Comparative analysis and argument

Building on your close reading and source analysis skills from the previous assignment, you will choose another supplemental reading from this semester. You can choose any of the readings that were assigned that are not from the two primary textbooks, but this should be a different reading than the one you chose for the Critical Reading and Single Source Analysis assignment. You are then going to once again read the text closely and critically and annotate as you go along. You will then choose one other reading or piece of media outside of class. This should be something that we have not read or listened to in class. It can be from a textbook, a fiction or nonfiction academic or nonacademic book, a journal article, a news article, a blog, a film, a song, a poem, or a piece of art. The piece you choose should relate to the class text you chose for this assignment. You will then do a close reading/listening/etc. of that work and will also annotate it. You should be intentional about what you pick. It should be something that you find meaningful and that connects with the reading you are pairing with it. It can connect by helping to support the argument made in the first source, or it can be in disagreement with the first source and make a counterargument. For this assignment, you should be able to answer the following for each source you choose:

• Who is the author(s) of this source, and what is their background or area of expertise?
• Who is the intended audience for this source?
• What circumstances motivated the author(s) to create this source?
• What is the central argument (thesis) of this source?
• What major claims does this source make in support of the central argument?
• What evidence does this source present to demonstrate the validity of the claims?
• What are potential counterarguments to the central argument of this source, and how effectively are counterarguments addressed in this source?
• How does the writer try to seem credible and trustworthy to the intended audience?
• What are the strengths of this source?
• What are the weaknesses of this source?

After analyzing both sources and answering those questions, you will then compare the two. You should consider the following questions as you consider sources in connection with one another:

• What would the authors of these sources agree about? Note where you see overlap in their central arguments, major claims, and evidence.
• What would the authors of these sources disagree about? Note where you see divergence in their central arguments, major claims, and evidence.
• How do these sources contribute to social work practice? How can we analyze them in that context?

At the end of the paper, please include a section of self-reflection. Why did you choose the pieces you chose? How did you feel about them and did you agree or disagree with their arguments?

The purpose of this assignment is to continue to build on your close and critical reading skills and ability to analyze texts you are assigned. It will also allow you to go beyond analyzing a single text and begin to compare texts in order to more deeply engage with different concepts and authors interpretations of concepts. This assignment will help you to build an argument from careful analysis of two texts, and then generate new insights from putting these texts into conversation with each other. You will be able to imagine yourself as a participant in the conversation on these topics and be able to discuss it coherently and critically. You will be able to start to form an argument based on the topic and be able to defend and debate a cohesive thesis. You will be able to articulate the broader significance of your argument and to answer the so what? of why this is important in social work. This paper should be between four and eight pages long.

Requirements for Paper

• Use APA style for both in-text citations and reference page.
• Include a title page and reference page.
• Page length does not include title page, reference page, or any appendices.
• The use of direct quotes should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Use a direct quote only when you are unable to paraphrase or summarize. If you do paraphrase, be sure to always properly cite the source in-text and in the reference page.
• Remember that you always need to cite your source any time you are mentioning a fact or opinion that is not yours. If you are stating something as a fact, you should be providing sources to back up this claim and then citing them.
• For more information on using APA format, visit
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