Review copies of your local newspaper from the past 90 days. Based on the front page or local section, what issues are important for your community (e.g., crime, job layoffs, transportation, pollution)? Examine how the issue is defined and by whom. Is input from community leaders and neighborhood groups being included? Why or why not? Do these include the three elements of a social problem?

Social actions or responses are also linked to how we define the problem. If we believe the problem is structural, we’ll find ways to change the structure. If the problem is defined at the individual level, a solution will attempt to change the person. Investigate the programs and resources that are available for the homeless in your community or state. Select three local programs and assess how each defines and responds to the homeless problem in your community.

What do you think is the most important social problem? Investigate what federal and state policies govern or regulate this problem and those it affects. What is the position of the main political parties—Democrats and Republicans—on this problem?

What do you think is the most important global social problem? Investigate how the governments of the United States and other nations have responded to this problem. How have citizens responded?

The National Institute of Health has devoted a website to information about HIV/AIDS.   Take a look their website here:  http://www.nih.gov/.  The latest news is posted in the upper right hand corner.  If you were a Sociologist and were going to study the HIV/AIDS issue which research methods would best suit your study?  Which research methods would not be advantageous to your study?  Why?

Check out the front pages of your local newspaper via their website.  See if you can identify a social problem on the front page.  Once you have identified a social problem apply the various sociological perspectives to this social problem.  

Investigate the welfare assistance or TANF program in your state. First, determine the name and administrative agency for the program in your state. Most TANF programs are administered by the Department of Health and Social Services or Department of Human Services. Determine what time limits and work requirement provisions have been legislated in your state. What educational activities can count toward work requirements? Are family support services (parent skill training, housing assistance) provided? What is your state’s record on welfare reform? Has welfare reform made a difference for the poor in your state?

The Economic Policy Institute offers a basic family budget calculator, a more realistic measure of the income required to support a basic standard of living. The budgets are individualized for 615 U.S. communities and for different family types. Log on to http://www.epi.org/ to identify monthly costs for families in your community.

The United Nations Human Development Report collects available data on poverty rates, defined in several ways, including living below $1.25 a day and the percentage of the nation’s population that lives below the poverty line. Data are available primarily for lesser-developed nations. Log on to http://hdr.undp.org/en to identify and compare poverty rates for five selected nations.

Stanford University established the Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality in 2006. The center recognizes how universities are obligated to provide leadership on one of the pressing problems of poverty and inequality. The center website includes an inequality quotient quiz. Take a few moments to answer the posted questions and see how well you understand income inequality in the United States. Log on to http://web.stanford.edu/group/scspi/ .

In what ways does your college encourage or celebrate racial and ethnic diversity (among its students, faculty, and staff)? Consider specific college-sponsored clubs, activities, or events that highlight diversity on your campus.

After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1951, 120,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to internment camp. War department officials ordered the internment fearing more attacks from Japan (Ashina 2006). To learn more about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, visit the websites for the Manzanar War Relocation Center and internment camps located in Tule Lake, California, and Topaz, Utah. These websites feature virtual tours, photographs, and testimony from those interned. Log on to http://www.nps.gov/manz/index.htm  and http://www.nps.gov/tule/index.htm for information.

Identify the largest private employer in your city or state. Investigate through the Internet or direct contact whether a diversity program or development office is in place. What are the diversity goals of this business, and how does it implement these goals (what specific program practices are in place)?

The International Organization for Migration, established in 1951, is an intergovernmental organization working with 156 member states to promote and support humane and effective migration management. The organization also conducts immigration research worldwide. Its website includes a global map, noting migration problems affecting a selected nation. Log on to http://www.unaoc.org/ibis/about/who-we-are-international-organization-for-migrations/ for information.

Interview a student who is an immigrant. Ask the student about his or her migration experience and educational path to your college or university. Does the student’s experience confirm a pattern of assimilation, pluralism, or transnationalism?

Several policy and advocacy organizations focus on the earnings gap between men and women. The National Committee on Pay Equity (established in 1979) provides a state ranking of pay equity on its website. The committee also provides information on what you can do to promote pay equity in your state. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research supports research on women’s economic status. To learn more, log on to http://www.pay-equity.org/.

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University was founded in 1971. CAWP provides informational materials on women in federal and state political offices, convenes national forums for women public officials, and organizes educational programs to prepare young women for public leadership. To find out the history of female public officials in your state, go to the center’s website (log on to http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/) .  The site also provides current fact sheets about women in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The site also provides links to other political women’s groups such as Emily’s List (“Early Money Is Like Yeast”), a political organization for pro-choice Democratic women, and the National Federation of Republican Women, a political organization for women in the Republican Party.

Investigate your school’s policies and procedures regarding preventing and reporting sexual   violence and assaults.

