DSP 110-001 Fall 2007

Prof. J. Badagliacco

Paper: Families facing impoverishment

This paper is due by 5 p.m. on December 13, 2007 (you may choose when you wish to turn it in before then). I urge you not to wait until the last minute to do this paper. This assignment is worth 125 points toward your overall grade (25%).

Technical particulars: I expect your paper to be word processed, using 1 inch margins, 12-point type font, using spacing no greater than 1.5 spacing. Your paper does not need to be longer than 8 pages; indeed, parsimony and succinctness are good, but you must do the assignment in a thorough and complete manner. Remember that the quality of written expression is very important to research and writing, and how you say something as well as what you say is important and will be graded.

Poverty places families at risk for success in life in several ways, including lack of adequate nutrition, health care, education, housing, family income (and therefore lack of opportunities), and child care because both parents are working. (If you have another issue you would like to write about, please consult with me as soon as possible.)

1. Choose one of these obstacles to success and discuss it in detail, describing the situation for families at a national and state (KY) level, examining issues for parent(s) as well as children. Draw upon materials presented in class in lecture, discussion, field trips, experiences we shared as a class, and class readings. You may expand upon the information presented by introducing new materials to supplement your argument, especially material that compares other cultures on the issues you choose to discuss.

2. Use one or more sociological theories to explain the situations you choose to write about.

3. Finally, offer at least one feasible solution (your suggestion must be realistic and doable), explain to your audience what perspective (view) you are taking on poverty, e.g., social justice.