Placing an issue in context
A-49
Academic readers expect the context for arguments to be clear. They want to know that the writer is grounded in the ongoing debates and is aware of the issues.
The debate over nuclear power, for example, takes place within complex and competing contexts:
- Political: Developing nuclear power is sometimes associated with developing nuclear weapons, so there are complicated issues of international politics.
- Environmental: Nuclear power may be clean in terms of air pollution, but it presents problems of mining, waste disposal, and the threat of catastrophic events.
- Economic: Construction of new nuclear plants in the United States has been hampered by high construction costs and the difficulty of obtaining financing. Yet once operating, nuclear power might be considered economical.
- Technological: Over the past thirty years, the technology of reactors has advanced. Small-to-medium-scale reactors, built outside the United States, are proving cost-efficient, reliable, and safe.
- Psychological: People distrust the power industry and are afraid of the risks associated with nuclear contamination. The statistics on actual risk may not be persuasive to an audience who distrusts or fears the industry.
A college paper needs to be of manageable scope and cannot tackle all of these contexts at once.
An effective writing strategy is to state clearly the scope of an argument up front, identifying the context that will frame the argument.