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EWP Controversy Assignment

SAMPLE CONTROVERSY:  Self-driving cars are arriving on the scene.  Presumably, they will become increasingly available to consumers and eventually become the norm. What impact will this have on various societal issues -- for example the economy (automotive industry and taxi/Uber services), urban planning, accident liablility, and drunk/distracted driving?

KEYWORD BRAINSTORM:  self-driving cars     driverless cars      autonomous cars

Questions to consider:

  • Who is involved, and why?
  • How do these stakeholders use rhetoric, and what arguments do they make?
  • What larger cultural and philosophical conflicts drive this controversy?
  • What is at stake in this debate for your professional field, or for public culture?
  • The goal is not to pick a side, but to write a well-researched, persuasive essay that engages the reader and helps them to see what this controversy reveals about the significant concerns of a profession or of a culture.  

Types of sources useful for these assignments:

          

 

           

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