PWR 2NK: Speaking and Writing for a Better World

Have you ever had the feeling that something could be better in a community you belong to, whether that’s Stanford, your hometown, or a team or religious group? Have you ever wanted to make a difference, but you don’t know what to do? Sometimes change feels impossible. The problem might feel too big, we might feel like we don’t know enough to change things, or we feel too small and isolated to make a difference. The good news is: we don’t have to stay stuck. There are things we can do. 

In this class, we will deploy our research, writing, and speaking skills to make a difference in our communities. You’ll identify a concrete problem in a community that matters to you, whether that’s your Stanford community or a community from your home or online life. For instance, you might decide that meals at Stanford’s dining halls don’t match student needs, or that the university has put too many restrictions on student protest. You might know that young people in your home community need more access to LGBTQ books, or that seniors have a hard time getting the healthcare they need.  

Once you determine the problem you want to address, you’ll use research to deepen your understanding of it. Why does this problem exist? What previous approaches have been tried to address it? What barriers to implementing those solutions might exist in your community? Finally, you’ll identify an audience with the power to implement a solution, and you’ll craft a persuasive appeal that will convince your audience to make the change your community needs. And, along the way, you’ll grow as a researcher, writer, and speaker.

PWR 2 Assignment Sequence

Research Proposal

(written text of 900-1200 words, a 3-5 min. oral presentation) In this assignment, you will identify a specific problem you would like to investigate throughout the quarter. You’ll outline a research plan for learning more about this problem and what potential solutions may exist, and you’ll convince your classmates of the significance of solving this problem.

Written Research-Based Argument

(3000-3600 words; 10-12 pages) By the end of the quarter, you will complete your research into the problem you have chosen to address. You will develop a persuasive policy analysis, addressed to the audience with the most power to solve the problem. In your analysis, you’ll make a case for why the problem exists and how it can (and must be) solved within your local context. You’ll justify each choice you make with the research you’ve conducted about your community, about the problem, and about change-making strategies.

Delivery of Research

(10-minute live oral presentation with appropriate multimedia support) Making change almost always involves getting others to listen. In this presentation, your classmates will take on the role of the audience you’re trying to persuade. In your presentation, you’ll speak to convince your audience to support you. In addition to building your confidence speaking in front of classmates, this presentation will serve as a practice run for persuasive appeals you’ll need to make throughout your time at Stanford and throughout your career.