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Purpose:
The objective of this exercise is the completion of a set of three evaluative essays. These essays may be one of two types: judgmental or persuasive. Although each essay will address the same issue or point, each will be written for a different audience.

Task:
Write three essays, each one for the following audiences and points of view (see the next page for clarification of the audiences):

(1) generalist to another generalist
(2) specialist to a generalist
(3) specialist to another specialist

The problem, of course, is to determine the appropriate amount of content, the style, and the patterns of exposition suitable for the point of view and the audience.

In each case, however, the thesis must reflect a judgment or a position; the body must be organized in terms of the reasons which support the judgment or the position.

Example of a judgmental thesis:

Mark Twain's interpretation of God is unreasonable because of its foundation only upon his personal experiences or lack of experience.

Example of a position thesis:

The United States Senate should ratify the SALT II Treaties in order to insure both economic and political stability between the United States, the Soviet Union, and their respective allies.

Content:
From the Mountain View College library, select at least three articles in either magazines or scholarly journals as the basis for your study in one of the following areas:

Form:
Each essay should be an independent paper complete with an appropriate introduction, a body which uses analytical paragraphs (for at least the specialist-to-generalist and the specialist-to- specialist essays), and a conclusion.

Grading Standards:
Your essays will be evaluated for form, style, mechanics, content, originality, perception and insight, and the use of secondary materials. Flaws in the use of any of these elements or features will diminish the quality of the papers and account for failure at the "A" level. Any grade completed on this paper, however, will not effect a change in a grade already completed for the course except to raise it. However, no credit will be awarded for this assignment if all other assignments have not been completed satisfactorily.

Description of Points of View:

(1) Generalist to a generalist:
The "generalist" is a person who knows little specific information about a concept in a field but who may, nevertheless, have strong feelings about the field and/or subject. What the generalist can offer--in place of specific in-formation--is an opinion of the subject. Quite frequently, the generalist can support his opinion on the basis of other general information.

The paper written from this point of view is written to other generalists like himself. Usually, the development of this paper is somewhat shallow.

(2) Specialist to a generalist:
A "specialist" is a person who knows specific information about concepts in a field. He probably knows this information from both direct experience and scholarly readings.

The paper written from this point of view is written for generalists who know little specific information. For this reason, such a paper must go often to elaborate extremes to define terms, explain background, and to introduce major voices or experts in the field in order to develop his reasoning clearly for the generalist.

The paper will include comments by major scholars in the field; the analytical paragraph is ideal for the development of the body of this paper.

(3) Specialist to a specialist:
A paper written from this point of view need not employ the elaboration necessary in the paper written from the point of view of a specialist to a generalist (the second paper). It is free to make assumptions about what a fellow specialist already knows of a general nature about the field or subject. Hence, the writer makes allusions to major concepts and scholarly works with confidence. Assume that the reader has already read the same articles that you have. The key to the success of this paper will be your ability to find that unique insight which provides the reader with a new perspective or understanding of that which he or she already knows.

The reader, on the other hand, is likely to have to make various assumptions about the writer's background and experience in order to appreciate or understand the writer's authority. This paper may be the shortest yet most substantially developed of the three papers.

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