Examining a Social Problem Facing American Families: A Sociological Perspective and Solutions

Part 1: The Sociological Perspective on a Social Problem Facing American Families

Social Problem In a 1250- to 1375-word (5-page) “problem” paper, you will examine a problem facing American families, using one of the sociological theories presented in the readings. You will explore how this problem could be researched, using sociological research methods. In conclusion, suggest what might help to solve or address this social problem in the future.

Part 1 is meant to flesh out the problem, including details on the background, causes, changes historically to now, and a review of current research about the problem. You will explore potential solutions in more depth in Part 2.

The social problem you choose could be drawn from the news or from one of the written assignments. Some examples of social problems impacting families are hunger/food insecurity, lack of affordable childcare, and domestic violence. However, this is not a comprehensive list, and there are many other problems from which you can choose. You will conduct library research about your problem and, in the final paper, will draw from at least two outside sources and two sources from the course. Incorporate in-text citations throughout the paper and include a references page at the end. Cite all references using APA style formatting.

Your paper should use at least two sources from the course to:

Offer background about your social problem in the context of the course reading about marriage and the family.

Review current research about the problem and suggest what sociological research methods might be used to explore the problem in the future. Your paper should also draw from a minimum of two sources outside of the course, including one academic journal article AND one magazine or newspaper article. How to find outside sources: You may search through TESU’s available databases (EBSCOhost and ProQuest) and the New Jersey State Library. Use the search term for your social problem and make sure to click “full text” to get a result where you will be able to access the complete article. You may also want to use the search options to isolate the source type and search for only academic journals, or magazines, or newspapers.

Note: To access the NJSL, you will need a library card, which may take several weeks to acquire. See further guidance on this in the Syllabus. You may also use Google Scholar, but look for results with a link to a PDF or HTML file in the right-hand column. You may also find the following open-access journals and database to be useful in your research: Sociological Science Frontiers in Sociology The Directory of Open Access Journals.

PowerPoint You will present potential solutions to the problem in a PowerPoint presentation. These solutions can be drawn from nonprofit and community programs that already exist, as well as proposed and existing state and federal programs and policies. The research conducted for Part 1 should inform the solutions presented in Part 2.

The purpose of this section is to focus on your plan to solve the problem, starting with a review of what has already been done to solve the problem and then detailing your own plan.

Your PowerPoint presentation should include 15 to 20 slides, using the following rough breakdown:

Slides 1 to 5: Introduce your social problem and summarize any important background information. Provide a brief overview of what has already been done/attempted to solve this problem.

Slides 5 to 7: Highlight your thesis, which in this case is your overall plan to solve this social problem impacting families. Your plan should have a few key parts (two or three), like a public education effort and/or an expansion of public policies, just to name two examples.

Next 5 to 7 Slides: Outline the parts of your plan to solve the problem. Use examples of nonprofit, community, and government programs that already exist. You may suggest to broaden, expand, or replicate them to address unmet needs. All specific information should be hyperlinked or cited using footnotes on each slide.

Final 2 to 3 Slides: What roadblocks and obstacles do you anticipate getting in the way of your plan being put into effect? Make some predictions about your social problem and solution in terms of what is likely to happen in the future based on what you learned from this course and from your research. Guidelines for the PowerPoint Your presentation should be well developed and convey your understanding of the readings and concepts. Your presentation should be organized, coherent, and unified. Your slides should be concise and free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Bullets and phrases are acceptable on the slides. You do not have to use complete sentences. Be sure to document all contentions and “facts” mentioned in an academically acceptable manner. (See Writing Resources below.) Encyclopedias especially Wikipedia and dictionaries are unacceptable sources. Be sure to hyperlink your sources or provide APA-style footnotes on each slide with citations.