SOCIAL PROBLEM ANALYSIS: ASSIGNMENT 1 (3-5 PAGES)

Define a social problem
Clear statement of the social issue (try to define this in one sentence)
How big is the problem? (these are stats you pull from your search)
who is most impacted by the problem? (these are demographics like age, race, gender, class, etc…)

Causes and consequences of the problem
What causes the problem? What does the research say? (you have to research this)
What other problems seem interrelated? (should be part of your research)
What are negative results of this problem? (should be part of your research)
what will happen if we don’t fix this problem? (should be part of your research)
What does the research say about how to prevent/fix the problem? (should be part of your research)
HOW MUCH RESEARCH YOU ASK? 5 SOURCES.

What ideology and values are associated with the problem
what are the values in the way we define the problem? (this you many find but understanding all the different views of the problem; understanding both sides of the argument)
For example: do we focus on individual causes vs structural, do we use values like meritocracy to say if you only worked harder you could achieve etc….

Examine the gainers/winners and losers (you have to be able to see the problem from both sides, multiple values perspectives)
Who gains/benefits from the problem
Who loses, who is impacted
Who are the major advocacy groups interested/involved in the problem