Q Overview The field of sociology presents a unique perspective to viewing the world’s social problems. Social problems tend to be viewed solely as individual constructs and responsibilities, but sociologists take a deeper dive into the complex set of variables driving the development of these problems using various theoretical perspectives. As these problems surface in individual lives, the workplace, and communities, a sociological perspective is valuable for providing a framework for deeper investigation of variables and limiting personal biases when analyzing problems. In this project, you will play the part of a sociologist who has been requested by your national community to craft a proposal to the potential funder, the Department of Health and Human Services. You will write the proposal by conducting research on the social problem and thinking about how to limit your personal biases when later analyzing the social issue, you will analyze the problem from a sociological perspective, outlining the influential variables and the local and global impacts of the problem, and finally suggest a potential solution. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes: • Analyze contemporary social problems on local and global scales by applying key theoretical perspectives • Analyze social variables and determinants for their influence in the development of contemporary social problems on a local and global scale • Suggest potential solutions that are aligned with best practices for addressing the negative impacts of social issues • Summarize how to limit personal biases in analyzing social problems Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed: I. 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? II. Problem Description: Determine the most influential social variables and determinants leading to the social problem and justify your selections with research. A. Identify social variables and determinants that have influenced the development of the social problem and explain their influence. Support your explanations with resources. B. Explain how the social variables and determinants influencing the development of the social problem vary depending on whether the social problem is local or global. What differences and similarities are seen between local and international influences of these social variables and determinants? Provide specific examples. III. Approach: In this section, you will sift through your personal biases, with the aim of limiting such biases in your later analysis. A. 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? B. 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? C. Explain how you will limit your biases when you analyze the social problem. How can a theory help you limit your biases? Provide a specific example. IV. Global Impact: So that the funder can understand the significance of the social problem, you will explain the local and global impacts using a sociological perspective. A. Provide an example of how the social problem manifests itself on a global scale. In what other country or countries does this problem present itself and how? B. Compare and contrast the existence of the problem locally versus globally. How is the way the problem exists locally similar to or different from the way it exists globally? C. Based on your comparison of the local and global manifestations of the social issue, what conclusions can you draw about the influence of globalization on this specific social issue? How similar or different are the social issues and their repercussions, and what does that mean in relation to the impact of globalization? D. Select a key sociological theoretical perspective that best explains why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents on a local and global scale, justifying your selection. E. Apply your selected theoretical perspective to explain why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents on a local and global scale. V. Potential Solution A. Compare at least one successful attempted solution with at least one attempted unsuccessful solution to the problem. From your comparison, why did the successful solution succeed, and why did the unsuccessful solution fail? Support your findings with resources from the text or your own research. B. Based on your previous research, what suggestion do you have for responding to the identified social issue? Specifically what do you suggest as an action in responding to the social issue? C. Explain why your suggestion is likely to be successful, substantiating with research. Explain how the suggestion takes into account your previous research of attempted solutions and identified best practices. Milestones Milestone One: Department of Health and Human Services: Identifying the Problem In Module Three, you will submit your first milestone in which you will submit a draft of the first three critical elements. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone Two: Department of Health and Human Services: Suggesting a Solution In Module Five, you will submit a draft of critical elements 4 and 5. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. Final Submission: Department of Health and Human Services: Proposal In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Product Rubric. Major Deliverables Artifact Deliverable Module Due Grading Milestone 1 Department of Health and Human Services: Identifying the Problem Three Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric Milestone 2 Department of Health and Human Services: Suggesting a Solution Five Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric Final Submission Department of Health and Human Services: Proposal Seven Graded separately; Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your proposal must be 4–6 pages in length and use APA formatting. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one inch margins in Microsoft Word. Include at least three scholarly sources cited in APA format. Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value Introduction Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response provides a strong foundation for the rest of the proposal Explains the social problem and discusses the relevance for today’s society on a local level Explains the social problem and discusses the relevance for today’s society on a local level, but response has gaps in detail or accuracy Does not explain the social problem and does not discuss the relevance for today’s society on a local level 5 Problem Description: Variables and Determinants Meets “Proficient” criteria, and identification demonstrates keen insight into the influence of social variables and determinants on creating social problems Identifies social variables and determinants that influenced the development of the problem and explains their influence, supporting with resources Identifies social variables and determinants that influenced the development of the problem and explains their influence, but response has gaps in detail or accuracy, or lacks support Does not identify social variables and determinants that influenced the development of the problem 5 Problem Description: Variables and Determinants Global Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates keen insight into the global impact of social variables on determinants Explains how the social variables and determinants influencing the development of the social problem vary, depending on if the problem is local or global, providing specific examples Explains how the social variables and determinants influencing the development of the social problem vary depending on if the problem is local or global, but explanation has gaps in detail, accuracy, or lacks examples Does not explain how the social variables and determinants influencing the development of the social problem vary locally and globally 5 Approach: Stereotypes Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight into why stereotypes are problematic Describes how people generally talk about the social problem and how these approaches are problematic, supporting with resources Describes how people generally talk about the social problem and how these approaches are problematic, but response has gaps in detail or accuracy or lacks support Does not describe how people generally talk about the social problem and how these approaches are problematic 5 Approach: Your Analysis Meets “Proficient” criteria, and reflection demonstrates keen insight into the impact of personal bias on analysis Reflects on personal biases and assumptions around the issue and how these may affect the analysis of the issue Reflects on personal biases and assumptions around the issue and how these may affect the analysis of the issue, but response is cursory or illogical Does not reflect on personal biases and assumptions around the issue 5 Approach: Limit Biases Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates keen insight into the use of sociological theory to limit personal biases Explains how to use sociological theory to limit bias when analyzing the social problem, providing a specific example Explains how to use sociological theory to limit bias when analyzing the social problem, but does not provide an example, or explanation has gaps in detail or accuracy Does not explain how to use sociological theory to limit bias when analyzing the social problem 10 Global Impact: Global Scale Meets “Proficient” criteria, and example provides keen insight into how the problem manifests itself on a global scale Provides an example of how the social problem manifests itself on a global scale Provides an example of how the social problem manifests itself on a global scale, but example is irrelevant or inaccurate Does not provide an example of how the social problem manifests itself on a global scale 5 Global Impact: Compare and Contrast Meets “Proficient” criteria, and comparison demonstrates keen insight into the variances of how social problems manifest themselves globally Compares and contrasts the existence of the problem locally and globally Compares and contrasts the existence of the problem locally and globally, but comparison has gaps in detail or accuracy Does not compare and contrast the existence of the problem locally and globally 5 Global Impact: Globalization Meets “Proficient” criteria, and conclusions demonstrate keen insight into the influence of globalization on the social issue Draws conclusions about the influence of globalization on the specific social issue based on comparison Draws conclusions about the influence of globalization on the specific social issue, but conclusions are not based on previous comparison, or conclusions are inappropriate or irrelevant Does not draw conclusions about the influence of globalization on the specific social issue 10 Global Impact: Theoretical Perspectives Meets “Proficient” criteria, and selection of theoretical perspective demonstrates keen insight into appropriate application Selects a key sociological theoretical perspective that best explains why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents itself on a local and global scale, justifying the selection Selects a key sociological theoretical perspective that explains why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents itself on a local and global scale and justifies the selection, but selection or justification is inappropriate or irrelevant Does not select a key sociological theoretical perspective that best explains why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents itself on a local and global scale 5 Global Impact: Apply Perspective Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates keen insight into the application of the theoretical perspective Applies selected theoretical perspective to explain why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents itself on a local and global scale Applies selected theoretical perspective to explain why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents itself on a local and global scale, but with gaps in detail or accuracy Does not apply selected theoretical perspective to explain why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents itself on a local and global scale 10 Potential Solution: Comparison Compares at least one attempted solution that was successful with one that was unsuccessful and identifies factors contributing to the success or failure supporting with resources Compares at least one attempted solution that was successful with one that was unsuccessful and identifies factors contributing to the success or failure and supports with research Compares at least one attempted solution that was successful with one that was unsuccessful but fails to identify factors contributing to the success or failure or does not support with research Does not compare attempted solutions to the social problem that were either successful or unsuccessful 5 Potential Solution: Suggestion Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response is particularly well aligned to previous research Suggests response to the identified social issue based on previous research Suggests response to the identified social issue, but response is not based on previous research Does not suggest a response to the identified social issue 10 Potential Solution: Successful Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation is particularly well aligned with research Explains why the suggestion is likely to be successful, substantiating with research Explains why the suggestion is likely to be successful, and substantiates with research, but response is cursory, illogical, or weakly substantiated Does not explain why the proposed solution is likely to be successful 10 Articulation of Response Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to- read format Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas 5 Total 100%