SOC 203 (Ashford) Complete Class
WEEK 1
DQ 1:
How would a conflict theorist explain the problem of obesity?
How would a functionalist explain the problem of obesity?
How would a symbolic interactionist explain the problem of obesity?
Based on your research, and personal reflection on which theoretical perspective is most like your own views, which theory does the best job at explaining the causes of obesity? Based on this analysis, explain why or why not the issue of obesity should be addressed as a social problem.
DQ 2:
In what ways might homelessness be categorized as a social problem? Explain your reasoning and support your points with examples from the textbook.
Some of these policies suggested in this video involve government policies and funds. In your opinion, is this an appropriate use of public funds? How do you define what is appropriate use of public funds, and how does the use of public funds fit inside or outside of appropriate use?
The policies described in this video may be controversial. What concerns do you have about these policies?
Complete a web search focusing on policies intended to reduce or eliminate homelessness. Provide an example of a potentially effective response to the problem of homelessness. Define the elements that make this solution effective.
WEEK 2
DQ 1-The videos required for this discussion each touch on overlapping social problems. Although we will examine education, inequality, and race, each of which can be defined as a social problem or major component of larger social problems, the basis of our discussion is based on a simple argument:
Education is an effective tool in our efforts to build a more equitable society.
Therefore, equal educational opportunities must be available to all citizens.
In the video, .films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=39091&aid=18596&loid=63231&Plt=FOD&w=320&h=240″>Affirmative Action vs. Cultural Diversity, Tom Brokaw asks: How do we remedy the historic mistreatment of deserving black Americans without punishing deserving white Americans today?
Our efforts to address the problems of racial inequality have been centered in on one of our most important social institutions – education. While the schools of this country are a local place to focus these efforts, can we fix one problem without creating another?
As always, we want more than your opinions. This question overlaps several chapters of our text, including an examination of education, race, and inequality. As such, we may see references to several chapters. We should also see evidence of additional research, properly cited, in support of positions offered in our responses.
DQ 2-One of the better-known impacts of Title IX relates to gender equity in athletics. While only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports before the passage of Title IX the number has increased to almost 1 in 2 girls in high school athletic programs since.
After viewing the required resources for this discussion, please address each of the following questions:
In your informed opinion, was Title IX a logical policy response to the problem of gender inequality?
Did Title IX accomplish the intended goals for all women?
Did Title IX impact your life in any way?
What differences do you think there are between the way girls and young women view sports today compared to 40 years ago? In effect, has participation in sports changed women and their role in society?
Other than Title IX, have other social changes have contributed to changes in perception? Please provide examples.
Week 2 Assignment – Final Paper Preparation
To prepare for your Final Paper (due in Week Five), complete the following assignment and submit it to your instructor for feedback.
Problem Statement: Describe the social problem you have selected for your paper.
Overview: Using the Final Paper instructions in Week Five as a guide, provide an overview of the topics you will discuss in your Final Paper. Your overview, just like your Final Paper, is expected to include a problem statement or description of the social problem you have selected, a discussion of the scope and consequences of the problem, and
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WEEK 3
DQ 1: The events of September 11, 2011, contributed to an increase in hate crimes against Muslims around the world and especially in the United States. In the first year after the September 11 attacks, anti-Islamic hate crimes in the United States rose more than 1,000%.
After reading the required materials for this discussion, please address each of the following questions:
How has post-9/11 anti-Muslim and anti-Arab backlash and discrimination affected local and global communities? Please provide examples.
How are hate crimes related to fear and/or ignorance?
Why do some individuals and groups believe that violence directed at Muslims, as a form of revenge, is acceptable more than a decade after 9/11?
DQ 2-Drug abuse has been defined as a significant social problem. This discussion provides an opportunity to examine this problem as well as the consequences of our reliance on punishment as a solution to drug abuse.
After viewing the required video for this discussion, please answer each of the following questions:
Discuss the differences between a culture’s folkways, mores, and taboos.
Why are some deemed infractions of normative expectations termed criminal and others social?
How does this definitional process lead us to incarcerate fellow citizens?
What sociological factors contribute to the criminalization of individuals in society? Explain your answer.
Does the seriousness of drug abuse justify our reliance on the social consequences of incarceration?
Week 3 Assignment -The Interconnection of Social Problems
Review the article, .umich.edu/publications/workingpaper06/paper15/working_paper06-15.pdf”>Race, poverty and punishment: The impact of criminal sanctions on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequality, as you to prepare for this paper. As Wheelock and Uggen (2006) point out, the association between crime, punishment, and poverty has long been the subject of sociological and criminological investigation (p. 1). This assignment is intended illustrate the interconnection of social problems.
Write a paper discussing the overlap of crime, punishment, and poverty. In your paper, please explain the following five core arguments made by the authors:
Criminal sanctions and victimization work to form a system of disadvantage that perpetuates stratification and poverty.
Punishment impacts individuals convicted of felonies, as
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WEEK 4
DQ 1-After viewing the required video for this discussion, please address each of the following questions:
What core social values are most challenged by legalized gay adoption?
How have these values been defined and reinforced?
Assuming these values are changing, at least for some individuals or societies, how have experts explained or described the change?
How has your personal view of the family changed over your lifetime?
Supporters and opponents of gay adoption both claim to have childrens best interests at heart. Which do you think is in the best interest of children: banning or permitting their adoption by gay parents? Why?
DQ 2- While we do not want to replicate our Week One discussion of obesity, this issue certainly overlaps with the growing healthcare challenge. Remember that the focus of the previous discussion was on our sociological imaginations. Keep your imaginations going, but we will shift gears a bit for this discussion with a focus on solutions.
In addition to the required video and text, please complete a web search for additional information. All sources should be authoritative, so your search should focus on scholarly papers, government reports, and other expert sources. After reviewing all of these resources, please discuss the all of the following:
According to experts on all sides, does the government have the right to enforce, legislate, or regulate behaviors such as obesity, health, and nutritious eating?
Are these expert opinions biased in any way? Provide examples.
Now that we have heard from the experts, do you personally believe the government has a right to enforce, legislate, or regulate behaviors such as obesity, health, and nutritious eating? Why or why not?
WEEK 5
DQ 1: After viewing the required video for this discussion, pick one of the following overlapping issues highlighted in this weeks readings to discuss:
How does the corporatization of farming affect all Americans, not just those living in rural areas? What can you do about this?
What is brain drain and what are its long-reaching effects on rural communities? Be sure to include the terms stayers and achievers in your discussion. How could the community leaders make staying more attractive than leaving?
Describe the positive and negative impacts of the growth of mega-cities. Will moving back to the country solve the social problems created by our move to the urban areas?
DQ 2: For information on global warming, view the required video and website for this discussion and answer the following questions:
How does human activity impact greenhouse gases found in the atmosphere?
What are some simple changes humans can do to help keep the Earth cooler in the future?
What are you doing to help?
Week 5 Final Paper
Your Final Paper should include a problem statement or description of the social problem you have selected, a discussion of the scope and consequences of the problem, and an assessment of societys responses to the problem (including public policies and other less formal responses). Papers should also present a clearly reasoned alternative that is supported by scholarly research.
While the following example can be modified to suit your needs, using this outline as a guide will likely result in a high quality final paper:
1. Title
2. Describe the social problem.
3. Explain why this problem qualifies as a social problem.
4. Indicate the sociological theory or theories that may explain this social problem.
Discuss the individual and social implications .
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