Project II Outline

Kulikov, C.N. "The Writer" 1904
Public Domain

The following is a review of the "Sections of the Paper" excerpt from Writing Public Lives, Pages 122-125 as I prepare to craft an outline for my selected article.

After reading the text, I found that the subcategory introductions was the most inciteful as it more or less clarified what the writer should focus on in a given text and its introduction. It is imperative in any good writing that the author provides sufficient back ground information in order to bring the focus/context to a piece. However, the back ground information brought up must be relevant to the issue you wish to address. Therefore, I believe that in order to have a strong introduction with an even stronger body,I need to craft points within the opening sentences of the essay that address the issue and reasoning for/against a claim, but also keep each idea brief and concise. This concept can be seen in the outline below. Introduction points are intentionally broad so that I work them down to a "fine" point so that the body can address specific flaws in my author's claims.

Introduction

• Context: Gene Mapping Being Used By Wealthy... Is their both a growing social and medical gap in America?

1. The development of the argument in terms of the development of the technology.
2. Author's points/claims. Previous positions and involvement in medical process.
3. Author's motivation, "What does she want to happen as a result of this information?"

Thesis

According to Harmon's analytical article, "Gene Maps Become a Luxury Item," the medical technology necessary for the mapping and documentation of an individual's DNA has become a desired medical process among the wealthy due to its influence in personalized healthcare. By citing statistics that note the decrease in costs for such technology, comparing the wealthy's use of such treatments to those of luxury cars, and repeating the concept that the government should subsidize the research, the author aims to incite a larger population of lower class citizens to urge their governments for equal healthcare access.

1. Second thesis option may be used if peer review finds thesis to be too broad or too long. 

Body 

• Claim I- Statistics & the Affects on Reasoning

- Multiple Sources 

-Outdated Statistics

- Harmon contributes to the weakening of her argument due to the origins and relevance of her data. The data may have a political lean or is outdated to today's standards.

-Context of her piece (2008).

"He is also among a relatively small group of individuals who could afford the $350,000 price tag."
"The nonprofit X Prize Foundation is offering $10 million to the first group to sequence 100 human genomes in 10 days, for $10,000 or less per genome. The federal government is supporting technology development with an eye to a $1,000 genome in the next decade."
"A few days after he wired his $175,000 deposit to the company, a Knome associate flew in from Cambridge to meet him at a local clinic."

• Claim II- Accusations & Elitism

- Author feels compelled to accuse the upper class of marginalizing the medical process, turning it into a "luxury'.

- Believe that a possible genetic "elite" may form in these higher classes.

-  Little to no evidence of this "mass trend" among wealthy.
“I’d rather spend my money on my genome than a Bentley or an airplane,”
“I was in someone’s Bentley once — nice car,” said James D. Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, whose genome was sequenced last year by a company that donated the $1.5 million in costs to demonstrate its technology. “Would I rather have my genome sequenced or have a Bentley? Uh, toss up.”

• Claim III- Political Motive

- Harmon use the repetition of phrases and ideas that stir anger among readers- Height of 2008 Recession, Luxury/Corporations vs. Middle Class.

-Source of the article alludes to political agenda- New York Times (Liberal Leaning).

“And how many children in Africa might have been fed?”

Conclusion

• Relevance of the article to the context of the debate. 
• Reiterate the goal of the piece, and its points it used to create a claim.
• Restate thesis- shorter and more focused on the three points.
• Answer the goal of this project: How is an argument constructed in the discipline. 

Final statement- Leaves the reader thinking more about your claim.

Reflection:

After reading the posts made by Alyssa and Kelly, I found that my outline needed a major overhaul. So I actually added more to the outline above, it was lacking quotes and statistics that I would bring up to counter the article's claims. Otherwise I believe that my thesis is solid. It covers the points I aim to point out in the body, as well as alludes to other points that will support the previous claims. I believe it is brief and concise enough to keep my audience engaged, but has enough meat on its bones to make my argument substantial.