Write an original research paper investigating a social problem of your choosing. In this paper, you must address the following aspects of your problem: -What sociological causes and explanations have been linked to this problem? Keep in mind the various theoretical perspectives. -What social factors (structural, cultural, interactional, political, etc.) contribute to the existence of the problem? -What do sociologists or other experts believe may be potential solutions to this problem? Remember that this is a course on the sociology of social problems. Be careful not to propose an approach that is more appropriate to the study of psychology, biology, law, etc. You will need to concentrate on the social factors relevant to understanding the problem you identify. Your paper must meet the following requirements: -must be 5-8 pages, double spaced, size 12 Times New Roman font -must be submitted in .doc or .docx format -must cite at least three scholarly sources* -must include a reference page in APA format. *"Scholarly sources" include articles published in peer-reviewed journals and books published by university presses and other reputable presses for scholarly material. Many sources are available using the Library available via your Gateway, which provides guides for searching and allows you to restrict your search results to peer-reviewed publications. If you have questions regarding whether your sources are acceptable, please contact your instructor. Note that news articles, Internet pages, and Wikipedia will not be accepted as scholarly sources, no matter how good they sound. Rubric Student identifies a social problem that meets the definition and criteria provided in this course. 25 pts Student identifies and thoroughly discusses sociologically relevant causes, explanations, and potentially contributory social factors for their social problem, drawing from their research and ideas they have learned in the course. 150 pts Student adequately identifies proposed solutions to the problem. 50 pts Student`s work is appropriately thorough, detailed, and accurate for a final project in Sociology 205. 50 pts Student accurately cites and refers to sources. (This criterion excludes cases of plagiarism.) 25 pts Total Points: 300
