WRIT 130 Sections 64035 & 64045 Rawson

Essay #1 Spring 2012

What Lies Beneath Purpose We will use this first paper to learn basic invention strategies you can use to generate material for shaping into cogent essays. Once you have become familiar with these heuristic devices, we will move on to making claims with reasons, with a focus on thesis statements. Finally, we will work on arranging your material so that you have a solid introductory paragraph and logically fashioned and well-cued supporting paragraphs that explore the topic. Conceptual Background As we discussed in class, the set of unnoticed and often unexamined assumptions about the way the world operates will underlie much of what we do this semester as we question and defend our beliefs about the function of engineering in society. If we accept the proposition that the cultural values and practices evident in the media, institutional life, commercial endeavors, and other public forums have a profound effect on what we believe about the world, then it seems reasonable that we try to understand this process and what the implications of it are for social problem-solving. For this assignment, Im asking you to select a text that clearly represents a system of values: an object or building. You will treat this tiem as a testament of a worldview, both historical and contemporary. I would like you to offer a coherent written analysis of the ideology demonstrated in this item. Furthermore, I would like you to reflect on how this understanding informsor fails to informour social being. Writing Task After you have spent a significant amount of time investigating your subject (and the surrounding area), respond to the following in a thesis-driven essay of 4-6 pages: What values and assumptions about the world does this building or object demonstrate, and how do these values inform social life? To do this assignment well, you need to ask questions not only about the functionality and fundamental material reality of the items design but also about all the often unnoticed and unexamined values that contribut to the design. Note: a little research can go a long way.

Due Dates Wednesday, January 18: thesis statements due via email. Friday, January 20: conferences. Monday, January 25: draft due for in-class work. Friday, January 27: revised final draft due.