The effectiveness of the argument: 40%.

Make sure that your argument is sustained throughout the essay. You should make a case in your essay, rather than simply telling a story. Keep your essay focused on the proposition. ‘Discuss’ means discuss the validity of the proposition, not a series of tangential observations. Look carefully at the precise words of the proposition (which is to be the title of the essay), and make sure that your entire essay is a response to it. At the very least, your essay should have a clear statement in the opening paragraphs along the lines of: ‘This essay argues that…’ followed by an assertion that relates clearly to the proposition, and that is substantiated in the rest of the essay.

At all costs, avoid digressions from the topic. Imagine, as you are writing, that you are trying to convince an extremely sceptical reader of your viewpoint. Try to show an awareness of possible contrary arguments, particularly in the opening.

An essay without a clear argument is extremely unlikely to get above a H3.

Paragraphing: 10%

Make sure that each paragraph addresses a specific idea. Usually, this idea will be clearly set out in the opening sentence (the topic sentence).

Structure: 10%

The structure should be logical. Try to arrange the elements of your argument into categories and subcategories.

Research: 40%

Research should include both primary sources (eg in newspaper databases such as Factiva) and secondary sources (academic articles and books).

Each of the following propositions can be answered in many ways. There is no prescribed, ‘correct’ answer. The recommendations that follow the topics (‘issues you might consider include’) are meant only to give you a sense of a possibilities of the topic, and as a suggestion for some initial research. They are not intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive.

‘The Arab Spring demonstrates the superiority of the Russian hard power over Europe’s normative power.’ Discuss.

Issues you might address include:

The weight of the colonial past for EU states in their interaction with the Arab world
The divisions within the EU over intervention in Libya
Jan-Werner Muller’s critique of the EU’s normative disengagement from the Arab Spring
Putin’s success in thwarting US military action against Syria after the use of chemical weapons
Russia’s military intervention in Syria in support of the Assad regime

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Posted on May 27, 2016Author TutorCategories Question, Questions