General Slides for SOC120Fall 2007Week 2

(Study Guide edited 3/09/10)

Class OutlineChapter Study GuideCT & Credit Card Debate Choices

On a web pageThis link was flashing!

What does a critical thinker think/do?

What does a critical thinker think/do?

If something sounds to goodto be true, it probably is…

1. Most likely an attempt to sell me something2. Low possibility of winning a useful prize3. May be an attempt to plant a cookie, adware and/or find

info on my computer about me to sell to spammers

Week 2• Turn in A01 and Groups review —pencil corrections OK • Review chapter 1 terms and quiz (Dice?) Quiz C1:Def/Ex:Arguement (claim, premise, conclusion), CT vs Logic, Argument vs. explanation, How to

calculate Class Grade, did not discuss in class-> factual matter, Opinions, subjectivism & relativism [Bear story and PP], topic, issue, Library Research, Empirical research, Debate (slide 6)[Any of these may be on next quiz]

• Groups (a) should you get a credit card yes or no and reasons for each and if yes [Visa, Mastercard, etc] decision criteria for choice (b) Same question for FICO score

• Outline decision method for Multivariable decision making: Car Purchase • Issue example: NPR Castration (observation points PPW1) • Group Project Issues choices (last card in W2 presentation—any more suggestions—vote on final 5 next

class)• Chapter 2 Group study – outline• Give back Quiz C1 • NEXT CLASS Overview A01 outline Web• Groups review A02/hand out A01 {sign out sheet}--Use computer to look up terms idiographic and

nomathetic• Dante’s Inferno – view of sins and your level in hell • Quiz C2

HOMEWORK Bring in next assignment A02, Study C3 Quiz last day W2

Is there a problem with this?

• American abuses of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib were terrible, but they are not crimes on par with beheadings and other acts carried out by terrorists.

» Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield as reported in SFC 10/11/04

More on this later when we discuss fallacies

Topics/Issues/Library Research/Scientific Research

1.Topic/subject/interest/discuss2. Library Research

Topic/problem/paper [Things recorded that experts think, know, believe] about some aspect of your topic-history, current studies…

3.Issue:”Whether/should…(2 sides) -Debate or library research paper

-Claims each side and credibility

4. Empirical Research Question: Science, a process for asking a question [hypothesis?] and finding data to answer the question.

1. Castration 2.

3.

4.

Show after castration tape! Dentify an example of each concept from the tape

Topics/Issues/Library Research/Scientific Research

1.Topic/subject/interest/discuss

2. Library Research Topic/problem/paper [Things recorded that experts think, know, believe] about some aspect of your topic-history, current studies…

3.Issue:”Whether/should…(2 sides)

-Debate or library research paper -Claims each side and credibility

4. Empirical Research Question: Science, a process for asking a question [hypothesis?] and finding data to answer the question.

1. Pedophiles, Laws, Castration….

2. What have studies found about the effects of castration or what theories enable us to predict the effects of castration.

3. Whether we should vote yes or no on a law allowing castration of pedophiles

4. Does castration decrease sex drive of pedophiles Experiment two groups [1] castrate [2] ~castrate –compare diff in sex drive before and after.

Information Retrieval Structure

• Topic/subject/interest• Purpose – (1) General information e.g. purchase, medical decision,

(2) Presentation written, verbal, media,e.g.review of available info for Class paper, MM presentation (3) Emperical research

• Sources – (1) Pop media: news, web, etc. (2) Professional info sources library, government offices, etc. (3) People: friends/relatives etc.

• Method (1) web search, (2) Library db search, (3) Call, letter, visit• Technique (1) Web search engines and techniques (2) Library db

search, appropriate DB and techniques• Appropriateness/adequacy of information• Credibility of information

Issues for Critical Thought

(Fall 2001)

A news item in Parade, a Sunday news magazine stated that “…a recent study had found that women on birth control pills are at a higher risk in fact it doubles the possibility of having strokes?”

Enough info for a conclusion?

If no –what do we need to know?

CT Thoughts

Who (JAMA, where (#hospital studies), When(?), how(?), sample(?), significance of data and collection(?)

