Causal Analysis Essay

Causal Analysis Essay

1. CAUSAL ANALYSIS ESSAY Russell Rodrigo

2. Learning Outcomes Identify the purpose and structures of a causal analysis essay Apply various linguistic structures Draft an outline for their essay

3. The Causal Analysis Essay “Why did it happen? What caused it? What does it cause? What are the effects? How is it related to something else?”

4. Cause-and-Effect Cause-and-effect helps us understand why things happen or what the results of events will be. An effect is what happened. A contributing cause is why it happened.

5. Why Use Cause-And-Effect? Cause/Effect helps us… make sense of things. envision the future or understand the past. plan. make decisions. implement changes.

6. Why Use Cause-And-Effect? In essence, a Causal Analysis academic essay probes the why of specific actions, events, attitudes , and/or conditions and then examines the effect of specific consequences . In the simplest terms , a Causal Analysis academic essay may be reduced to the equation: Cause(s ) + Effect(s) = Specific Consequence(s) The focus is on the connections made between the cause and effect which produce specific consequences .

7. The three main purposes for an Causal Analysis academic essay are: To prove a point To argue against a widely accepted belief To speculate on a theory

8. Causal Analysis Structures SIMPLE CAUSE COMPLEX CAUSE COMPLEX EFFECT CAUSE  EFFECT CAUSE 1 CAUSE 2  EFFECT CAUSE 3 EFFECT 1 CAUSE  EFFECT 2 EFFECT 3

9. Causal Analysis Focusing on  Causes Your focus will be on CAUSES, but you should create the context of the situation by briefly describing the effects. Distribute the outline template focusing on CAUSES.

10.     Causal Analysis Focusing on  Effects Your focus will be on EFFECTS, but you should create the context of the situation by briefly describing the causes. Distribute the Outline Template focusing on Effects.

11. Sample Introduction: Analyze how the introduction below is developed. What is the thesis statement? What is the focus of the paper? Genetically-Altered Foods: Why We Should Not Tamper with Mother Nature Each day through the use of genetic engineering, food are being artificially modified and introduced  to the public for consumption. According to  USA Today  magazine, "contrary to popular lore, the public is not particularly concerned about eating foods tailored through biotechnology. When they were asked how likely they would be to buy a new better tasting tomato, or other kinds of biotech food products, most people said that they would accept it and feel comfortable with it" (Smith 23). Supporters of these genetically-engineered foods claim that the use of genetic engineering produces a more nutritional, better looking, economical, and better tasting product. Despite these strong claims in favor of genetically-altered foods, there is strong opposition against them. Genetically-altered foods can contribute to health problems among consumers because their effects on the human body are currently unknown, they can cause fatal and crippling effects due to allergic reactions, they promote more disease-resistant pests, and they increase the spread of diseases across species barriers. 

12. Sample Introduction: Analyze how the introduction below is developed. What is the thesis statement? What is the focus of the paper? Child abuse has been a rampant issue occurring not only in developed nations but as well as in less developed countries. Child abuse is defined as "the physical or mental injury. . . of a child under the age of 18 by a person who is responsible for the child's welfare" ( Kashani & Allen, 2011 ) and other various forms of violent behavior inflicted onto children or in their presence is an overwhelming cause of the occurrence of similar events in the child's future, when the former victim has reached an age when he or she can be classified as the administrator of such actions. There were n early 700,000 children are abused in the U.S annually (National Statistics, 2015). Although many organizations have already set up programs helping abused children such as Children’s Advocacy Centers that served and protects more than 3 million children (National Statisctics , 2015), and laws are enforced to penalize abusive adults, the number of abused children is still on the rise. A number of contributing factors have caused the significant growth of this issue, such as living conditions, financial standing, personal relationships, and school- and gang-related violence can have a considerable effect on abuse and violence. 

13. Sample Background Paragraph (Focuses on effects/consequences of child abuse. Analyze the content. What should you write in the background paragraph? While there are many complex reasons why people act violently and criminally toward others, such as prefrontal brain dysfunctions, lower glucose metabolism, and a vast array of other physiological and neurological reasons, the general consensus among experts is that an adult's behavior, in any context, is largely a result of the quality of the atmosphere in which the child was raised (Smith, 2010). Of course, many people will argue that any adult has control over his or her free will and how they conduct themselves. Naturally, not every victim of child abuse and/or violent crime will emerge into a monster in his or her adult years, and occasionally someone who experiences a near-perfect childhood will turn the tables and develop into the exact opposite upon reaching maturity. However, enough conclusive links exist between sufferers of childhood violence and those who carry out the same type of abuse to deduce that there is a significant connection.

14. Causal Argument: Body & Conclusion A. Effect A Relevant research and analysis / argument Relevant research and analysis / argument B . Effect B Relevant research and analysis / argument Relevant research and analysis / argument Counterargument or Counterclaim A. Counterargument(s ) Relevant research & analysis B. Rebuttal to counterargument(s) Relevant research, if needed Rebut logically and fairly the preceding counterargument VI. Conclusion / (Transition for proposal) Summarize thesis and major points of essay Briefly propose for solutions—where we should go from here to correct problems set out in causal argument.

15. Samples Thesis Statements for Cause/Effect Essay: Because of society’s gaudy cravings for magical myths, it has developed a cult like obsession over Elvis. (1cause & 1effect) Americans have wholeheartedly bought into the label game because of their desire to express upscale social and financial status —it is their way of making a statement to the world through their elegant and glamorous apparel . (1effect & 2 effects)

16. PROPOSED SUBJECT AREAS Health in the 21 st century (i.e. nutrition, mental, physical fitness, sexual, etc.) Diversity and Equal opportunity (i.e. opportunities and limitations experienced at work or in society by people of a different gender, age, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion or social class) Food and society (i.e. nutrition, fast food, sodas, obesity, genetically manipulated food, organic food, vegetarianism, various diets) The future of education (i.e. online/blended learning, student centered learning, use of technology in the classroom, classroom discipline issues, time in school, homework, standardized tests, grading) Bilingualism / Multilingualism (i.e. learning foreign languages, technology and language learning, language education, Chinese as a new world language, disappearing languages, language diversity) The role of family (i.e. ageing society, generation gap, parenting issues, millennials, teenage behavior, discipline) Gender Roles (i.e. conventional gender roles and their restrictions, assumptions, values and stereotypes associated with gender, changing gender roles in the 21 st century, working mothers) Work (i.e. work/life balance, role of internships, unemployment issues, telecommuting, education and work, value of certain professions, human trafficking, employment opportunities and limitations in your culture)

17. Guidelines/Check List for an Effective Causal Analysis Essay Fulfill one of the three purposes for causal analysis : To prove a point b. To argue against a widely accepted belief c. To speculate on a theory 2. Write a thesis sentence that tells whether the essay focuses on cause or effect. 3. Decide on a logical organizational pattern. a. Single cause - multiple effects b. Multiple causes - single effect c. Causal chain 4. Coherently link ideas with effective transitions between major ideas and issues of cause/effect .