Problem statement (as
story)
Identify/Generate the principle
Here are some straightforward problem statements, in which the
four parts are represented by only one or two sentences. See also:
More sample problem statements (compiled by Mike Lemaster)
Sample problem statements relating
to a theme; in this case: food (compiled by Melissa White).
They could be used several ways in class; for example, Label Problem
Statements, Rearranging Problem Statements, or Incomplete Problem
Statements.
The Simpsons seems to be the story of a fractured, chaotic, sometimes
violent family. However, this interpretation fails to explain why
the Simpson family does so many things together: vacations, family
dinners, and church. If we continue to see The Simpsons merely
as a dysfunctional family, we'll never understand the show's real
meaning and appeal. In fact, The Simpsons represents a very traditional
approach to family values.
Lots of people think that being some sort of vegetarian is the
only humane and moral option for animal lovers. They fail to take
into account the full range of farming techniques and livestock-raising
schemes available in the United States. Until they cease to be
so single-minded, vegetarians will never recognize their natural
political allies. Organic and free-range farming are humane and
moral options for animal-lovers.
Stephen King writes that people naturally crave horror movies as
a way of expressing their inner violent emotions. There's only
one problem with this theory: many many people hate horror movies.
Once we see the real attraction to scary films, we'll be able to
understand American culture better. People who watch horror movies
are not driven by natural instincts, but by the violence of the
world around them.
People have said that ENWR is a pointless, unhelpful course. Nevertheless,
ENWR graduates, surveyed three semesters after taking the course,
overwhelmingly say that they've used principles they've learned
in ENWR to write papers for other courses. As long as students
think ENWR is a waste of time while they take it, it will be hard
for them to learn as much as they can—and hard for their
instructors to convince them to put in much effort. Students should
rethink the role of ENWR in their lives; ENWR is a life-alteringly
helpful class.
Because of the drought, the dining halls have started using disposable
tableware, because they believe they are aiding the environment
by conserving water. However, the environmentally friendly act
of reducing water use carries with it an unnoticed problem: we
reduce water, but we vastly increase the amount of trash produced.
If we ignore this problem, we do a grave disservice to the environment,
because we get a short-term benefit of reducing water use but create
a long-term intractable problem of solid waste when there is little
landfill space available. An environmentally friendly solution
to the water shortage is to have not disposable tableware, but
recyclable tableware: paper plates, recyclable plastic forks and
spoons, and drinks from aluminum cans that can be profitably recycled.
For decades, the University has housed first-year men and women
in separate, sex-segregated suites and floors. The University administration
believes that this is best; they think it would cause too many
problems if there were co-ed housing for first-years. We know,
however, that only a year later, some male and female friends do
choose to share apartments together off-grounds and have a terrific
time. As long as we have single-sex floors and suites in UVA dorms,
male and female first-years will have a much harder time getting
to know one another and will think of one another as foreign. The
University must rethink its housing options.
ABC's The Bachelor -- a reality TV show in which one single man
picks from among 25 women who he may wish to marry -- presents
itself as a story of true romance, wherein beautiful people scour
the nation for their one true love. However, episodes rarely stress
romance; instead, they show arguments, gossiping, and tears. The
Bachelor has proven to be a popular show, and it has inspired many
other reality TV shows; given its popularity, we need to understand
why people watch it and what they get out of it. As I argue in
this essay, people watch The Bachelor not in the hope of watching
true love blossom, but because of what in German is called schadenfreude:
the pleasure taken in the suffering of others.
Pure bred dogs and their owners are sometimes the object of jokes—lots
of people think that small dogs like poodles are funny, and that
owners who participate in dog shows are crazy for spending so much
time on animals. Still, dog shows have become increasingly popular;
last year's Westminster Kennel Club show drew over 4.5 million
viewers a night on cable. As long as we believe that dog shows
are a joke, we'll never be able to understand the mainstream American
obsessions that they tap into. Dog shows—and pure bred
dog ownership—are a brilliant combination of competition
and affection.
If you ask a random group of teenagers and adults, they will most
likely say that the planet is more polluted than it was 25 years
ago: the oceans and rivers are dirtier, the soil contaminated by
chemicals, the air less healthy. In fact, because of legal reform
and increased awareness, the earth's water and soil and air are
actually cleaner. By refusing to see the state of the planet for
what it is, we live in a state of fear and pessimism that really
isn't necessary. We have been led to believe that the environment
is in danger as part of a left-wing conspiracy to fund environmental
groups that thrive on an imaginary crisis.
Recently, some anti-environmentalists have claimed that the earth
is actually in fine shape: global warming is a myth, the earth
and sea are cleaner than ever, the forests are full of trees. But
the EPA's data disproves this: the emissions of greenhouse gases,
for example, have increased significantly even in the last fifteen
years. As long as we ignore that, we are living with a false sense
of security, and not taking any of the action we need to take.
The earth is in trouble; any efforts to distract the public from
that are made by corporate interests that earn bigger profits by
polluting.
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