries to turn his own personal spiritual walk into a biblically driven spiritual walk, by picking apart the bible and piecing it together to try to make sense of his less Godly, more wordly outlook on religion, Jesus, and salvation. • In comparison to Pitt’s argument in this article and given all of the information provided, I would have to agree that yes, America is crazy by being content with their current method of policies, and gun laws, and thinking that it’s effective enough to completely control the violence.

Response Move 3Isolating and Responding to Claims • Insert a specific direct claim from the author’s work into your paragraph. Follow the claim up with: • A sentence that expresses agreement or disagreement with the claim • Additional sentences that provide reasoning for your agreement or disagreement • (Might Include) Explanation or Analysis of how your view compares to the other author’s • A direct quote from another author or source who supports and provides further explanation of your position • Analogy or Comparison- applies the author’s position (or your position) to another context, to illustrate the more universal strengths/ weaknesses of the position. • Refutation- Providing evidence (possibly from an outside source) to dispute or contradict the author’s claim. • Affirmation- Providing evidence that backs up your position/ claim.

Response Move 3Isolating and Responding to Claims • I believe that Eric Baerren’s claims in this matter are very legitimate. Such inherited treasure requires responsibility along with deep appreciation of it in order to be properly protected. If Detroit is ready to sell such wealth then maybe it wasn’t worthy of keeping it in the first place . The idea of selling off the DIA doesn’t show how desperate the government is for money, it only shows how out of luck the art pieces are for falling in the hands of a Babbitt Nation—where everything has a price tag, even ethics.

Response Move 4Pointing out What’s Missing • In this move, we identify some important aspect of the original argument which the author/ text did not address • What do you know about the topic that the article does not seem to bring up? • Example: If we are responding to one of the articles whose argument was that Obamacare needs to be defunded, we might try to call attention to the fact that even a government shutdown would not stop many aspects of Obamacare from going into effect.

Pointing Out What’s Missing Examples (Cont.) • If we are responding to an article praising Standards-Based education, we might point out that, despite the increased emphasis on high-stakes test, our college graduation rates have stayed roughly the same over the last 30-40 years. • If you were responding an article on why Wal-Mart is the ultimate story of entrepreneurial success in America, you could point out that Wal-Mart’s success has come at the expense of many small businesses who aim to pay their employees well and who buy their materials from other local companies.

Response Move 5Personal Experience Response • In this move, you use your own knowledge/ experience to develop an argument (in support of or in opposition to) the original author’s. • This move should be used in moderation, as it boils a big subject down to how one person (you or someone you know) experienced it.

Personal Experience Response (Cont.) • Good uses of Personal Experience Move: • You are responding critically to an article on why college athletes don’t deserve to be paid, and you talk about the “daily grind” that you face as a college athlete, and how your commitment in time far exceeds the amount your scholarship pays for. • You are responding critically to a positive review of a Lebanese restaurant; you yourself are Lebanese, and you know that the ingredients the restaurant puts in its food is far less nutritious than what a Lebanese recipe would call for. • You are the parent of an autistic child who was not vaccinated. You are responding to anti-vaccine advocates like Jenny McCarthy who claim that autism is caused by the common vaccines given to infants and toddlers.

Having graduated from a Catholic high school, I consider myself pretty well versed in Catholic philosophies. I may not be the most credible source on Catholic, or even Christian beliefs; but I do know that Catholics preach about a God of love and mercy. Having lived through a time when church leaders view and deem someone’s sexuality as a condition or problem, it restores hope in humanity when another Pope comes along to wonder “Who [he is] to judge.” (Wofford, Para. 8). Wofford gently explains the Pope’s belief that rather than judgment and oppression, people ought to offer love as a response to homosexuality and women contemplating abortion (Wofford, Para. 10). I agree wholeheartedly with this view. I think that the kind of love the Pope describes should be offered not even as a remedy or solution, but simply as a continuity of seeking a means for the well being of other people, both physically and emotionally.

Response Move 6Connecting to other texts • To support our opinion in favor of or against an author’s claim, we might simply compare the opinion to another credible source’s perspective on the issue. • This “move” would often require a direct quote, with an in-text citation. However, this move shows that you know how to bring other perspectives to bear on a topic—that you are well-read and/ or knowledgeable in the field relevant to your topic.

Connecting to Other Texts Example • Bethke says in his video that, “Salvation is not based on my merits, but Jesus obedience alone.” When Bethke is speaking on “Jesus” obedience” he is talking about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, and by believing in Him we are saved/have salvation. So altogether what Bethke is trying to say is that what we, as followers of Christ, do doesn’t matter- the only thing that matters is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Now while that passage is very powerful, there are thousands of scripture in the Bible that should be looked at and not just that one. While Jesus Christ did die on the cross for our sins, the Bible clearly states in James 2:14-26, that faith without works is dead. Although good deeds alone won’t give you that ticket to heaven, the bible shows in many stories like, “The Good Samaritan,” and all of the miracles Jesus preformed on the lame, how important it is, as a follower of Christ, to do good onto others.

Response Move 7Straw Man Attack • The Straw Man attack, which is considered a logical fallacy, introduces one of the weakest parts of an author’s argument, and launches a detailed and sometimes excessive attack on this one part the author’s work. • Note: It is better for you to identify a “Straw Man” in the author’s work, and critique him/ her for using this Logical Fallacy! • Doing this would be similar to “missing the point” move

Straw Man ExamplePointing out something wrong with the author’s personal experience here… • Before become becoming a journalist Krauthammer was an active psychiatrist. He tries to use his previous profession to provide support that his point of view is more reliable due to his first hand experiences. He does this by providing his own opinion on how he felt Alexis’s situation should have been handled. Although I agree with how he would have handled the situation, I feel that the way he came about it weakened his claim. He started his response on how he would have treated Alexis by saying, “Had this happened 35 years ago in Boston, Alexis would have been brought to me as the psychiatrist on duty…” (9). This is not a strong argument because many things have changed over the last 35 years. If he wanted to make a true statement showing his support for a more active response to patients with mental illness he should have said how he would have handled the situation if he was still a practicing psychiatrist now. While he believed this is the proper treatment for patients with mental health 35 years ago, many treatment that were thought to be effective in the past have been proven otherwise over the years.

Response Move 8Consequences/ Slippery Slope This is also considered a logical fallacy when taken too far. It can be effective and legitimate for pointing out the Consequences (“If we accept the author’s idea, then this bad consequence will happen”) The logic in this fallacy is that since “A” happened, then not only will “B” (a negative consequence) occur, but the only possible outcome will be “Z” (something terribly bad and even catastrophic).

Response Move 8 Example (Consequences) • But, this is where I start to find myself agreeing and disagreeing with Pitts main points about gun laws/policies. From my understanding, he believes gun laws and policies should be more strict to solve problems but, I personally don’t think that will be enough. Pitts points out we Americans “worship guns, mythologize guns, fetishize guns,” because of this, laws might not make a difference (par. 9). As Americans, I feel we like to push our limits because if we want it, we’ll do everything to get it. With that being said, I feel setting stricter gun laws and policies will only make Americans greedy and fight back to try to get their way . Who is to say that the blind man didn’t already have a gun? Not to say that this is a major ground breaking point, but in the case of gun laws, and taking away guns from so called “frightened Americans”, the fact that so many break laws, and there are a lot of people who illegally own a gun, changing laws will definitely help but I don’t think will fully solve the problem. You mean, Americans who want their guns?

Summary & Response: The Moves