APPEALing To Logos: using REAson And EvidEnCE To FiT THE siTuATion 229ments of events in labor history are never anchored in any analysis of so -
cial class” ( para. 3). He supports this point with his own study of twelve
textbooks ( paras. 3–5) before returning to his premise that “social class is
probably the single most important variable in society” (para. 6). What fol-
lows is a series of observations about the rich and references to research-
ers’ findings on inequality (paras. 7–9). Finally, he asserts that “social class
determines how people think about social class” (para. 10), implying that
fuller knowledge would lead business leaders and conservative voters to
think differently about the source of poverty. The question to explore is
whether or not Loewen supports this conclusion.■ (^) demonstrate that the Conclusion Follows from the premises
Authors signal their conclusion with words like consequently, finally, in
sum, in the end, subsequently, therefore, thus, ultimately, and as a result.
Here is how this looks in the structure of Loewen’s argument:
- Although class is a key factor in Americans’ access to health care, edu-
cation, and wealth, students know very little about the social structure
in the United States. - In their textbooks, textbook writers do not address the issue of class,
an issue that people need to know about. - Ultimately, if people had this knowledge, they would understand that
poverty cannot be blamed on the poor.
We’ve reprinted much of paragraph 9 of Loewen’s excerpt below.
Notice how Loewen pulls together what he has been discussing. He again
underscores the importance of class and achievement (“All these are
among the reasons”). And he points out that access to certain types of
colleges puts people in a position to accumulate and sustain wealth. Of
course, this is not true of the poor “because affluent families can save some
money while poor families must spend what they make.” This causal rela-
tionship (“Because”) heightens readers’ awareness of the class structure
that exists in the United States.
All these are among the reasons why social class predicts the rate of college
attendance and the type of college chosen more effectively than does any
other factor, including intellectual ability, however measured. After college,
most affluent children get white-collar jobs, most working-class children get
blue-collar jobs, and the class differences continue. As adults, rich people are
more likely to have hired an attorney and to be a member of formal organi-
zations that increase their civic power. Poor people are more likely to watch
TV. Because affluent families can save some money while poor families must
spend what they make, wealth differences are ten times larger than income
differences. Therefore most poor and working-class families cannot accumu-
late the down payment required to buy a house, which in turn shuts them out
from our most important tax shelter, the write-off of home mortgage interest.
08_GRE_5344_Ch8_211_256.indd 229 11/19/14 11:04 AM