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SOC 103 - Naffziger-Hirsch - Online - Spring 2024

To Whom It May Concern…

Final Project for Social Problems (340 points)

If this paper feels like a lot, don’t worry! We’ll be writing this essay in segments throughout the term and you’ll get feedback on portions of the paper and draft one before you submit your 2nd draft. Refer to our course calendar to see specific deadlines.

We’ve discussed several aspects of a few different social problems in class this semester.  This is your opportunity to take what you’ve learned, learn a bit more, and communicate the significance of a social problem faced by the U.S. and another nation, contributing factors, and possible solutions to a member of society outside of this classroom.  You should either expand on a problem we’ve discussed or link one of the main social problems we’ve addressed in the course to one you choose to investigate and write about it.  The final product will be a letter to a lawmaker (mayor, state legislator, Governor, Congressman or Congresswoman), an agency official, a newspaper editor (as in a “letter to the editor”), or institutional leader about this problem and potential solutions. 

Although the assigned course material will provide a foundation for the letter, some outside research will be required.  You can, and should, use the materials assigned for the course or made available through D2L.  However, you must also use at least 3 additional sources for this paper. One of these must be a scholarly, academic source (such as a scholarly book or academic journal article).  If you’re not sure what a scholarly journal article is, here’s a tutorial: https://youtu.be/rOCQZ7QnoN0

You can locate scholarly journals through Oakton Library’s SocIndex, here:

https://www.oakton.edu/library/articles/help_guides/socindexguide.php

And here’s a link to a handy pdf guide for using Oakton’s SocIndex:

https://www.oakton.edu/library/articles/help_guides/socindexguide.pdf

Two sources may be other sources of information (e.g., websites, magazine or newspaper articles, personal interviews, etc.).  There is no maximum limit on sources, so feel free to expand on the 3 required! 

In your letter, you should:

  1. Format this paper like a letter, including the date and the name and address for who you’re sending to.
  2. Introduce yourself, identify who you are writing to and why you’ve chosen this person.
  3. Explain what social problem you are writing about and why it is of concern to you and what other nation you’ll be looking at in addition to the U.S. Specify the national/international context for the social problem you’re addressing. Is it a problem ONLY in the U.S. and the other nation you’ll be addressing? Is it a global problem? Explain.
    1. Be sure you are specifically defining the term globalization and then applying it to this particular social problem.
  4. Make your argument about why this issue is considered a social problem and why it must be addressed.
    1. Define and cite the terms: subjective concern/the subjective element and objective condition/objective element, then offer data or other evidence to explain what the subjective elements of the social problem are and what the objective elements of the social problem are.
  5. Explain the causal factors (social, political, economic, and/or cultural) that have led to the creation or perpetuation of this problem. Be sure to explicitly consider the role that globalization has played in this problem. If you don’t believe globalization has influenced the problem in a significant way, clarify why you believe this is the case.  
  6. Offer solutions and explain how you’ve reached your conclusions and how the problem can be remedied.  On what level(s) must change occur (macro, micro, both)?
  7. Share information on at least two organizations or movements in the U.S. that are trying to remedy this social problem. Describe what, specifically these organizations are doing and any information you can find on how they are measuring their progress.
  8. Consider how another nation has addressed a similar problem. If you are unable to provide documentation of another country’s solution, then indicate this.
  9. Close your letter with an “In conclusion…” section where you summarize your concern, your evidence, and your suggestions.  Sign your letter.

Don’t simply regurgitate what we’ve discussed in class to date; go further with your research on the problem, causes and consequences, and potential solutions.  As you are researching your topic, thinking what about you have to say, and writing your letter, keep in mind the significance of the sociological imagination (remember, we discussed this at the beginning of the semester).  How are the intersections of the personal troubles and social issues evident in social problems?  How do both contribute to the causes?  How might they be part of the solutions?  Papers will be graded on the quality of your argument and how well you convey your knowledge and ideas, the quality of the evidence you provide to support your argument, the quality of the solutions you propose (Are they realistic? How can they be accomplished?), and the presentation of the paper itself (spelling, grammar, etc.).  Please refer to the rubric in D2L for additional information on how your paper will be graded.   

Although I will not be mailing the letter you write, nor are you required to do so, I would strongly encourage you to consider sending it with your suggested solutions to the individual or group you’ve chosen to address.  You could be part of the solution to a social problem! 

Your letter should be at least 10 pages in length, typed, and use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling as this will impact your grade. Papers should be double-spaced, typed in 12 point Times New Roman, Arial, or an equivalent font (NO Courier New).  Please use in-text citations, a reference list, and author tags so that your reader knows when an idea is yours and when you’re presenting someone else’s idea. The idea here is to give credit where credit is due and you want to be sure you’re avoiding plagiarism. You do not need to format this paper according to APA style. In other words, you do NOT need a title page and abstract.

Not sure what plagiarism is? Refer to our plagiarism quiz and this Oakton library resource: https://researchguides.oakton.edu/c.php?g=152408&p=1001122

Don’t forget the Purdue Online Writing Lab and your APA style/citations quiz are also resources for you:  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html

Due dates for this paper:

We will be writing parts of the paper throughout the term and posting them to the discussion board. In addition to these posts, here are due dates for paper drafts:

Draft 1 of Final Project due to Assignments in D2L by 11:59pm on March 22.

Draft 2 of Final Project due to Assignments in D2L by 11:59pm on April 11.

Final draft due to D2L by 11:59pm on Thursday, May 2.