The Causal Analysis

Discussion of Sheila McClain's "Fitness Culture"

    I want to try to show you here a simple approach to this paper.  Your text, St. Martin's Guide to Writing, makes it all seem rather complicated and perhaps overwhelming - what with pages and pages of instructions on how to write and McClain's essay, all color-coded to the marginal comments.  

     A causal analysis is just that:  an analysis.  And if you recall my description of analysis from week 2, you'll know that a paper that offers up claims supported by evidence will do.  (For those of you who have forgotten or are still a bit fuzzy, check it out again at this link:  analysis.)

     Let me show you.

     Suppose you're proposing a way to reduce, say, divorce.  You know that one of the causes is financial problems.  So, simply, you'd write,

"Financial problems cause divorce."

     What you've got here is a claim.  And, again, from Assignment 2, you'll know that a claim needs evidence to support it.  So, thanks to some of the research you've done, you've got some statistics that show just that:  financial problems do indeed lead to divorce.  You offer up those stats as evidence in a paragraph, and you're on your way.  Perhaps you know someone who has gotten a divorce, someone who told you that he and his ex. used to fight over money.  You're welcome to add that anecdote as evidence as well.  Or, perhaps you an article that quotes a divorce attorney who says, "Money is the root of divorce," and there you've got an authoritative source.  Throw that in the paragraph as well, and you've just analyzed one of the causes of divorce.

     Remember:

• What is your impression?  (The answer yields a claim/thesis.)
• How do you know?  (Answering this question compels you to provide evidence/facts.)
• Why is it important? (The answer to this question keeps you focused on your thesis.)

     Now, if these set of questions does lead to an analysis, we should be able to see them at work in one of McClain's paragraph.  Check McClain's second paragraph on page 458.

Claim:  Interest in physical fitness has grown because of "the increase in public awareness about the benefits of health and fitness."  

Evidence:  First, she tosses in a report from some guy named Leepson.  Evidence from an authority.  Then comes information from "a government appointed panel of experts."  More evidence from more authorities.  To hammer home her point, she offers up testimony from an economist, Goldberg.

Why is this important?  These experts show "As a nation, we are now much more aware of the ways the physical fitness contributes to health, longevity, and productivity.

There you have it:  identify and back up four or five causes, and you've got yourself a causal analysis.  

One last thing.  Here's a suggestion on how your paper might look:

• Definition of the Problem - which could be the very same one you used for your position paper
• Discussion of the causes - as outlined above
• Solution
• Works Cited page - do not forget to cite and acknowledge your sources.

Good luck.