Every country has social issues, and some scholars argue that the role of academia is to solve these social issues Like any paper, though, the writer will walk a fine line between effective argumentation and fallacious rhetorical jargon. Here are a few concepts to keep in mind when you’re writing your social commentary paper.
Do you not feel particularly strongly about any given social issue in your country, but you know that your teacher or professor (or whoever is going to be grading your paper) does? If you can effectively argue the grader’s point of view, then do so. In the grader’s head, if your argument is slightly off-kilter but maintains true to the grader’s own beliefs, the grader will subconsciously make the connections that your paper is attempting to make, and suddenly all the resources the grader has read in the past that your paper is emulating will seem to back up your claim. Read no further! You are lucky to have such a strong knowledge of your teacher, professor, or the TA that will grade your paper.
If you do feel that you absolutely must argue the opposite side of the coin, for whatever reason, you are immediately at a disadvantage. Now, instead of standing on the shoulders of giants with much more authority than you have, you are going to be arguing against them. If you choose to take this path, be very aware of who you are arguing against, and be wary of accidentally performing a straw man fallacy. A straw man fallacy is where you do not fully understand your opponent's argument, so you argue against an imagined argument in its place. This is an easily recognizable beacon of incompetence to the grader, so steer clear.
Most people that do have strong, vote-by-the-ticket opinions about social issues do so not because of fact, but rather because of unadulterated opinion or personal experience. While these are certainly valid reasons to feel one way or another about a case, they do not make for professional academic writing. Always write clearly and calmly, and never rely on rhetorical arguments or appeals to pathos in a body paragraph. If you see a whole in your sources’ argument, even if it contrasts with your own thesis, try to find a way to separate yourself from that fallacy.