SOC 2302: Social Problems

Module 3 Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric

Overview:

Throughout the course so far, you have read about the three different theoretical perspectives and how the perspectives

can be applied to social issues. In this assignment you will summarize the theoretical perspectives and start to think about

how to apply it to the social issue that you have selected for your final project. The feedback that you receive from your

instructor on this short paper will help you for Milestone 2 which is due in the next module. For that assignment, you will

need to select one theoretical perspective and analyze your social issue through that lens.

Prompt:

Summarize each of the three major theoretical perspectives (structural functionalism, conflict perspective [or theory], and

symbolic interactionism). In your response be sure to include the following for each perspective:

● The name of the perspective you are summarizing

● The basic concepts of how the perspective explains society in terms of:

○ How society works, in general

○ How the perspective views social problems, in general terms

Outline how each major theoretical perspective could apply to your final project topic. In your response be sure to include:

● What your final topic project topic is about

● The name of the perspective you are outlining

● How the theoretical perspective would explain your topic

Select a perspective to apply to your final project topic. Why did you select this perspective?

SOC 2302: Social Problems

Rubric for Module 3 Short Paper (100 pts) Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a two- to three-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New

Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least one source cited in APA format.

Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center.

Critical

Elements

Satisfactory (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Major

Theoretical

Perspectives

Summarizes the three major

theoretical perspectives with

sophisticated awareness.

Summarizes the three major

theoretical perspectives.

Summarizes the three major

theoretical perspectives but

the response lacks detail

and/or accuracy.

Does not summarize the three

major theoretical

perspectives.

35

Major

Theoretical

Perspectives

and Final

Project

Does not summarize the

three major theoretical

perspectives.

Outlines how each major

theoretical perspective could

apply to the final project topic.

Outlines how each major

theoretical perspective could

apply to the final project topic

but response lacks detail

and/or accuracy.

Does not outline how each

major theoretical perspective

could apply to the final project

topic.

35

Major

Theoretical

Perspective

Selected

Selects a theoretical

perspective to apply to the

final project topic and

includes cogent connections.

Selects a theoretical

perspective to apply to the

final project topic and includes

some connections.

Selects a theoretical

perspective to apply to the

final project topic but the

response lacks details,

connection, and/or accuracy.

Does not select a theoretical

perspective to apply to the

final project topic.

20

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.

10