Select a social problem and evaluate how that problem is portrayed and managed at the local/regional level (to include a state, county, or select cities) as compared to how it is portrayed and managed across other regions or even globally. How do claims makers and the media portray the selected social problem differently in your chosen locale as opposed to how other locales portray the issue? Additionally, and perhaps due to media and claims making, how is the social problem managed in terms of proposed or ongoing interventions, locally versus other areas? Are there factors you can identify as to why this might be? Are there community pressures present in one area and not the other? Do business, economic, or political interests hold influence over how the social problem is portrayed and handled? Does community composition and demography play a role? What are some of the best practice approaches that might be helpful in addressing the problem? One example we will explore in class is how contradistinction states handle end-stage alcoholics, with some affording supportive services in the form of “wet houses” and others approaching the problem with a more punitive approach. The paper should include themes, perspectives, and theories examined in class together throughout your analysis.
