For the research paper, you will be asked to draw from sources found outside of the class, as well as in-class sources, and connect them to class themes. The research paper will be 7-10 pages and will be preceded by five research assignments: a proposal (posted as a discussion), an annotated bibliography, an outline of your paper (posted as a discussion), a shorter opposition essay (posted as a discussion), and your paper’s rough draft (posted as a discussion). Each of the four research assignments are worth 20 points each. The research paper, itself, is worth 200 points.
Issues to select from (choose one of the following):
- Is “locking down” certain areas of society due to COVID-19 an effective governmental policy?
- As you answer this, make sure to take into consideration the following:
- How many lives are saved by “locking down” aspects of society?
- Make sure you specify just what areas you think should be locked down
- How long is appropriate for locking down aspects of society?
- What other impacts do lockdowns have on society?
- Make sure you research the economic impact of lockdowns
- Make sure you research the social and emotion impact of lockdowns
- Are there other alternatives to lockdowns? If so, what might that be?
- How many lives are saved by “locking down” aspects of society?
- Make sure to tie this topic back to our main text: The Coddling of the American Mind. Please only examine one or two aspects of the book. Here are some ways to do that:
- Analyze Lukianoff and Haidt’s sections on the untruths of “emotional reasoning” and “fragility.” Also, you may want to look at the following “explanatory threads”: anxiety and depression, paranoid parenting, and the bureaucracy of safetyism.
- Note on opposition: Throughout your entire essay, you should include voices from those who disagree with you. Allow those voices space to articulate their oppositions, and then make sure to counter (or concede) their points specifically.
- As you answer this, make sure to take into consideration the following: