Unit 6 Overview: Position, Perspective, and Bias

YAY! Unit 6 is here!

In this unit there are a few things you should have previously mastered: being able to identify the speaker of a given text, able to identify the purpose of rhetoric questions, and style of text. 

What's the difference between position and perspective? 

Position can be thought of as point of view or viewpoint. Position is the type of narrator, or who the person telling the story is. For example what groups do they belong to (age group, eduaction, political, etc.). Whereas perspective is how this narrator views what he/she/them are discussing.

How to consider bias? There are a few tell-tale signs of bias:

Is the speaker heavily opinionated to one side?

Are their claims supported?

Are they presenting all the facts, or selected facts?

Are facts being presented at all? Or is it all opinion based?

Hows the word choice? Is it very extreme? 

Is the viewpoint original?

How to address a different perspective in an argument?

Don't allow your own opinions to take center stage.

Encourage openness in your work, don't try and hide the unsavory facts.

Discuss both or mulitple views.

Explain how you came to your own conclusion.

Be respectful toward the opposing opinion.