This chapter looks at the genre of proposals. They are a form of problem solving, and the introduction mentions several common forms, such as the grant proposal.
The chapter presents readings, discusses components of proposals, and presents them as a form of persuasive writing.
Proposals have a dual purpose:
They describe a plan of action.
They try to persuade the readers that these plans should be implemented.
Gather data, look at options, and determine the “best” choice
Your own life
What are you going to do this weekend?
Eat out? Go to a concert? Rent videos and get pizza? Help a friend move?
You will need to gather data and make a decision.
Sample Proposals, Gelbspan
Ross Gelbspan, pages 320-322, “Rx for an Ailing Planet” on climate change.
Analysis follows on page 322.
Sample proposals, Trimbur
Lucia Trimbur, pages 323-328, on Amateur Boxers and their Trainers.
Analysis follows on page 329.
Sample proposals, Botstein
Leon Botstein, pages 329-331, “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood”
Analysis follows on page 331.
What is a research proposal?
In a sense, whenever a teacher asks you to write a short memo or e-mail, and attach a list of sources that you intend to use in a paper, it is a research proposal.
This serves as a starting point for discussing your ideas, your sources, and your overall plan for writing the paper.
Public Campaigns
Student Labor Action Project, page 332, “2006 National Student Labor Week of Action”
An example of a public campaign organzied over the Internet
See the full proposal at http://www.jwj.org/projects/slap/week.html
Visual Design
See The Be Green Neighborhood Association’s “Proposal for a Neighborhood Street Tree Program” on page 333.
Compare the combination of visuals and text used by The Be Green Neighborhood Association with the essay form of Gelbspan and Botstein and the fieldwork form of Trimbur.
Writing Assignment
Write an essay proposing a solution to a problem.
Your instructor will let you know if your class will be doing this particular assignment, and provide you with additional guidelines.
Narrow your choices down to three promising ideas, and then choose one.
Decide on your audience.
Analyzing background research
The text analyzes a problem, breaks it down, and looks at possible solutions
The text suggests using a simple chart.
It presents a list of four question.
It suggests five steps to look at the proposed solutions.
Analysis of sample essays
Looks at the way that the readings in the chapter presented the problem and explained the proposed solution.
In the case of the boxing proposal, about one-third is concerned with presenting the problem, and about half consists of explaining the solution. In contrast, Jenkins uses 80 percent of his essay to describe the problem and only 7 percent to the solution.
Developing an outline
See the guidelines for developing a working outline, pages 343-344.
