Critical Analysis of a Newspaper Article Addressing Causal Claims

Identifying the Causal Claim and Primary/Secondary Claims

Read the following newspaper article and then provide a written critical analysis following the outline below:
a) Identify the causal claim that is being addressed in the article and provide a drawing(i.e. a concept map) to represent the causal claim. Outline the question that this claim addresses, and describe why it is important. Then, in your own words, state the primary claim that the author is making and any secondary or related claims.
b) Provide a detailed analysis of the causal claim and discuss the techniques used by the authors to either support or refute the claim. In particular, you should:
i)  critically ev aluate the evidence provided, and
ii) consider possible rival causes  for the relationship in question.
c) Identify and evaluate any underlying assumptions or values you believe the author holds. Be sure to describe why they are underlying, and why they are important to understanding the author's position.
d) Finally, discuss whether you believe the author's claim is valid. Use relevant concepts,themes, and material from this course along with your critical analysis provided above to defend your response. (≈5 marks)
Write your answer as a single essay response and provide indicators for the different sections in the column (i.e. a), b), c), d)). The approximate mark values for the various sections are indicated but your response will be assessed as a whole.