Points of issue
An issue is a question about which sensible people disagree, for example "Should phones be allowed in school?" It is not a plain fact. "Is the Earth round?" is not an issue, but "Should we spend more on space research?" is.
The points of issue are the main things the disagreement is about. To find them, ask: "What would people argue about here?" and "What is at stake?"
- Learning help: can phones help study?
- Distraction: do they take attention from the lesson?
- Safety: can parents reach children in an emergency?
- Fairness: do all students own a phone?
Viewpoints
A viewpoint is the place from which someone looks at the issue. It depends on who they are and what they care about. A student, a teacher, a parent and a principal all stand in different places, so they stress different points. A good thinker does not copy one viewpoint. She walks around the issue, like walking around a statue, and sees every side.
Fair tips for exploring viewpoints
- Write each viewpoint in a way its owner would agree with.
- Note which point each person stresses most.
- Ask what each side is afraid of or hopes for.
- Look for the points where viewpoints agree. These are good starting places.
Positions
A position (also called a stance) is your clear answer to the issue after you have looked at the viewpoints. It is more than "I like it". It is a claim with reasons.
Positions are not only yes or no
Between "Yes" and "No" there are many middle positions, such as "Yes, with rules" or "Only in some places". A middle position is often stronger because it answers worries from both sides.
How to build a position
- List the points of issue.
- Decide which points matter most to you and why.
- Choose your answer. Say it in one sentence.
- Give two or three reasons, each linked to a point of issue.
- Answer the strongest point on the other side.
Example: "Phones should be allowed in school, with rules. They help learning (point 1), and rules such as locked bags during lessons answer the distraction worry (point 2)."
Stay open
If you meet a better reason, you may change your position. That is a sign of good thinking, not weakness. Do not attack the person who holds another view. Only discuss the reasons.
Try it yourself
Choose a school issue, such as "Should the school day start later?" List four points of issue. Ask four people (a friend, a parent, a teacher, a younger child) what they stress. Then write your position in one line and give two reasons linked to points. In the 3D, slide the flag from Yes to No and see how the strong points change.
Key formulas and definitions
- Issue = a question people disagree about (not a plain fact)
- Points of issue = the main things the disagreement is about
- Viewpoint = the place someone looks from; it changes what they stress
- Position = answer + reasons linked to points of issue
- Memory: Issue > Points > Viewpoints > Position
Worked examples
1. Issue: "Should Class 8 students have homework on Sundays?" List three points of issue.
Possible points: (1) rest and play time, (2) practice for learning, (3) family time or fairness for students with less help at home. Anything that people may weigh differently is a good point.
2. For the issue "Should the village build a bigger road?", write the viewpoint of a farmer, a shopkeeper and a villager living beside the road, each in one line.
Farmer: a bigger road helps carry crops to the market. Shopkeeper: more traffic brings more customers. Villager beside the road: noise and danger to children; the house may be lost. Each viewpoint stresses a different point.
3. Write a position with two linked reasons for "Should plastic bags be banned in markets?"
Position: Plastic bags should be banned, but cloth bags should be made cheap. Reason 1 (environment): bags choke drains and harm animals. Reason 2 (cost point): cheap cloth bags answer the shopkeepers' worry about extra cost.
4. A student writes: "I think homework is bad because I hate it." What is missing from this position?
There is no link to a point of issue and no reason that others can check. A better position: "Homework should be short, because long homework cuts sleep (health point) and short tasks still give practice (learning point)."
Common mistakes
- Taking a position before looking at other viewpoints.
- Treating a plain fact as an issue, or an issue as a fact.
- Giving feelings ("I hate it") instead of reasons linked to points of issue.
- Thinking only yes or no is allowed and missing the strong middle positions.