Question

Throughout this essay, Gladwell relies heavily on expert testimony. He cites scholars and researchers as well as business analysts and State Department officials and security advisors. Choose two examples, and discuss how Gladwell uses one to support his argument and the other to examine a counterargument.

Answer 1

Answer:

1. The Civil Rights Movement of February 1, 1960.- Supporting Argument

2. The case of a bone marrow donor for the Silicon Valley worker.- Counterargument

Explanation:

The author Malcolm Gladwell used the case of the sit-in by the four students in a white restaurant on February 1, 1960, to support his argument that close ties are very essential to high-risk activism. He believed that knowing friends on a personal level who supported the same course increased the chances of participating and persevering in acts of protests that could be life-threatening. For him, this level of success cannot be ensured by social media.

A counter-argument was when a Silicon Valley worker came down with leukemia that required a bone marrow transplant. It was impossible to get the donor through close relatives but only succeeded through a social media platform when the message was circulated among many people. The author countered the success of social media in this regard by saying that the intent was to have a sense of accomplishment and to receive praise. It did not involve a financial or personal risk.