Category Archives: LIB 280

Reading Reflection #10: Statistics and Draft Annotation

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1. Based on your reading of ARQ chapter 10, “Are Any Statistics Deceptive?”, summarize how the following types of statistics can be deceptive. What are some strategies you can use to determine how reliable each type is?

  • Unknowable and biased statistics
    • A problem with Unknowable and Biased Statistics is that we often don’t know how or where the numbers are coming from. We can determine reliability by finding more information on the statistics.
  • Confusing averages
    • averages are not always reliable as there are different methods to find averages but also that there are many events that do not follow averages.
  • Measurement errors
    • Measurements are generally subject to error. The more thorough the research the less likely for error.
  • Concluding one thing, proving another
    • Statistics may deceive us in what they actually are proving. To determine reliability we often have to question ourselves and the authors intentions.
  • Deceiving by omitting information
    • Statistics may also be deceptive in that they do not give the full results.We may need to further investigate and research where the numbers are coming from.

2. In the following paragraph, identify the inadequacies in the evidence:

Campaigns for national office are getting out of hand. Money is playing a central role in more and more elections. The average winner in a senate race now spends over $8 million on their campaign, while typical presidential candidates spend more than $300 million. It is time for some serious changes, because we cannot simply allow politicians to buy their seats through large expenditures on advertisements.

  • The inadequacies in this evidence may include confusing averages as we don’t know which presidential campaigns the numbers were taken from.

3. In the following paragraph, identify the inadequacies in the evidence:

The home is becoming a more dangerous place to spend time. The number of home-related injuries is on the rise. In 2010, approximately 2300 children aged 14 and under died from accidents in the home. Also, 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year. To make matters worse, even television, a relatively safe household appliance, is becoming dangerous. In fact, 42,000 people are injured by televisions and television stands each year. With so many accidents in the home, perhaps people need to start spending more time outdoors.

  • The evidence in this paragraph could be concluding one thing but proving another. We don’t know the reasoning behind the statistics. These things feel unrelated to spending time in home, rather that the examples and statistics given prove that there are outlying factors.

 

Reading Reflection #8

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  1. In class we have been working on identifying arguments in written material. You’ll remember that an argument must have both a conclusion and reasons. The next step in evaluating information critically is looking for the evidence that supports the reasons. Summarize, in your own words, the textbook’s definition of evidence (don’t forget to provide an in-text citation).
  • Evidence is the product of clear and specific gathering of facts (Browne et al., 89)
  1. Provide a brief definition of each of the four different types of evidence discussed in this chapter (personal experience, case examples, testimonials, and appeals to authority). What is a potential problem with the validity and/or reliability of each of the four types of evidence?
  • Personal Experience evidence is based on an argument that deals with ones own personal experiences. Its weakness includes drawing generalizations and false conclusions about something based on an experience.
  • Case Examples evidence includes arguments that use detailed stories or descriptions, often including one or more individuals and events, that support a conclusion. They are often based also on observations or interviews. One problem is that they often rely heavily on the response from the listener.
  • Testimonial evidence includes quoting someone who has used a product, that person often giving their personal experience about that product in an effort to persuade the listener in one or another way. We should be wary of personal testimonials as they are often biased and may be disingenuine.
  • Appeals to Authority evidence is evidence or a claim made by an authority figure, often someone who is an expert on the topic and claim they are making. One should be careful about how reliable a source is, and often question why they are making their claim.
  1. Go to www.theconversation.com, www.theatlantic.com, or quillette.com and look for an article that uses one of the four types of evidence discussed in this chapter. Briefly summarize the article and describe the evidence the author provides. How reliable do you think the evidence is, given the topic of the article, and why? Include an MLA citation for the article (hint, the publication/journal title is The Conversation, The Atlantic, or Quillette).
  • I read “‘Nobody Likes the Other Guy’: On the Road With Donald Trump’s Diehards” by Stephen Elliott. First of all, this was such a weird article. This article and the author use a lot of Personal Experiences evidence. This is seen throughout the article, but mostly in the beginning of the article in which he talks about the experiences he’s had with friends and conversations with them surrounding politics. I think the article is reliable in its personal experiences, as the author uses first hand experiences and quotes from different events. This was such a strange article.
  • Citation:Elliott, written by Stephen, and Published by Quillette Magazine. “’Nobody Likes the Other Guy’: On the Road With Donald Trump’s Diehards.” Quillette, Quillette, 3 Nov. 2020, quillette.com/2020/11/02/nobody-likes-the-other-guy-on-the-road-with-donald-trumps-diehards/.

Reading Reflection #7: Free Write

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  1. What you already know about your topic and where you learned it
  • i would like to talk about LGBTQ issues in the education systems. Whether it be curriculum or policies in schools. I have learned about it through experiences as a bisexual woman.
  1. Your current viewpoint and what biases you might have that will affect the way you address the topic or issue
  2. My current viewpoint is that there should be more teaching about LGBTQ issues in schools as well as schools addressing their problems with LGBTQ policies and supporting LGBTQ students. A bias I have is that, obviously, as a bi person I believe that LGBTQ teachings are neccessary and important.

 

  1. What you’re most interested in studying and learning about and what interests you about this topic
    1. I most interested in learning about how policies have changed and how they effect LGBTQ people.

