Causal Analyses

Chapter Opener

5

explain how, why, or what if something happens

explain how, why, or what if something happens

How to start

  • Need a topic?
  • Need to identify possible causes?
  • Need to organize your analysis?

Causal Analyses

We all analyze and explain things daily. Someone asks, “Why?” We reply, “Because . . .” and then offer reasons and rationales. Such a response comes naturally.

CAUSAL ANALYSIS An instructor asks for a ten-page causal analysis of the political or economic forces responsible for a major armed conflict during the twentieth century. You choose to write about the Korean War because you know almost nothing about it.
RESEARCH STUDY You notice that most students now walk across campus chatting on cell phones or listening to music. You develop a research study to examine whether this phenomenon has any relationship to a recent drop in the numbers of students joining campus clubs and activities across the country.
CULTURAL ANALYSIS Why, you wonder, in a fully illustrated cultural analysis, did blue jeans become a fashion phenomenon the world over? What explains their enduring popularity?