Essay #2: Rogerian Argument
We’ve probably all witnessed or even been a part of arguments where participants don’t seem to be listening to one another or changing their perspectives based on the discussion. Rogerian arguments and arguments of fact are designed for exactly these situations. These types of arguments follow a specific structure—summarizing alternative perspectives in a fair way, establishing common ground with people who hold these alternative views, and respectfully proposing and explaining your position. Rogerian arguments, developed by psychologist Carl Rogers, seek to develop respectful relationships with people of various viewpoints and demonstrate empathic listening skills while explaining your own viewpoint.
The Prompt:
Write a 5-6 page Rogerian argument essay that makes and defends a claim about a recent controversial event related to drugs, alcohol, and addiction.
Andrea Lundsford describes Rogerian arguments as being written in report form. For this assignment however, you will be writing a well-developed Rogerian argument in essay form. You should also note that Rogerian arguments have a number of features that differ from traditional essays. For example, you should not include your thesis in the introduction.
Instead, in the introduction, you should describe the issue and establish a cordial relationship with the audience. The first section(1-2 paragraphs) of the body should focus on summarizing alternative views in a fair and neutral way. The next section (1-2 paragraphs) of the body should focus on describing common ground between your own perspective and alternative perspectives. The final section (3-5 paragraphs) of the body should respectfully propose your own way of looking at the issue and support your claim with plenty of reasons and evidence. Your conclusion should wrap-up the essay and focus on one topic that relates to the entire essay.
Length requirements: 5-6 full pages
Source requirements: 4-7 reliable researched sources
Originality requirements: There should be no instances of plagiarism. Your originality score through Turnitin.com should be between 10%-20%. To achieve this percent, summarize and paraphrase sources most often, quote when it makes sense to do so (e.g., exact words are important, you want to show that someone actually said something, etc.), submit your essay early to check your originality score, and revise and resubmit as needed.
Format requirements: MLA format with a works cited page (not included in page count)
Things to Shoot for:
⬜ An essay that follows the Rogerian essay format
⬜ Claims (thesis and topic sentences) that are clear, logical, and respond well to the prompt;
⬜ Reliable and relevant grounds that sufficiently support the claims, fair descriptions of multiple perspectives, and effective responses to alternative views;
⬜ Sources that are well integrated (i.e., introduced with relevant details, cited, and responded to);
⬜ A tone that is respectful, empathetic, and/or neutral
⬜ A clear, well-organized, and focused final draft, and
⬜ A draft well-edited for clarity and MLA format.
