Paper and Essay Writing Guidance

Main Claim Development

• The main claim of the paper doesn't need to be the initial thought.
• It will gradually develop as you think about the topics.
• The fundamental similarity between the authors is to demonstrate the importance of media in categorizing people as 'other'.

Comparison

• The prompt isn't asking for a quantification or a ratio.
• Use the developed claim to say something specific about how the two authors can be united.
• Go beyond simply comparing and contrasting.

Specificity

• Refine the claim by specifying the role of media in the categorization of populations.
• Identify what precisely the role of media is in the view of the authors.
• A more specific claim clarifies the extent to which authors overlap; vague claims obscure it.

Motivation

• Having a clearly defined motivation for the paper is essential.
• It helps in uniting the two authors towards a focused goal.

Condensing Writing

• Being able to condense writing is a valuable skill.
• It involves conveying a point in the least amount of space possible.
• Revision is a key part of condensing; being able to read your own writing as somebody else.

Paradigm Shift

• Adoption of a new paradigm depends on shifts in values, priorities, and consensus.
• This is a form of conversion rather than rational persuasion.
• Scientific progress depends on the transformation of belief systems, not just evidence.

Anomalies

• Anomalies arise within an existing paradigm as questions or problems appear that can't be solved within the existing framework.
• Scientists initially treat these irregularities as errors or challenges.
• Accumulated and unresolved anomalies lead to a crisis where assumptions are questioned.

Close Reading and Citations

• Close reading is essential, especially with complex texts like Foucault.
• Citations and quotations aren't (just) about avoiding plagiarism.
• Citations indicate when you're basing something in a reading of the text.
• Quotations demonstrate grounding information.

Science and Knowledge

• Scientific knowledge is inseparable from the social, institutional, and historical context in which it is produced.
• Scientific discourse is a mechanism of power, defining what is considered true and who has authority.
• Discourse defines what is considered true, who has the authority to peak, and how individuals are able to understand themselves.

Foucault Quote Example

• Discourse is not just language or communication.
• It is a structured system of knowledge and rules that governs what can be said, who can say it, and how statements are valid is truth.