SAMPLE BRIEF
A. Pro-proposition: Barbie is harmful to girls.
B. Argument 1: Barbie damages girls' self-esteem.
Premise 1: Barbie is an unattainable figure for most girls. Yahright (1988) found that Barbie's body proportions were 2 standard deviations from normal 18 year old females.
Premise 2: Research shows that girls are oppressed by unattainable figures (Bottoms et al., 1997). They indicate that girls' self-ratings decline when they compare themselves to fashion models.
Premise 3: Barbie makes girls value beauty over intelligence.
Brains and Smarts (1976) studied girls' value systems.
Argument 2: Barbie is a tool of commodity capitalism.
Premise 1: Barbie is very expensive, and requires expensive attachments. More...
Premise 2: Every year, Barbie comes with more things to buy.
More...
Argument 3: Barbie teaches girls the wrong values.
Premise 1: Barbie teaches girls that success means getting a man. More...
Premise 2: Barbie teaches that rich is better. More...
Premise 3: Barbie teaches girls that possessions are good.
More...
Bibliography
Bottoms J., Majors D.E. and A. Jones (1997) Models and
Madness. Wow Books: New York.
Brains Y. and P. Smarts (1976) Girls' value systems: A study
of identity and development. Female Development 3, 194-196.
Yahright B. (1988) Barbie is not realistic! About Time
Magazine 1, 23-24.
At least one more reference...