Throughout the semester we will explore numerous social problems, their history, development, explanations and possible solutions. To better understand them, it's helpful to determine the extent of a problem locally and how it may immediately affect you.
Your assignment is to choose a particular social problem and write a paper detailing the extent of the problem in South Carolina and propose some solutions. Choose your problem carefully! It's much easier to write about something you feel passionately about and something that really matters to you!
The paper is to have the following parameters:
1) The paper is to be typed and between 8 and 12 pages long, not including the title page, abstract page or references page. THE PAPER IS TO BE WRITTEN IN APA FORMAT. Points will be deducted if the paper is short of 8 pages.
2) Any sources should be cited appropriately using APA (American Psychological Association) style, even websites from the internet. You will need to use a minimum 4 sources, one of which needs to be a sociological journal. Your textbook is not to be used as a source. Utilize statistics where necessary and include them in your paper, along with the source. There are many websites that provide information and statistics. Note that Wikepedia is NOT an acceptable source. UTILIZE THE LIBRARY GUIDE ON THE COURSE HOMEPAGE TO GUIDE YOUR RESEARCH AND PAPER FORMATTING.
3) We have an EMBEDDED LIBRARIAN in the course to assist you with this paper. There is a discussion board under the Assignments tab/Discussions entitled EMBEDDED LIBRARIAN QUESTIONS. The librarian will have access to this and can answer questions regarding your paper.
4) Note that PLAGIARISM is a student code of conduct issue. Copying and pasting directly from websites is not acceptable. Your paper needs to be in your own words! Citations must be noted in the body of the paper and match your references page.
5) Treat this assignment as you would a paper for English class. Proofread! Spelling and grammar count! Points will be deducted for grammar, spelling and formatting errors.
6) Use the GRADING RUBRIC to ensure your paper has all of the necessary elements and to maximize your grade.
In your paper, address the following questions:
1. Evolution of the issue as a social problem---How did it become a problem? How long has it been a problem? How does it fit the definition "social problem?" What claims making has occurred? Any social movements associated with the problem? Why do you care about this problem?
2. Analysis of the problem using sociological theory-Which sociological theories (Structural-Functional/Symbolic-Interaction/Social Conflict) can be used to explain the problem and how? What is the latest sociological research on the problem?
3. Current statistics-What do the statistics say about the problem? How do the local statistics compare to the national level?
4. Social Policy-What social policies exist? Are they alleviating the problem, or do they need to be changed?
a. What groups/organizations are working to increase awareness and/or solve the problem? Any groups in opposition? What solutions are they seeking?
b. What are the politics involved?
c. How does the media represent your problem?
5. Solutions---What are some solutions to your problem?
The paper is to be turned into the Social Problems Research Paper dropbox in D2L homepage no later than 11:59 pm on July 17, 2016.
THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSIONS GRANTED FOR THIS PAPER.
ALL LATE SUBMISSIONS (1 minute to 23 hours 59 minutes) WILL BE DEDUCTED ONE LETTER GRADE, AND A SUBSEQUENT LETTER WILL BE DEDUCTED FOR EACH DAY IT IS LATE.
YOUR PAPER MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE DROPBOX. PAPERS THAT ARE E-MAILED WILL NOT BE GRADED.