The document explains the concept of an argument, emphasizing that it is a method of persuasion rather than a conflict. It outlines the structure of an argument, which includes a claim, evidence that supports the claim based on shared beliefs, and reasoning that connects the evidence to the claim. Examples illustrate how these elements work together to advocate specific viewpoints.

1. Art and Design for Advocacy
Supporting Your Message Using Argumentation

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What is an argument?
Although the word “argument” is often used to refer to conflict or disagreement
between people trying to express different points of view, its proper definition has
nothing to do with rudeness, disputes, or violence.

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What is an argument?
An argument is simply a verbal statement about the way the world works. An
argument is designed to try and persuade people that the information it contains
is true. An argument is a way of sharing observations about the world using
words.

4. The structure of an argument
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 The claim—an idea, a description, a fact, or a statement that you want your audience to believe
is true. For example, ‘The police are racially profiling young black men’, ‘Householders should pay
for rubbish collections’, ‘We should construct youth clubs in inner-city areas’.
 Evidence—not to be confused with the evidence that is used in courtrooms or produced by
scientific experiments. An argument’s evidence is a piece of information that is linked to your
claim that your audience already believes to be true. For example, ‘There are high crime rates in
many inner-city neighbourhoods’, ‘Not enough of our household waste is recy- cled’, ‘Young
people living in large cities who have nowhere to go and nothing to occupy their time may
become involved in petty crime’.
 Reasoning—the process that connects an argument’s evidence to a claim. Reasoning tries to
show an audience that a belief they already possess proves the point that the advocate is try- ing
to make.

5. Example
‘The police are racially profiling young black men. There is a heavy
police presence in inner-city neighbourhoods, but crime figures are still
high. This is because relations between the police and the young black
community are so bad that very few people who live in inner-city areas
are willing to work with the police to prevent crime’.