Writing for an Academic Discussion Is changing your outward appearance the best way to initiate life change?

Do you agree or disagree that changing your outward appearance is the best way to initiate life change (sociology)

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.        Give examples of changing your outward appearance.

2.        Give examples of life change.

3.        Have you ever had an experience of life change or seen that happen to others? What do you think caused the change?

 

Notes:

1.        Changing your outward appearance would be changing your fashion style and having a cosmetic surgery. It also includes gaining physical health such as taking up exercise or alteration of your diet.

2.        Life changes would be having a personality change, gaining confidence, or going through a transformation in relationships.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Agree

1.        Since good looks is everything in life, especially among young people, change of outward appearance means change of life.

2.        You gain stronger self-confidence by representing yourself differently than before.

3.        Others will see you in a new light, and this will give a profound influence on your lifestyle such as confidence and attitude.

 

Disagree

1.        Transformation of the outward appearance is not a cause but a result of a transformation of the inner-self, the person’s mind and soul.

2.        Pulling through a trial or challenge drastically improves the person’s physical expression.

3.        Meeting a new person or moving to a new place helps start all over again, start anew.

4.        Learning logical and critical thinking and training or having a cognitive training strengthens your mind and underpins your approach to the world.

5.        Soul-searching, deep reflection of yourself, leads to a fundamental transformation of yourself, which leads to change of your attitude, which leads to change of your life.

6.        Becoming beautiful can be a curse.

 

 

☆Sample Answer for Ideas and Expressions

【Thesis】Although I partially agree with Mia that change of looks can attract good luck, I don’t think it is the best way to initiate life change.

【Supporting Details】I believe that a good life comes from constant hard work and good relationships. Therefore, to make efforts for a long time, always conscious of the environment around you and adjusting yourself to a new situation, is the best and the only way to initiate life change. Working on your outer looks can be a part of this endeavour, but not the main factor to achieve a better life.

【Counterargument-treatment】Outward looks is mostly in the area of fortune. For example, a skin color decides the survival rate of a baby, the average life-time income, and the average life span in the US. Being born as a black person in a ghetto almost certainly tells the person that making efforts is useless. No matter how good and nice the person is, the way the world or at least a certain group of people looks at the person won’t change. However, earnest and tenacious work to build a good life and society supported by faith in goodness or belief in human favor for genuine integrity in life has gradually but surely has built a good presence of the black people in the American society. Another example is successful immigrants. It is clear that it was not their physical appearance that started the improvement of their lives. Doing jobs that no one wants to do day and night, while making efforts to blend in society by making friends with the native residents, has led to their prosperity.

【Conclusion】Therefore, a change of outward appearance is not the best way to get out of your current situation although it can be a big issue for many people. (298 words)

Write your response in 10 minutes. Show each other your responses. Write down questions or suggestions to each other’s response.

 

 

                                                   DRAFT