Social Problem Paper
3 – 4 pages not including cover sheet and bibliography
Section One: (10 points)
Briefly describe the social problem within the United States that you have chosen to analyze and provide your personal reasons for choosing this particular topic. Be specific about what interested you about the topic and any background you may have with the subject. Why do you want to know more about the topic? This section should NOT be more than a 1/2 page.
Section Two: (70 points)
The first paragraph of section two needs to include a statement of your social problem, documentation of the significance of your social problem, and a preview of which sociological factor you intend to examine.
You are to identify no more than 2 social factors to analyze in your paper. You will be examining the problem and analyzing a factor(s) that contribute to the problem in a sociological manner. You will not be examining the outcomes/consequences of the problem. The focus of the paper is to be on how society contributes to the problem. You should not be presenting questions; you should be providing explanations. You need to clearly identify the sociological factor and use class terminology in your paper. You are not to be using the theoretical perspectives in this paper. You are not to be using any first person references in this section. You should be paraphrasing and not quoting. Make sure that you properly cite all sources of your information.
You will need to use at least 1 peer-reviewed resource and 1 other resource (other than those provided in class) to substantiate your paper. Your sources may not date prior to 2011 and all sources must have an author and/or be from a credible organization. You will complete a reference section at the end of your paper.
Section Three: (10 points)
Briefly summarize the main points of the paper. Provide any thoughts you have about solutions to the problem. Discuss your personal reaction to writing this paper. What did you learn about research, statistics, society, etc? How can you use what you learned in a practical way? This section should NOT be more than 1/2 a page.