Conclusion Birth-control pills increase chance of stroke for only 1 in 24,000—so no big effect!

Parade Magazine Sept 16, 2001 page 13

Later issue for Critical Thought?Hormone therapy for Menopausal women

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/09/01/MN138426.DTL

Crime and CSUB(Fall 2005)

The release of crime data for CSUB in 2004 showed that:

(1) Vehicle theft increased 400% between 2003 and 2004

(2) Burglary increased almost 15%

(3) The overall crime rate increased almost 1/3

Enough info for a conclusion?If no –what do we need to know?

CT ThoughtsOne way to “lie with statistics” You need

to know the

numbers and %s!

Statistics don’t lie, speak, or

write!But

people do!

http://www.csub.edu/BAS/publicsafety/forms/CSUB_Crime_Disclosure_2005.pdf

Crime On CSUB Campus (Other than Residence Halls) 2002 2003 2004Murder .............................................................. 0 0 0Sex Offenses/Forcible ...................................... 0 0 0Sex Offenses/Non-Forcible .............................. 0 0 0

Robbery ........................................................... 0 0 0Agg. Assault ..................................................... 1 2 1Burglary .......................................................... 10 12 14Vehicle Theft .................................................... 3 0 4Manslaughter ................................................... 0 0 0Arson ................................................................ 0 0 0Hate Crimes ..................................................... 0 0 0Race .............................................................. 0 0 0Ethnicity ........................................................ 0 0 0Gender .......................................................... 0 0 0Religion ......................................................... 0 0 0Disabilities ..................................................... 0 0 0Sexual Orientation ........................................ 0 0 0Total ...............................................................14 14 19

Chapter 2 8thed.“Clear Thinking Critical Thinking and Clear Writing” Study Guide F 08A Intro: Examples/Need for Clear writing (p39) Causes of lack of clearity (p40M)

Words strung together [p39b-40]ExSent strung together [pp40m]ExSay what you mean [pp40b]Ex

3 sources of confusion/obscurity (p40b) Argumentative Essays DEF/EX; purpose, 4 partsB Vagueness,excessive vagueness [p43b]DEF/EX

6 points about vagueness (p42-43)C Vague & misleading comparisons (p45) 4 considerations for comparisons (p45-48) absolute and relative risk reduction [box p46t] percentage change [box p46b] graphics [box p47]D Ambiguous Claims DEF/EX 3 aspect of ambiguous claims 9p48b-p50)

Semantic Ambiguity [p50] DEF/EX Syntactic Ambiguity [p51] DEF/EX

How to eliminate [p52m]Pronouns & modifying phrases [p52m]

Grouping ambiguity DEF/EX Fallacy p53m (look up in glossary)DEF/EX

Composition DEF/EXDivision DEF/EX

3 aspects of recognition & deciphering ambiguity (p54)Implications/seriousness of ambiguities Ex [p56m]

E Defining terms Need for definitions [p55b] Purpose of definition (2) [p56t] Types of definitions (3) Real world definitions 9p56b)

Rhetorical definitions DEF/EX[p57] Emotive meaning/Rhetorical force DEF/EX [p57m]F. Writing Argumentative essay Components (4) [p58t Principles of Organization and Focus [p58m] Recommendations (4) [p58b-59t] Good Writing Practices-4 principles [p59b]

+Keep Word choices simple (class sched) Redundancy DEF/EX Complexity (pedantic) DEF/EX Prolixity (verbose) DEF/EX

Essay Types To Avoid (5) p60, 61) Persuasive writing (5) p61 Writing in a Diverse Society- (p 61)

Review from C1F07(1) ID Premise&Conc(2) Grade(3) Argue vs Exp(4) Subjectivism(5) Relativism(6) Matter of factFor C2 Quiz

Responsible for all Boxes Slide 1

Ambiguity: What two things are ambiguous in this cartoon?

Relativism

Culture and Diversity

A 1960s Space Story The first astronauts returned from

the moon and exited the spacecraft. They were very excited and stated they had seen God. Tell us about it the media people shouted.

