Responding To: Fear and Loathing

Ben Tryer does his investigation into immigration in Homer and around the world. How does he go about doing research? What is it about the way he does research that is the source of his struggle?

For the beginning of the podcast, it is clear that Tryer has put extensive research into his research on Homer, and the immigrant controversy at hand. Tryer sets the scene be explaining to listeners the basics- his connection, the issue itself, and Homer’s location.

Following the introduction, Tryer introduces a specific interview question and the answers of several individuals. Then, he includes a personal account of the conflict between two people on opposing sides of the immigration dilemma.

Not only were interviews included, but also research on the “spark” of the controversy. Tryer further explains that the problem began with Donald Trump’s election into office, which led to the members of the democratic party expressing their concern leading to a “resolution” and members of the Republican party resisting their opinions. A town council meet excerpt was also included to explain the situation further.

A majority of his research is first-hand opinions of the members of the community. Tryer includes all sides- for, against, and undecided on the matter. Unfortunately, I believe he had a strong bias. He lacked the narrative of the party against immigration. Another weakness was that his research was composed mainly of interviews, which gave him plenty of pathos but needed logos on Homer itself. This is ironic considering the last man he interviewed, Ben, did the exact opposite when he spoke at the town hall meeting. Ben had focused on cold hard facts to appeal to the mayor and community.

What are the steps you take to make sure your sources are credible? What sources do you believe are reliable? Why? Do you think that people can discuss controversial issues without being biased?

Research tends to begin with a google or database search. Both can lead to unreliable sources. Bedford Book of Genres recommends previewing a reference to determine the reliability of the source. Previewing a source involves a series of questions including- “Who published the writing?” “What is the quality of the work presented there?” “Who is the main audience?” “Is the reading peer-reviewed? Scholarly?”. Looking at the author specifically, “Who is the author? Someone, you are familiar with? How is their quality of writing?”, Are questions to consider. The deeper you dig into the authors, editors, and their qualifications, the more straightforward you will be able to determine the validity of the source. When looking for credible sources myself, I seek out scholarly individuals and those who have valuable credentials to back up what they are saying. When it comes to controversial issues, such as immigration, as seen in the podcast that we listened to in tandem with this assignment, it is incredibly difficult not to be biased. Controversial issues tend to be black and white; you can choose one side or the other but in in-between. For this reason, there is often a lack of level-headedness in regards to hot topic issues. Nevertheless, I still believe it is possible. Although it may few and far between, if emotions are left behind, and there is a fair analysis of both sides, it is possible for people to discuss controversial issues without being biased.

Lastly, what is the community you are researching in your paper? How did you decide you wanted to research it? Was it fear? Excitement? Current knowledge? Or something else?

I have decided to write my paper focusing on the pre-professional and professional acting community. I came to this decision through personal knowledge and involvement. Theatre has played a significant role in my life, and it sparks something in me that nothing has been able to compare. I hope that my motivation for this paper will be fueled by my love for acting.