definition argument essay assignment gcu

Essay Assignment: Argument of Definition

Writing assignment.

Definition is a challenging rhetorical mode.  Writing definitions, one might be asked to challenge a widely accepted definition, create a controversial definition, or try to figure out if something fits an existing definition.  For this assignment, I will require you to find at least two outside sources.

Using at least two library database, book, or ebook sources other than reference works or dictionaries, write a three-page (not counting the Works Cited) definition of a term or phrase in one of the following topics:

A) How has Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm altered the meaning of the Star Wars franchise?

B) Since Babilonia’s essay “The Celebrity Chef” has been written, argue for an expanded definition of the celebrity chef. With what added duties, concerns, activities does the contemporary celebrity chef concern herself?  (Don’t use my last sentence’s wording in your essay.)

C) Using several examples, define the ideal video game protagonist (hero or heroine). You may not reuse any sources, ideas, or examples from Essay 1.

D) Write an essay analyzing how conventional definitions of good and evil are called into question in O’Connor’s story “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”

E) Write an essay explaining how a group of workers you have observed, blue-collar or otherwise, appeared to understand and define some important aspect of their work. Refer in detail to individual members of the group and what they had to say. (Their ideas can be cited as personal interviews.)

F) Write a definition of Voodoo outlining the origins and traditional beliefs of this religion or cult. (Which is it, by the way? A good definition should explain.)  Remember that facts which aren’t common knowledge would get cited, and so would used patterns of source thinking.

Narrow your focus so your definition is more specific than “defining chefs.”  Include a thesis claim about the word being defined.

Write to argue, since you’re redefining a term readers believe they know.  Convince us that your claims about the definition are valid.  Your readers have a familiarity with the topics.  Do not retell them.  We’re not “proving” how _____ works, either!  Avoid the pitfall of writing an editorial or summarizing blandly.  What does the word argue?

Your instructor and classmates are your audience, as with Essay 1.

Additional Information

You may not use dictionary.com definitions in your introduction.  (Also, any cited definitions need quotes around used words—something a lot of writers neglect.)  No wikis are allowed.

Decide whether your essay will expand, reduce, or alter the meaning of a term .  You can adopt a surprising number of strategies for an argument of definition.  You will argue that your definition is the most valid one.  This means you are competing with other definitions.  Some writers try and expand our accepted definition while others attempt to limit a definition’s applications.

Here are some techniques you might use:

• Illustration
• Comparison and contrast
• Negation (saying what something is not)
• Explanations of a process (how something is measured or works)
• Identifications of causes or effects
• Simile, metaphor, or analogy
• Reference to authority
• Reference to the writer’s or others’ personal experience or observation
• Etymology (word origins)

Don’t Forget. . .

• Avoid the overuse of I or you .
• Only papers in MLA format are accepted. Arial and Times are accepted fonts.
• Anticipate problems when you narrow the topic. Sharpen your focus so that you can do a three-page paper on the topic—it’s not a book or a one-page essay, either.  A paper that floats around in a topic too big for it receives a poor grade.
• Focus on connotations (readers would bring) and denotations (dictionary definitions). These often clash or reveal boundaries of definitions.
• Close non-examples are ways of bringing focus to an argument of definition.
• If you use examples, make sure they connect to the definition and aren’t just used for shock effect.
• Essay Assignment: Argument of Definition. Authored by : Joshua Dickinson. Provided by : Jefferson Community College. Located at : http://www.sunyjefferson.edu . Project : Arguing Through Writing. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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7.3.1: Annotated Sample Definition Argument

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Format note: This version is accessible to screen reader users.  Refer to these  tips for reading our annotated sample arguments with a screen reader . For a more traditional visual format, see  the PDF version of "Defining Stereotypes."

Imanol Juarez

Professor Peterkin

English 103

May 8, 2020

Defining Stereotypes

What defines you? As people, we often consider ourselves to be multifaceted, complex beings. (Note: The author opens the essay with a personal question, a strategy to get the reader's attention.) Yet in every culture people stereotype others, and oversimplified beliefs about people and cultures have a negative impact every day. (Note: A literal definition of the word "stereotypes.") Even though America’s society is exceptional in positive ways, it is also exceptional in its use of stereotypes, which can be seen through the racism that still pervades the U.S. Stereotyping is a form of racism that creates a single depiction of a group of people based on one aspect of their identity. (Note: The thesis defines stereotypes and the criteria the essay will use to explain this definition.)

Most cultures intentionally or unintentionally manipulate the images of a certain group or person, and as a result, stereotypical depictions are a widespread form of racism. (Note: The essay focuses on the connotation of stereotypes and how they function in the U.S.) For example, the Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia can give a dark glimpse into racist depictions of Latinos: “The stereotypical depictions of Mexicans, especially those thought to be in the United States illegally, are harsh and demeaning. The men are portrayed as illiterate criminals. The women are depicted as hypersexual. Both men and women are portrayed as lazy, dirty, physically unattractive menaces” (Ferris State). (Note: Evidence for the assertion that stereotypes are racist.) In extreme cases, racial profiling can be considered a form of stereotyping. Racial profiling is “the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense.” One example of racial profiling took place on February 23, 2020, when two white men took the life of a young 26-year-old African American man named Ahmad Marquez Arbery while he was jogging around his neighborhood: “Gregory McMichael told the police that he thought Mr. Arbery looked like a man suspected in several break-ins in the area,” demonstrating the most abhorrent outcome of racist stereotypes ( New York Times ).

Some may argue that there is such a thing as a good stereotype, but all stereotypes are inherently racist. (Note: Juarez addresses the counterargument to his definition of stereotypes.) Yes, many cultures have stereotypes that are positive, but are they truly beneficial? Sam Killermann states in “3 Reasons Positive Stereotypes Aren't That Positive,” “Positive stereotypes exist for just about every identity and have the capacity to be just as damaging as the negative ones.” Take the stereotype that people of Asian descent are good at math. Positive stereotypes not only set standards high but also discourage individuals from performing; good stereotypes can also alienate individuals and make them depressed because they don’t have the characteristics everybody believes they have. (Note: The definition argument leads to a causal argument about how positive stereotyping can impact people.) There are many forms of stereotypes, but one thing is for sure: there is never such a thing as a good stereotype.

(Note: The Works Cited page uses MLA documentation style appropriate for an English class.)

Works Cited

“Mexican and Latino Stereotypes.” Mexican and Latino Stereotypes - Jim Crow Museum - Ferris State University , www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/mexican.htm .

Sam Killermann. “3 Reasons Positive Stereotypes Aren't That Positive.” It's Pronounced Metrosexual , Sam Killermann www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/04/reasons-positive-stereotypes-are-not-positive/ .

The New York Times . “Ahmaud Arbery Shooting: A Timeline of the Case.” The New York Times , The New York Times, 8 May 2020,  www.nytimes.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-timeline.html .

Attribution

This sample essay was written by Imanol Juarez, annotated by Natalie Peterkin, and edited by Anna Mills, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 .