Argumentation

Larry Underberg is a professor of Communication Studies at Southeast Missouri State University.  He received his B.A. from Northern Illinois University, M.A. from Auburn University, and Ph.D. from Penn State University; all in Rhetoric and Public Address.  He has taught Argumentation and Debate for nearly forty years receiving the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the National Educational Debate Association and the “Outstanding Contribution to Argumentation” award from the Central States Communication Association Argumentation and Forensics Division.  In addition to Argumentation, he teaches Political Communication, Persuasion and Social Movements, Rock ‘n Roll and Rebellion and Nonverbal Communication.

• LIST OF TABLESPREFACEACKNOWLEDGMENTSSECTION I: THE NATURE AND CONTEXT OF ARGUMENTCHAPTER 1 The Process of ArgumentARGUING IS PART OF OUR NATUREWHAT IS ARGUMENT?WHY SHOULD WE ARGUE?ARGUING PRODUCTIVELYWHEN NOT TO ARGUECONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSCHAPTER 2 Credibility: The Foundation of Responsible AdvocacyTYPES OF CREDIBILITYFACTORS AFFECTING AN ADVOCATE’S CREDIBILITYTHE ADVOCATE/LISTENER RELATIONSHIPCONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSCHAPTER 3 External Factors Influencing ArgumentTHE AUDIENCEFIELD AND OCCASIONTHE LARGER CONVERSATIONCONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSCHAPTER 4 Audience-Based ArgumentINTERACTING WITH FAMILIAR AUDIENCESUNDERSTANDING UNFAMILIAR AUDIENCESLIMITS OF DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSISCONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSSECTION II: IDENTIFYING AND MAKING QUALITY ARGUMENTSCHAPTER 5 Discovering Arguments: Narrative ApproachesARGUMENTS AS NARRATIVENARRATIVE ELEMENTSEVALUATING NARRATIVESCONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSCHAPTER 6 Discovering Arguments: Stock Issue ApproachesQUESTIONS OF FACTQUESTIONS OF VALUEQUESTIONS OF POLICYCONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSCHAPTER 7 Supporting ArgumentsWHEN DO I NEED TO USE OUTSIDE SUPPORT?WHY DO I NEED TO USE OUTSIDE SUPPORT?GENERAL EVALUATION OF OUTSIDE SUPPORTCONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSCHAPTER 8 Types and Tests of EvidenceEXAMPLESSTATISTICSTESTIMONYCONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSSECTION III: EFFECTIVELY PRESENTING ARGUMENTSCHAPTER 9 Language and Style in ArgumentTHE VARIETY OF PERSONAL STYLESSTYLE SHOULD REFLECT A CONSTRUCTIVE VIEW OF ARGUMENTSTYLE AND CREDIBILITYLANGUAGE AS A COMPONENT OF STYLECONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSCHAPTER 10 Responding to ArgumentsLISTENING EFFECTIVELYLISTENING FOR RELATIONSHIP AND CONTENTPREPARING TO RESPONDMAKING A RESPONSECONCLUSIONQUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONKEY TERMSADDITIONAL RESOURCESAPPENDIX A: THE TOULMIN MODELAPPENDIX B: LOGICAL FALLACIESGLOSSARYNOTESINDEXABOUT THE AUTHORS