Word: argumentation
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
While we may not agree with the agenda of the Republican Party as it tries to cut financial aid, personal attacks only serve to undermine our argument. Constructive debate was what the founders viewed as the highest goal of the citizen, not vulgar shouting matches and personal attacks...
...Star's argument may be critiqued with reference to sociological literature. Several prominent sociologists, building on the work of W.E.B. Dubois, developed the concept of "contextual identity." Because identity is contextual, it is possible for there to exist two levels of language "in-group" and "out-group." The theory holds that members of different groups shift their language accordingly based on context. Therefore, terms like "nigger," "wop" and "J.A.P." may be used comfortably when dealing with members of one's own ethnic group without necessarily constituting belief or objective reality about one's situation...
...then spirals into an uncertain argument about the "black solidarity movement" stifling diversity in the African-American community. He writes: "There are no individual members of the black community any more, just black people who share a pervasive group mentality that results from the black solidarity movement." In support of this argument, he cites African-American skepticism of Colin Powell's presidential candidacy as the archetypal example...
...extension of this argument is that African-Americans believe that they can do nothing without government intervention, and that African-Americans fail to attempt self-motivated efforts to better themselves. The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of hard-working, self-motivated African-Americans (and Americans of all ethnic backgrounds) who continually lose in our economy for reasons that have nothing to do with self-deprecation or social policies...
...Star's argument about a lack of diversity in the African-American community is counterfactual. Empirically, the African-American community is more diverse than ever before. There is no monolithic African-American politics (perhaps that is the problem). I can recall no other year in our time that has produced three potential African-American Presidential candidates associated with the Republican party...