Creating a Proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services - Milestone Assignment

Overview: The final project for this course is the creation of a proposal to the potential funder, the Department of Health and Human Services. This is the first of two opportunities for you to submit a first attempt of a section for the final project due in Week Seven of this course. This assignment should represent your best effort to meet the critical elements outlined below. Once you submit this assignment, you will receive feedback from your instructor. It is imperative that you review and understand this feedback before you implement it into your final draft.

Prompt: You will address the critical elements listed below which represent the first three sections of your final project. In the Module One discussion, you presented an idea for a social issue and how it presents itself in the local community. You will continue to use what you have learned in the first two weeks of the course so far to address the critical elements below. For this milestone your work will be graded using the rubric below, for your final submission in Module Seven your work will be graded using the rubric found in the Final Project guidelines and rubric document. The final project rubric adds a fourth column to the rubric which adds the expectation of a higher level of comprehension and writing. Therefore, if you receive a score satisfactory to you on your milestone assignments you will be expected to address any feedback from your instructor, as well as adding the depth asked for in the exemplary column in the Final Project rubric when you submit your final project.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

Introduction: In this section, you will summarize your proposal. Explain the contemporary social problem that you selected and discuss the relevance for today’s society on a local scale. How does the issue present itself in the United States or in your local community?

 

Problem Description: Determine the most influential social variables and determinants leading to the social problem and justify your selections with research.

1. Explain the social variables and determinants influencing the development of the social problem on a local level.
2. Explain the social variables and determinants influencing the development of the social problem on a global level.
3. Describe the differences and similarities are seen between local and international influences of these social variables and determinants. Provide specific examples.

Approach: In this section, you will sift through your personal biases, with the aim of limiting such biases in your later analysis.

1. Describe how people generally tend to talk about this social problem and how these approaches are problematic, supporting with resources. What stereotypes, biases, and assumptions are at play?
2. Identify and reflect on your own biases and assumptions around the issue and how these may affect your analysis of the issue. Everyone has certain preconceived notions about social issues. What are yours, and how might they influence your analysis and interpretation?
3. Explain how you will use sociological theory to limit your biases when you analyze the social problem. How can the theory help you limit your biases? Provide a specific example.