SOC 2302: Final Project Guidelines and Grading Guide

Overview

The final project for this course is an Analysis of a Social Problem.

This project will help you to apply the concepts and theories you have learned throughout this course to a real world social

problem in the United States that you have identified. You will need to make sure that the problem that you have identified

is a social problem and not a personal problem and that the scope and the consequences of the problem are justified

through research. You will also explain how the theoretical perspectives you have learned throughout this course relates

to the social problem you have identified. Finally, you will develop a real-world solution or social policy to the social

problem and provide rationale as to why you think the solution would be effective. You will write a paper on your selected

social problem and create a PowerPoint presentation to share your findings with your peers.

The project is divided into 2 milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold

learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules 2 and 4.

In this assignment you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

CO1: Analyze social problems and related theoretical perspectives of society

CO2: Evaluate how social problems can vary across societies and cultures

CO3: Articulate basic concepts of social research methods and how it relates to a social problem

CO4: Relate personal problems, social problems, and social policy

Prompt

Outline the social problem you will be analyzing in your final project. What is the problem? Why did you select it? Why do

you think it is important?

Describe why the topic is a social problem. In your response include the following:

 Who does this problem affect (e.g., a specific culture or other group of people)?

 Approximately how many people does it affect? Include your source that provides an estimate. Explain the

methods your source used to make that estimate.

Explain the consequences the social problem has for society. In your response include the following:

 What are the consequences of this problem? Find an additional source besides the one that you used for your

estimate of how many people your social problem affects that provides an explanation of the consequences.

 If the social problem is widely recognized explain why this is the case. If it is not widely recognized, make a case

for why it should be more widely recognized.

Explain how one of the major theoretical perspectives would apply your chosen topic. Include the following in your

response:

 Identify your approach to the topic—how did you select your perspective? Are you interested in the big picture

(macro) or how individuals (micro) are affected by the issue?

 Is there any classic explanation from the perspective you have selected that is addressed in the textbook (pre-

1950)? If so, what is it? Who was the theorist associated with the explanation?

 What is the specific theory/theorist that you feel best addresses your chosen social problem?

Analyze the strengths and challenges of the theoretical perspective. Include the following in your response:

 What is the strength of the perspective you selected in explaining your topic? What does the perspective do well?

 Where do you think this perspective could be improved in explaining your topic? What exactly could be improved?

Develop a real world solution or social policy to the social problem based on the theoretical perspective you selected.

Include the following in your response:

 What is your solution or what social policy would you implement?

 Explain the rationale as to why you think the solution would be effective.

 How would you know your real world solution or social policy is effective? What types of research methods might

you use to understand impact?

Milestones Milestone 1: Topic Selection In Module 2, you will submit Topic Selection. In this milestone you will outline the social issue that you have selected.

You will outline who the social problem affects and the consequences for society. This Milestone is graded with the

Milestone 1 Rubric.

Milestone Two: Theoretical Perspective In Module 4, you will submit Theoretical Perspective. In this milestone you will select one theoretical perspective and

how that particular perspective would explain the social issue that you have selected. This Milestone is graded with the

Milestone 2 Rubric.

Final Submission: In Module 7 you will submit Analysis of a Social Problem. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the

critical elements of the final product. You will submit a paper and a PowerPoint Presentation. It should reflect the

incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This milestone will be graded using the Final Product Rubric.

Deliverable Milestones

Milestone

Deliverables Module Due

Grading

1 Topic Selection 2 Graded separately; Milestone 1 Rubric

2 Theoretical Perspective 4 Graded separately; Milestone 2 Rubric

Final Product: Analysis of a

Social Problem

7 Graded separately; Final Product Rubric

Rubric for Final Project Requirements of Submission: Your paper should be 6–8 pages double spaced not including a cover page and citations document, 12-point Times New Roman

font, one-inch margins, and include at least two APA citations. You will also create a PowerPoint presentation that includes the six content-related critical elements

listed in the below. Your PowerPoint presentation should be 6–8 slides including a cover page and references.

Instructor Feedback: Students can find their feedback in the Grade Center.

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

Social Problem

Selection

Outlines the social problem that will be

analyzed with sophisticated

awareness.

Outlines the social problem

that will be analyzed.

Outlines the social problem that will be

analyzed but the response is missing

detail and/or accuracy.

Does not outline the social

problem that will be analyzed.

12

Social Problem

Identification

Describes why the topic is a social

problem with cogent connections to

research.

Describes why the topic is a

social problem and includes

research.

Describes why the topic is a social

problem but the response is missing

research, detail, and/or accuracy.

Does not describe why the topic is

a social problem.

12

Consequences of

the Social Problem

Explains the consequences the social

problem has for society with cogent

connections to research.

Explains the consequences

the social problem has for

society and includes

research.

Explains the consequences the social

problem has for society but the

response is missing research, detail,

and/or accuracy.

Does not explain the

consequences the social problem

has for society.

12

Theoretical

Perspective

Explains how one of the major

theoretical perspectives would apply to

the topic with sophisticated

awareness.

Explains how one of the

major theoretical

perspectives would apply to

the topic.

Explains how one of the major

theoretical perspectives would apply to

the topic but the response is missing

detail and/or accuracy.

Does not explain how one of the

major theoretical perspectives

would apply to the topic

12

Strengths and

Challenges

Analyzes the strengths and challenges

of the theoretical perspective in

explaining the topic with sophisticated

awareness.

Analyzes the strengths and

challenges of the theoretical

perspective in explaining the

topic.

Analyzes the strengths and challenges

of the theoretical perspective in

explaining the topic but the response is

missing detail and/or accuracy.

Does not analyze the strengths

and challenges of the theoretical

perspective in explaining the topic.

12

Real-Word

Solution/Social

Policy

Develops a real world solution or

social policy with cogent connections

to the theoretical perspective.

Develops a real world

solution or social policy with

connections to the

theoretical perspective.

Develops a real world solution or social

policy but the response lacks details,

accuracy and/or connections to the

theoretical perspective.

Does not develop a real world

solution or social policy.

30

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