She is black said the astronauts!

c2Our culture and related beliefs color our perceptions

“Critical Writing” examples from class: What is the problem? How would you improve?1. Scientific articles are about real issues or important topics; they contain true, strong facts.2. You have an 80 average for quizzes, 70 average for midterm, a final grade of 75 and you missed 4 classes and did not

complete one assignment. What is your class grade.3. The Soviets tried bombs, smoke-outs and even weapons designed to crumble cities with little success.4. Whether or not voluntary castration mentally affects pedophiles .5. Whether castration will reduce recidivism for male sex offenders or not.6. Critical thinking is a process to accurately deduce a logical answer to a posed issue by means of analysis and dissection. 7. Does voluntary castration of child sex offenders have an effect on the decrease of it. 8. Castration should be voluntary, if you want to change you should sacrifice something in order to accomplish what you

want.9. Whether or not castration is right for sex offenders who are in jail. 10. The article was short on reasoning as to how the ferry may have sunk.11. Within these to articles one can see how the mass media was immediately sought after to get there heart felt emotions on

how someone could kill innocent people for what they believe in and try to make seem as though it was done to fight a never ending battle between terrorist fight for what they believe in.

12. There isn’t an argument per say, though a scientific study could certainly, if not, definitely use an argument or two.13. The issues of scientific reality are expressed without bias but given with consequences if solutions are not found or

followed.14. It uses graphs and percentages to back up the information. They also have experts talk in their article.

What writing errors from Chapter 2 are seen in the following sentence? How would one

fix these errors? Give a new and correct version of the sentence.

“When you look at cell phones, it is important too call the company before

you buy it to see whether or not you want it.”

More “Critical Writing” examples from class After A02 • “I was never lightheaded about the paper because it didn’t jump around or

have unnecessary sentences in there.”

• “The second paragraph was quite vague as to what qualified for the categorization as social science.”

• “The definitions that you used seemed to be in appropriate and accurately used.”

• “Both articles followed the idiographic and nomathetic requirements of the assignment.

• What is wrong with this topic? “Mass media affects the daily thoughts and actions of the American people.”

• “The Soviets tried bombs , smoke-outs and even weapons designed to crumble cities with little success.”

Don’t forget examples on web schedule page links!

Topics for Winter 08 Section 1 MWFThink of interesting current topics

1. Legalization of MJ2. God in classroom (Pledge…)3. Should elderly be allowed to go to state

school4. NCLB5. 3 strikes6. Women president7. Global warming8. Tuition9. Alternative energy10. Illegal immigration11. Death penalty12. Gay topics marriage, don’t ask..13. Freedom of religion14. Drinking age15. Draft16. Cheerleading17. Obesity18. War19. Abortion20. Celebrity politicians21. Voting age22. Abuse and sports

23. Interracial adoptions’24. 2nd amendment25. Felons and voting, war, education26. Public vs private schools27. Rule of law28. Influence of music, TV,…29. Presidential primaries 30. Electoral college31. Health care32. Gas prices33. School integration34. Title 935. Bilingual education36. Drug testing37. Mandatory preschool38. No smoking39. Alternative fuel40. Metal detectors in schools41. Immigration laws42. Air pollution controls43. Media and fighting words44. Music copyright45. Age treated as adult in legal system46. Year round school47. Social security48. Steroids49. Requirements for personal info50. National ID

Pick your top 3 choicesChoice:A____B____C____Place the NUMBER of your first choice by the A, The NUMBER for second by B The NUMBER for third by C

Topics in red were chosen for this quarter

Examples: http://www.justicetalking.org/programarchive.asp

Topics for Winter 08 Section 2Think of interesting current topics

1. Presidential primaries 2. Electoral college3. War4. Global warming5. Gun control6. Gas prices7. Death penalty8. Capital punishment method9. Don’t ask don’t tell10. School integration11. Title 912. Bilingual education13. Drug testing14. Mandatoy preschool15. No smoking16. Alternative fuel17. 2nd language18. Metal detectors in schools19. Immagration laws20. Air pollution controls21. Media and fighting words22. Gay marriage23. Music copyright

Examples: http://www.justicetalking.org/programarchive.asp

Brainteaser

A farmer had 17 sheep. All but 9 died.

How many did he have left?