In Reclaiming Conversation:

 

The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, Sherry Turkle identifies as a problem the various ways digital technology has replaced conversation, which she sees as vital in forming and fostering empathy within us, and claims that in forgoing conversation, we are harming ourselves, our relationships with friends and family, our ability to productively learn and enter the workforce, and, ultimately, our ability to make communal ties. As a recipient of myriad prestigious awards, a professor at MIT, and a sociologist and clinical psychologist with over thirty years of experience researching our relationships and thinking about technology, it seems dangerous to simply dismiss Turkle’s views, claiming that she’s just from an older generation and doesn’t get it. In fact, some of the articles we’re reading lend support to Turkle’s claims, although not all.

 

Has Turkle accurately described a significant problem (or problems) with which we should be concerned? Why is the idea of conversation so important? What role does empathy play in our personal, professional, and communal lives? How are Turkle’s ideas correct? What would critics of her position argue? This semester, we’ll explore these questions and others by researching ideas that arise from your reading and from our class discussion.

 

Your Task:

 

You must identify the position you will take in relation to Turkle’s argument(s) and the problem that your position gets at.; In short, as smart phone users, as social media users, as extensive digital technology users, you will have opinions that will serve as an initial entry into the conversation Turkle begins with us, but your task will be to make a carefully researched argument in relation to a problem Turkle describes.

 

This paper assignment asks you to do the following:

 

Choose an issue that Turkle discusses as a jumping-off point for a related issue stemming from digital technology that you find of interest!! the topic of research paper

 

Part One of Research Paper:

 

Essay One (Introduction, Statement of Background, Thesis)

 

It's time to begin work on the first draft of essay one (aka Part I of the research paper). This first essay is only three to four pages. The two assigned discussions this week have been designed to help you with essay one by allowing you to practice creating a conversation (statement of background) and to describe a problem (introduction). Expand on your practice by thinking and writing more fully about each piece of essay one; description of the problem statement of background, and your thesis statement (tentative thesis).

 

Begin writing these parts of your paper, described below:

 

Introduction

 

This is the part of your paper in which you frame your discussion and in which you involve your reader. The best kinds of introductions begin with what readers already know and end with something they don’t know—usually what they don’t know will be your main idea. To do an introduction well, you need to consider what your audience knows. Your topic is digital technology--what problem are you going to address regarding this topic? Do you see and read about the same problems Sherry Turkle does? Do you think technology is being misused, underused? The introduction of classical argument is a good place to employ pathos. Since we’re all familiar with the myriad aspects of digitial tech life, perhaps you can open by describing a problem before you go into the broader conversation about your topic.

 

Statement of Background

 

You opened your paper by describing a problem or issue. Here you will set up the conversation as a way of establishing the background of your argument. Identify four authors we've read (Turkle must be one) who make important claims about your topic. Properly set them up in conversation by establishing relationships between their ideas. Remember, everyone we’re read thus far in some way is talking about empathy. Empathy is the glue that binds your authors. Review the first few paragraphs of the Carrier article for an example of the introduction and statement of background.

 

Proposition (Thesis statement)

 

State the position you are taking, based on the information you have presented. All of these writers have discussed their position. What is your argument? Confine your thesis to a sentence or two.

 

A successful paper will have the following:

 

The basic parameters of the assignment;

 

A clear and focused goal and purpose generated by the writer;

 

An introduction that frames the discussion;

 

An organization of paper and paragraphs that is logical, coherent, unified and easy to follow;

 

Reference to legitimate support (your research) using MLA citation;

 

Effective use of “They, I Say” structure, avoiding “voice mixing” and the “data dump”;

 

Specific and clear explanation of your ideas;

 

Logical relationships—linkages—between ideas, sentences and paragraphs;

 

Sentence style that is powerful, clear and precise;

 

No surface feature errors.

 

I attached an example of research paper ( part 1) what my teacher providedif you have any questions please email me

 

Statement of Background

 

You opened your paper by describing a problem or issue. Here you will set up the conversation as a way of establishing the background of your argument. Identify four authors we've read (Turkle must be one) who make important claims about your topic. Properly set them up in conversation by establishing relationships between their ideas. Remember, everyone we’re read thus far in some way is talking about empathy. Empathy is the glue that binds your authors. Review the first few paragraphs of the Carrier article for an example of the introduction and statement of background.

 

Proposition (Thesis statement)

 

State the position you are taking, based on the information you have presented. All of these writers have discussed their position. What is your argument? Confine your thesis to a sentence or two.

 

A successful paper will have the following:

 

The basic parameters of the assignment;

 

A clear and focused goal and purpose generated by the writer;

 

An introduction that frames the discussion;

 

An organization of paper and paragraphs that is logical, coherent, unified and easy to follow;

 

Reference to legitimate support (your research) using MLA citation;

 

Effective use of “They, I Say” structure, avoiding “voice mixing” and the “data dump”;

 

Specific and clear explanation of your ideas;

 

Logical relationships—linkages—between ideas, sentences and paragraphs;

 

Sentence style that is powerful, clear and precise;

 

No surface feature errors.