The Unit 2 Essay Assignment: The Causal Essay

The central idea of this course is that research and argument are some of the best ways academic writers can show their understanding of subject matter and gain the respect andattention of their academic communities.

This modified version of your Unit 2 essay will enable you to do that by creating a causal argument about the issue within hip-hop culture you’ve selected to research.

What is a causal argument?

Causal arguments show audiences which phenomena cause certain issues, behaviors, or controversies or how they do so. Causal arguments also enable a writer to predict what effect(s) an event, issue, orbehavior is having (present) or will have (future) on a group in the long-run.

How to shift your thinking towards causal arguments

Since you’ve already conducted much of the research you need for your paper, the best way to shift your thinking towards what you need to do to write a causal argument isto figure out which of these three research questions you can best answer withthe work you’ve done to date.

1. What (events, circumstances, trends,etc.) outside of hip-hop culture have helped cause the issue of (ex. consumerism, violence, drug use,homophobia, misogyny) in hip-hop culture?

2. How does hip-hop culture influence (the topic you’ve selected)? (Said differently, what effects does hip-hop culture have on your topic?)

3. What will be the effect of consequence of(the issue you selected) in hip-hop culture on (the group you selected)?