Case Study paper 2 assignment According to the Miriam-Webster dictionary, a conspiracy theory “is a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators”. For this assignment you will research a conspiracy theory that has circulated in society. You will analyze the origin of the conspiracy theory, the channels by which it was communicated, the audiences it appealed to, the societal effects that it has had, and the nature of its appeal. You will also “test” the plausibility of the theory by applying some of the criteria and tests we have utilized in the class. At one time or another each of you has probably encountered a conspiracy theory explanation for some problematic event or state of affairs. One conspiracy theory I remember encountering in my youth was the theory that the oil companies were engaged in a secret manipulation to keep society dependent on the internal combustion engine. This was supposed to guarantee that we would remain dependent on petroleum products. According to the story, the petroleum company agents bought up the rights to promising new engine designs that could power our cars etc. These explanations were especially prominent during the oil embargo that the United States experienced in the 1970s following the 1973 war between Israel and Egypt. There are continuing conspiracy theories about the assassinations of prominent people such as President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. More recently, there are a variety of conspiracy theories about what really happened on 9/11/2001. If conspiracy theories were merely the domain of idle speculation and eccentric personalities, it would not be worth studying. In fact, however, conspiracy theories are a long and robust tradition in American political discourse. Indeed, the most hallowed events of American oratory-the seven Abraham Lincoln-Steven Douglas debates in the 1858 Illinois Senate campaign prominently featured conspiracy accusations by both candidates. When two of the most distinguished public speakers in American history make use of this form of reasoning, it is worthy of our attention and study. Conspiracy theory comes to us in the form of a story. There is some problematic event or condition that the conspiracy theory narrative explains. The theory links past events, present events, and projects future events that fit into a more or less coherent narrative. The narrative involves some group of people, almost always powerful, acting together covertly to intentionally bring about certain outcomes. For this assignment you are to choose a particular conspiracy theory to research and analyze. The conspiracy can be with regards to events in the past or with events that are happening in the present and are projected to happen in the future. In many cases, the conspiracy theory likely covers all three. In the research phase you will investigate, much like a journalist, the who, what, where, when and how of the development of the conspiracy theory narrative. Your first task will be to describe the facts of the conspiracy theory. Your case study paper should have a first heading entitled Case Description. It should address questions such as the following: 1) Who promotes the conspiracy theory? 2) To whom is the conspiracy theory story typically told? What kind of audience is targeted? 3) Through what channels is the narrative typically disseminated? 4) What problematic event or set of circumstances does the conspiracy theory purport to explain? 5) What are the key elements of the conspiracy story line or narrative? Who are the villains and what is their agenda? What actions are they engaging in to bring about their desired results? What are the key events in the conspiracy theory narrative? 6) How much traction or adherence did/has the conspiracy theory gained in society? 7) What kinds of counter/narratives have been lodged against the conspiracy theory (what are some things that people have said that counter or contradict parts or all of the conspiracy theory narrative)? 8) How do conspiracy theorists refute those who challenge or are very skeptical about parts of their narrative? The second section of your paper will have a heading entitled “Case Analysis”. In this section you will analyze some of the whys with respect to the conspiracy theory. This will include questions such as the following: 1) Why do you think the conspiracy theory emerged in the time and context that it did? 2) Why do you think the conspiracy theory gained the level of adherence that it did? What is appealing in the conspiracy narrative? What problems do you think the conspiracy theory narrative helps people resolve? 3) How effectively have the conspiracy theorist storytellers dealt with contradictory facts and scenarios put forward by doubters and challengers? Provide specific examples where possible. 4) What is the relative state of evidence regarding whether the conspiracy theory is true or false? Do an objective analysis to the extent to the extent that you can. In particular, I expect you to apply the standards related to parsimonious explanation as well as the sociological factors related to suppressing information and keeping secrets. This section is a required part of the second part of the paper and should constitute a significant part of this section as the crux of the assignment turns on your judgment and evaluation. Use the following scale to phrase your claim—X theory is—and choose from the following options—a) “Definitely not true, b) Probably not true, c) Indeterminate, d) Probably true, and E) Definitely true. 5) What conclusions do you have about conspiracy theory reasoning after doing your case study? What explains the prevalence and popularity of the form? What does your case study ell us about human reasoning generally? You should develop a good research base for your case description and analysis. You can consult writings/websites that directly articulate and convey the presumed conspiracy. You should develop solid information on the factual questions related to the case description. Overall, you should use a variety of sources that describe and analyze the conspiracy theory. The suggested length of your case study paper is about 1800-2000 words. Use separate headings for the Case Description and Case Analysis sections. Be sure to give adequate attention to both parts of the paper. The paper will be due on Tuesday, November 22. Your paper should obviously have a reference list that lists the sources you utilized in the paper. You should also use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation format for in-text citation of any information that is not common knowledge. Your paper should have a minimum of eight sources from relevant sources.