Analytic Stance
There are generally two types of academic research techniques: the argumentative and the analytical researches. Unlike an argumentative paper where one takes on an ultimate stance on a particular concept or stance, the analytical paper proposes a question from the writer that calls for further investigation. This question is the so called research question and is the motivating factor in the analytical paper where one is not obligated to take any stance but to stay put throughout one’s investigation of that particular topic.
In the analytical papers however, the writer’s objective is not persuasion of the audience as of how right their idea is and how those of others are wrong, instead, the writer’s goal is presentation of a critical understanding of primary and secondary sources that will support their analysis of the topic in the entire paper. In this dissertation, the methodology will include the use of analytical research where the writer will be required to take an analytic stance in the paper about party ideologies and change in immigration politics through media sources in European countries today. The analytic tools to be used to accomplish this condition are case study analysis and historical analysis together with the observations each method supports and excludes.
The analytic stance put emphasis on the logical, rational aspects of any historical study or case study by and focuses on higher cognitive activities such as the examination of the causes and consequences of historical events or special events of importance that have been recorded in case studies (Barton and Levslik 2004 P. 70). First and foremost, the methodology will make use of historical analysis. Here the scholar demonstrates the analytic stance by the differentiating between the use of history from the abuse of history and this is mainly important in the design of the present using the past. This method demands that the writer should look for casual relationships in the issue of immigration in the European countries and the media representation of immigrants versus natives or use evidence to construct arguments. The selection of the content basically depends on the different stances that are available.
One of the major reasons why history is analyzed is to provide a deeper understanding of how the present day social order came into existence as the only best way people can understand the institutions, attitudes, or cultural patterns of present day by tracing their origin and development from the pas (Barton and Levslik 2004, P. 70). One disadvantage of using historical analysis is that, history is not universal and this causes many sources of historical information all with different analytic stances and the writer will have problems determining the most genuine (Barton and Levslik 2004, P. 75).
To further support the thesis, the writer will be required to use specific cases that have been documented concerning the issue and use it to show how improvements could go a long way in implementing a long term solution to the problem (Barton and Levslik 2004 P. 70. One major advantage of using the case study is the fact that it provides more realistic responses as compared to the general historical analysis. Conversely, case study analysis limits the source of history and hence provides superficial meaning. The use of a case study on the issue of immigration in the European countries will provide more concrete information on the issue and will go a long way in the provision of a long term solution.
References
Barton K. C. and Levstik L. S., (2004). Teaching History for the Common Good. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Mahwah: New Jersey.
