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Writing@CSU: Composition Teaching Resources

Portfolio 2: Personal Position Analysis Worksheet

Part I

As of now, what is your position on this issue?

What is your tentative claim? (State as a complete sentence.)

What are some reasons you’ll use to support that claim? (State each reason as a complete sentence.)

Part II

Consider why you take the position you do—not so much your logic or reasoning but the contextual influences that may have shaped your position.

1)    Where did you grow up? Describe your neighborhood, school, hometown? How might your local community have influenced the way you view this issue?

2)    Describe your values and beliefs, your convictions and/or where you get your morals or your sense of right and wrong. What helps you to define what’s right and wrong? Where do you think your sense of values came from? How might these values, beliefs, convictions, and morals affect your views of the issue you’re writing about?

3)    What people have been most influential in shaping your views? How do they influence your ideas? How might they influence the way you view this particular issue?

4)    Describe any biases that you have that may influence how you view this issue. Do you have something to gain personally from taking the position you do? If so, what is it?

5)    Can you think of any specific personal experiences (event, story, film, book) that may have influenced the way you view this issue?

6)    How might your education affect your position on this issue? How were you schooled—at home, or in a public, private, religious, charter, or alternative institution? Have you received formal education or training from work or service-related affiliations? Has your education extended beyond the classroom—via travel or unique circumstances? How might your education—in and out of schoold--have influenced your views on this issue?

Part III

     Now choose two or three of the most significant points from your responses to discuss in a focused personal position analysis of approximately 500 words.