Question
Directions: Research a non-profit organization, political candidate or organization, campus or community agency engaged in community activism. Since the assignment’s focus is on civic engagement, audience centeredness is a key element: how/why does this matter to the audience, as fellow citizens what can be done, what action(s) can be made (i.e. how can audience members engage civically)?
A requirement for this assignment is conducting research to support your thesis/central idea to include: definitions, evidence/facts, narratives, testimony, and/or statistics (minimum of 3 citations must be incorporated into your speech). Citing sources properly and accurately will be an integral component of the assignment.
Introduction
Attention Getter (e.g. quote, narrative, question, statistic)
Introduce topic clearly by stating thesis/central idea.
Credibility Statement (why you are qualified to speak, such as personal and/or professional expertise, experience, knowledge)
Provide full preview of Main Points
Body
2-5 main points with connectives (e.g. transitions, internal preview, signposts)
Incorporate 3 citations based on gathered materials
NOTE: Last main point should reflect how audience members can engage civically (be specific).
Conclusion
Prepare audience for ending
Reinforce thesis/central idea (e.g. restate main points)
Final memorable statement. End strong!
Sample paper
Civic Engagement
Since its inception, Planned Parenthood has transformed the lives of thousands of women through civic engagement. This study presents an overview of the organization’s achievement in matters relating to women’s health since its inception. The study will allow the audience to understand how the organization has transformed the lives of thousands women, helping them in improving the quality of life and the standard of living in the society. Women play a critical role in the community. However, most of the time women have been denied even their basic rights. As a researcher on women’s rights issues, I am in a position to explain the efforts made by the organization over the last century to improve women’s lives.
Planned Parenthood has been instrumental in educating women on birth control methods. The major aim of the organization is to reduce unwanted pregnancies and ensure that women are able to achieve high educational standards. Vast literature available indicates that women who bear children at a relatively younger age record lower educational attainment levels compared to their counterparts who start childbearing at a later period. According to Kane et al. (2013), teen childbearing contributes to a difference of between 0.7 and 1.9 years of schooling in teenage mothers and those who start childbearing later in life. By promoting birth control, the organization has been able to raise the childbearing age among thousands of women. This ensures high educational attainment levels among women.
Besides birth control agenda, the organization has been critical in promoting sexual orientation and gender awareness. Planned Parenthood has been focal in teaching women about gender, gender identify, and controversial issues such as sexual orientation. Of great significance, the organization examines issues concerning transgender and gender non-conforming identities. The organization has been vital in helping individuals who would wish to transform their gender identity if they feel different from the one they were assigned at birth. This is critical considering that about 1.4 million individuals in the US identify as transgender. The organization helps those who want to change to a particular gender or even those who are transgender since they face a lot of discrimination in the community.
The organization has also been critical in promoting women’s health. Planned Parenthood provides education to women on how to reduce the risk of death from different type of cancers. The organization provides women with critical information on different forms of cancers including breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and HPV-related cancer. In addition, the organization organizes free cancer screenings that target women from poor backgrounds. As Gorey et al. (2015) notes, women from poor backgrounds are at increased risk dying from cancer due to lack of regular screening. Cancer screenings promote early cancer detection. This improves the chances of successful treatment before the cancer spreads to other body organs and tissues. Planned Parenthood promotes education among women concerning sexually transmitted infections including herpes, hepatitis B, HPV, HIV & AIDS, and among other STDs.
Lastly, it is worth noting that each one can engage civically in this course by joining the organization as a volunteer or by participating in numerous programs and events. Every year, the organization organizes activities, educational programs, and free medical camps with the aim of improving the lives of women. Joining in these activities is a great way of helping the organization to achieve its objectives.
In summary, Planned Parenthood plays a significant role in the lives of each one of you. The organization’s main objective is to improve the status of women in the society. The organization achieves this buy promoting their health status, helping women realize their identity, and by giving women the power to choose whether to give birth.
References
Kane, J. B., Morgan, S. P., Harris, K. M., & Guilkey, D. K. (2013). The educational consequences of teen childbearing. Demography, 50(6), 2129-2150. doi:10.1007/s13524- 013-0238-9
Gorey, K. M., Richter, N. L., Luginaah, I. N., Hamm, C., Holowaty, E. J., Zou, G., & Balagurusamy, M. K. (2015). Breast cancer among women living in poverty: Better care in canada than in the united states. Social Work Research, 39(2), 107-118. doi:10.1093/swr/svv006
Hoffman. J. (2016, June 30). Estimate of U.S. transgender population doubles to 1.4 million adults. The New York Times.
