Identify a social welfare issue that affects children, youth and/or families within in Nc . Choose an issue that you have a particular interest in (e.g. youth violence, homelessness, elder abuse, domestic violence, immigration, gangs, educational services, etc).
Utilization of current texts and professional journals (within last 10 years) will be required as you respond to the questions below. You must use at least 4 peer review journal articles in this assignment. Be sure to address relevant factors of
race, class, ethnicity, SES, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, and other factors related to social justice as you analyze the issue. Websites can only be used for statistical data.
1.
Problem Statement – Begin your paper with a clear, one sentence problem statement that describes the issue of concern. Please be as specific as possible. This should include identification of the problem, population and arena.
2.
Brief Elaboration – After the problem statement, write about 1 paragraph that elaborates, in more detail, the description of the problem and your reason(s) for why this is a problem within your community.
3.
Description of the Community – This should include: A.
Location
1)
Boundaries
2)
Relationship to other communities B.
Population Characteristics / Demographics
1) Size 2) Age Distribution 3) Gender Distribution 4) Racial/Ethnic Distribution 5) Religious Distribution 6) Other diversity (sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, etc.)
C. Income / Socioeconomic Status 1) Subgroups (women, minorities, etc.) 2) Income levels 3) Education levels D. Housing 1) Types 2) Condition 3) Availability 4) Cost E. Recreational and Cultural Systems 1) Types 2) Availability and Access 3) Quality F. Commerce and Industry 1) Major employers and industries 2) Unemployment rates (by gender, race/ethnicity, age, etc.) G. Religion/Churches/Synagogues/Mosques/Temples/Other spiritual institutions 1) Role and influence in community H. Government Type 1) City manager 2) Mayor 3) City council 4) Influential political system in power
4. Description of the Problem: using peer review journal articlesand local data ( if available through community agencies or other sources, e.g, websites), give:
A. Description: Give a description of the identified problem and how it is reflected specifically within your community. This will expand on your brief elaboration above. Use specific data or statistics as available. B. Potential Causal factors and contributing factors: (grounded in the literature).
5. History of the problem: Origin and Evolution over Time (specific to your community) 6. Impact of Problem on Community: In your discussion re: the impact of the problem, address the following: A. Describe how populations, as well as your specific community are affected. Use literature and local data if available. Considerations re: impact may include individuals, families, communities, resources, community reputation, tourism, economy, etc. B. Identify key informants utilized to understand the impact
7. Identify a Responding Agency: Identify an agency within your community that is in some way addressing this problem. Briefly Describe: A. What services, resources and/or interventions are being utilized by agency B. Assessment of response effectiveness (be sure to include what evidence you based your assessment on?)
Length of Paper should be 8 – 10 pages maximum (not including the cover page or references). APA format should be followed. Paper must be typed, with standard size font, 1 inch margins and stapled. Please utilize headings for each section you are addressing.