Reading Reflection #5

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How does the book define “ambiguity” and why is it important to identify any ambiguous terms before evaluating an argument

  • Ambiguity refers to the existence of multiple possible meanings for a word or phrase. its important to understand the meaning in how it supports an authors claims

Why are dictionary definitions of key terms and phrases used in an argument often not sufficiently helpful in determining their meaning?

  • Because it does not imply context.

ARQ stresses that not all ambiguous terms or phrases are equally important. How do you determine which ones are the most important to identify?

  • I think it’s based on personal values.

How do value and descriptive assumptions differ?

  • value and descriptive assumptions differ as descriptive assumptions are beliefs on how the world was, is, or will be while value assumptions are beliefs on how the world should be.

Do you believe most people are aware of what values they are assuming when they argue with you about a social issue? Why? Does it matter?

  • No i do not believe that people are thinking of what values they are assuming when arguing about a social issue. I think this is because we are looking only at issues at a surface level rather than how they reflect who we are as people. I think it does matter, you can’t say you value love if you’re full of hate.

Why do so few experts (such as politicians, scientists, professors, and television pundits) make value priorities explicit? Should individuals expressing their opinions on a social controversy make their value priorities explicit? Why should or shouldn’t they?

  • I think they are hesitant as they may clash with values of other people, and they want to seem impartial. I think it should make their value priorities explicit. Again, its a reflection of who they are as a person.

Look at the table of “Typical Value Conflict and Sample Controversies” (ARQ p. 57). Try to think of one more to add to this list. Write it down here and be prepared to share it in class.

  • A controversy is same-sex marriage , freedom of religion/religious values VS equal rights

Reading Reflection #4: Group Topic Article

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  1. The article I read was “Race Matters…And So Does Gender”
  2. The article discussed differences in discipline in both race and gender for children, highlighting the differences in each experiences.
  3. Quotes: I think the quotes are important because they highlight disparities in race and gender
    1. “Figure 4 more clearly portrays the magnitude of the disparities in representation for Black, Asian, and White male students.4 As shown, Black males’ representation among the disciplined male population was, on average, 2.65 times larger than their representation among all male students. Alternatively, White and Asian male students were only 0.25 and 0.65 times as represented among disciplined boys as they were among enrolled boys, respectively”
    2. “A similar trend persisted among female students. For instance, Black girls averaged 16.4% of the total female population, but 51.7% of the disciplined female population (Figure 5). Moreover, Asian and White girls, like their male peers, averaged ratios of representation among disciplined versus enrolled female populations far lower than any other racial group – 0.15 and 0.54, respectively.”
  4. Additional Articles:
    1. https://mnpals-scs.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01MNPALS_SCS/ppvqcp/cdi_gale_infotracacademiconefile_A241657516
    2. https://mnpals-scs.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01MNPALS_SCS/ppvqcp/cdi_crossref_primary_10_1177_0042085917690204
  5. Citations

Price, Joshua. “The Effect of Instructor Race and Gender on Student Persistence in STEM Fields.” Economics of Education Review, vol. 29, no. 6, Elsevier BV, 2010, pp. 901–10, doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2010.07.009.

Hines-Datiri, Dorothy, and Dorinda J. Carter Andrews. “The Effects of Zero Tolerance Policies on Black Girls: Using Critical Race Feminism and Figured Worlds to Examine School Discipline.” Urban Education (Beverly Hills, Calif.), vol. 55, no. 10, SAGE Publications, Dec. 2020, pp. 1419–40, doi:10.1177/0042085917690204.

Wright, Robin. “Race Matters…And So Does Gender” June 2016

 

Reading Reflection #2: Implicit Bias and Race

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Trouble in Mind: To Be Black Is Blue in America

  1. I felt sorry for him, and mad that he had to be faced with prejudices and racism. As a white person I don’t have such similar experiences, but I know of people in my high school who were often openly racist.
  2. I think that he means that even if you act as though it doesn’t bother you, or try to ignore it, it is still a problem that affects you. Even if you are not openly and actively mad, there is still a part of you that is uneasy or unwell because of the microaggressions and discrimination.

Microaggressions in the Classroom

  1. As mentioned before I knew people in my high school who were openly racist. Despite attending a predominantly white school there were a couple of people of color in my grade. There was one boy that people would ask if he had his papers, or joke that they would call Trump to deport him. He’d either laugh it off or not really respond to it. It was not addressed by the teacher at the time. I’ve had other teachers though that would call out students if there were incidents of racism or microaggression. Personally, it made me mad, what right do you have to treat someone like that?
  2. I think its very important for students to feel a sense of belonging in the classroom and in universities. No one wants to be in a place they feel that cant belong, its uncomfortable and can make learning harder. Feeling like an outsider can mean that its harder to create relationships and implement a lack of motivation in school work.

Do Conversations of Race Belong in the Classroom?

  1. My high school was not extremely diverse. My friend group was fairly active in human rights, and often had discussions about politics at the lunch table (more than I’d like to admit actually). Often it was just comments about issues of racism that surfaced during the Trump presidency, and how we thought it was wrong. I do think that white people have white privilege, and know that I will not experience the issues that people of color go through.
  2. It needs to be a conversation in schools. If we can not educate ourselves and be aware of race and racial issues, we will continue to live blindly and unsympathetically. If we are able to teach children from a young age to be thoughtfully aware of race and racial issues, they will be able to better navigate a world in which the number of people of color is growing.