Good Reason Chapter 13: Proposal Arguments Presis

                  In the Good Reasons’  text chapter 13:  Proposal Arguments, authors Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer claim that proposal arguments are arguments that identify a problem and offer a main solution, along with several other solutions, but provide facts as too why the main solution is better than the alternatives.  Faigley and Selzer discuss that a proposal argument is a call to action.  They describe the four components when writing a proposal argument: identify and define a problem, state a solution, convince solution is right and will work, and demonstrate that the solution is realistic.  The chapter then moves to demonstrate the six steps in writing a proposal argument and how to use a outline to organize your thoughts—finally, there is a sample proposal argument to give the readers a tangible example of how to information provided can be used to create an effective argument.  The authors’ main purpose is to inform the audience that “the key to a successful proposal is using good reasons to convince readers that if they act, something positive will happen (or something negative will be avoided).” (185). They state this  in order to demonstrate the importance of the proposal argument, and its structure.  The main audience of this particular chapter would be English students learning about the art of writing arguments and also anyone who may be writing a proposal for political, business or other professional reasons—a call to action can be used by anyone! 

Article #4: Not Just one cause of infertility

“Prevalence of infertility in the United States as estimated by the current duration approach and a traditional constructed approach, Fertility and Sterility” by multiple authors₁ estimates “the prevalence of infertility using a current duration approach for comparison with a traditional constructed measure.”  The authors support their estimation by statistics taken from women in the United State bases on sexual activity, contraception used, relationship status, and number of miscarriages.  The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the many factors that can affect infertility in order to show that there is not just one cause to infertility but many.  The audience for this article can include medical professionals and individuals who are inquiring about causes of infertility of women. 

 1. Marie E. Thomas, Alexander C. McLain, Jean Fredo Louis, Rosalind B. King, Ann C. Trumble, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Germaine M. Buck Louis. “Prevalence of infertility in the United States as estimated by the current duration approach and a traditional constructed approach, Fertility and Sterility.” Science Direct. (2013). Web. 12 February 2013.

Article #3: Adoption

“Impact of Adoption on Adopted Persons” by the Child Welfare Information Gateway claims that adopted persons can suffer several issues after adoption.  These claims are supported by possible instances that adopted persons can experience; missing biological parents,  feelings of rejection, identity crisis, and also medical issues due to lack of medical histories and genetic information.  The primary purpose of this article is to prepare adopting families for the possible complications that the adopted persons could suffer and coping techniques for each.  The main audience would be persons considering adoption and families in the process of adoption.

 

Child Welfare Information Gateway.” Impact of Adoption on Adopted Persons”.  Administration for Children and Families: Fact sheets for Families. (2004). Medline. Web. 12 February 2013.

Article #2: Infertility

American Accreditation Health Care Commission’s article, “Infertility”, states the most basic definition of infertility for men and women.  The definition is backed by medical data from an array of scientific journals, the process of diagnosis and possible treatment are then stated, followed immediately by with prognosis and possible outlooks for the future.  The purpose of this article is to demonstrate a wide description of infertility for both genders in order to give researchers a starting point to branch away from.  The main audience could be any researcher who would like to inquire about infertility and needs a starting point.

American Accreditation Health Care Commission. “Infertility.”  Medline Plus. (2012). Web. 11 February 2013.

Article #1: In Vitro Fertilization

In the article “In Vitro Fertilization”, produced by the Mayo Clinic Foundation (MFMER) presents the definition of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), why it is used, and the risks involved with the procedure.  MFMER starts with defining IVF as "a procedure used to treat fertility problems and assist with the conception of a child. During in vitro fertilization, mature eggs are retrieved from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs are implanted in your uterus. One cycle of in vitro fertilization takes about two weeks."  The article then displays the main reasons as to why a female might need to use IVF, what risks there might be, the damages that might result from the procedure, and then a detailed description of IVF preparation, process, and post procedure protocol.  The MFMER main purpose is to provide unbiased information about In Vitro Fertilization in order to help women/couples make an educated decision about IVF.  The primary audience of this article would be infertile couples/women who are considering IVF as an opportunity to conceive a biological child of their own. 

Mayo Clinic Staff. “In Vitro Fertilization.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.   (2013).Web. 10 February 2013.

Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome

      

                The article, “Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome and Impact on Health” by Guatam Allahbadia and Rubina Merchant describes Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) as a “multifactorial, heterogeneous, complex genetic, endocrine and metabolic disorder” (19); it also explains PCOS symptoms and causes and the overall effect that it has on a female.  They begin by describing the complexity of the disease and the possible effects that the disease could have on the body (obesity, male pattern hair growth, and low to no fertility) and then they demonstrate the effects using a series of graphs and charts.   The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that PCOS is much more than an endocrine disorder, that reorganization of that fact is invaluable in order to properly treat and manage the symptoms and effects.  This article is written for the medical community, it contains a great deal of medical terminology that not all audiences would understand.

              Gautam N. Allahbadia, Rubina Merchant, Polycystic ovary syndrome and impact on health, Middle East Fertility Society Journal. (2011).  JSTOR. Web. 9 February 2013

Chapter 9 Rhetorical Presis

          

           

               Good Reasons (2012), chapter 9: Causal Arguments, by Faigley and Selzer describes a casual argument, its basic forms, the identification of causes, and complex relationships in reference to causal arguments.  The authors start by identifying the three types of causal arguments, how they flow, and then give a brief example of each; it moves then to the locating of causes and how that can often be difficult because " if a cause is worth writing about, it is likely to be complex." (115).  They then describe the four cause finding methods as described by philosopher John Stuart Mill.  Finally, Faigley and Selzer discuss, in depth, how to build a causal argument and then show a sample to reinforce the lesson.  Their purpose is to ensure that students are well versed and prepared to create an effective argument of their own.  The audience would be the students reading the text but this would also be useful to businesses, politicians, scholars applying for grants, and virtually anyone who needs to make a well written, valid argument.









           Faigley, Lester, and Jack Selzer. Good Reasons: Research and Writing Effective Arguments, Fifth Edition.  Glenview: Pearson Education, 2011. Print.

Chapter 7 Rhetorical Presis

            Good Reasons (2012),chapter 7: Putting Good Reasons into Action, by Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer suggests that good arguments are made up of several argument methods.  They begin the chapter by presenting the reader a hypothetical, yet realistic, situation for the reader to consider an argument.  They do this in order to demonstrate how arguments are composed of multiple approaches and how using a multitude of techniques can be helpful when writing about more complicated topics, "have a purpose in mind, and they use the kinds of arguments [...] most often in combination--as means to an end. Most arguments use multiple approaches and multiple sources of good reasons." (92).  The main audience is the students the material is be presented to but the chapter contains valuable information that could be useful to anyone who may be writing an argumentative paper or persuasive speech about a complex topic.




















            Faigley, Lester, and Jack Selzer. Good Reasons: Research and Writing Effective Arguments, Fifth Edition.  Glenview: Pearson Education, 2011. Print.

10 Questions

10 Questions that You Want to Know

1. What is Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD)?

2. Is PCOD curable/treatable?

3. Why does PCOD cause

infertility for women?

4. What are other causes of infertility for women?

5. What can cause infertility in a man?

6. What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

7. What are the health risks involved with IVF?

8. What percentage of the world's population is currently available for adoption?

9. How many children are currently available for adoption in the United States?

10. What alternatives are there for infertile families other than IVF and adoption?