Investigate how Title IX is administered in your college or university. How many men and women athletes are at your University? How many programs exist for each? Have any programs been cut because of the IX requirements? Interview coaches, athletes, and administrators on their view of Title IX: Has it made a difference for students and athletes at your school?

The Human Rights Campaign, founded in 1980, is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organization in the United States. On its website, the organization posts information on specific LGBT laws and legislation. Go to http://www.hrc.org/ to learn about about LGBT legislation in your state.

Does your campus have an LGBT organization? If it does, interview an administrator or a student member to learn more about the organization. In what ways do the organization and your school’s administration support LGBT students? If your campus does not have an LGBT organization, why doesn’t it?

GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. The network focuses on educating teachers, students, and parents about how to reduce anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying, and harassment. GLSEN published the 2011 National School Climate Survey (see http://www.glsen.org/ ), an analysis of experiences of LGBT students and the benefits of safe school laws and policies. Go to this chapter’s study site to access information on your state’s safe school policies.

The Gray Panthers, organized in 1970 by Maggie Kuhn and five of her friends, is a national advocacy organization for older and retired adults. The Gray Panthers’ first goal was to combat ageism, but the group has also taken a stand on other important social issues: economic justice, medical care, education, and peace. Recent efforts have been directed toward policies ensuring affordable prescription drugs for seniors, children, cancer patients, and HIV patients. The Gray Panthers has local chapters in more than 20 states. To see if there is a chapter in your state, log on to http://www.graypanthers.org/. Contact the chapter for information about what activities are supported in your area.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the country’s scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life for Americans. Formed in 1974, the NIA provides leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Its website includes resource materials on healthy aging, caregiving, medications, dietary supplements, and diseases. Log on to http://www.nia.nih.gov/ for links to the NIA Health and Aging topics.

The private, not-for-profit Alliance for Aging Research is the nation’s leading citizen advocacy organization for improving the health and independence of older Americans. Founded in 1986, the goal of the Alliance for Aging Research is to promote medical and behavioral research into the aging process. The organization also serves as an advocate of consumer health education and public policy. On its website, the Alliance for Aging Research includes health information about age-related conditions, diseases and issues. Log on to http://www.agingresearch.org/ to learn more about these topics.

Gay seniors are more likely to live alone, are four times less likely to have adult children to care for them, and remain fearful of discrimination from health care and social service workers (Crary 2008). Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE) is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. The program focuses on the specific needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) elders, including establishing a network of caregiving services, support groups for seniors with HIV, and home visiting programs. Log on to http://www.sageusa.org/ for links to SAGE’s services and programs. Are similar programs available in your community?

Interview a student who is also a parent. The student can be from your social problems class or any of your other classes. What challenges do student-parents face? How are their challenges different from those of students who are not parents? Does your school support programs or services for parents? Check with your professor about campus policies regarding research involving human subjects.

Contact two domestic violence shelters in your community. What is the mission of each organization? Do different shelters serve different groups? If so, how are services tailored to various groups? Does each program promote violence prevention? Domestic shelters often support student internships for a quarter or semester. If you’re interested in learning more about a shelter, ask about its internship program.

Identify your school’s family-friendly policies. Does your school provide child care on-site? Has your school provided leaves under the Family and Medical Leave Act? You may have to contact the human resources department in your school for more information.

Investigate your state’s safe-haven law for abandoned babies. Have there been any recent cases of abandonment?

Contact your state’s Child Protective Services.  What services do they provide?  How many cases do they handle each year?  What kind of cases do they investigate?

Visit the following website: http://www.divorcestatistics.org/. What do you notice in regards to divorce rates since 1991?  What factors could account for this? Compare divorce rates between 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd marriages.  What reasons could account for the difference in divorce rates?

Contact your local ProLiteracy volunteer program or search the organization’s national website (log on to http://www.proliteracy.org/). Click on “Get Involved”, “Contact” and “Find a Program” to identify a program in your state. If a program does not exist in your community, find the one nearest you (your local library may have information on literacy programs). What services or activities does the program provide for students? Does the program have data regarding the number and types of students it has served? On its effectiveness? What skills are necessary to become a literacy tutor?

Interview a student who is a first-generation college student. The student can be from your social problems class or any of your other classes. What challenges do first-generation college students face? Do you believe their challenges are different from those of students who are second- or third-generation college students? Does your college provide programs for first-generation students? If not, what type of services or support might be valuable for this group of students?

Investigate whether your local school district supports educational outreach programs for girls or minority students. Select one program and answer the following: What group does the program serve? What educational “gaps” does the program address and how? How effective is the program? Contact the local school district, the Young Women’s Christian Association, or the American Association of University Women (log on to http://www.aauw.org/ for more information).

In addition to public school choice, homeschooling has become an option for many families. It was estimated that 1.5 million children were homeschooled in 2007, about 2.9% of all students age 5 to 17 years (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics 2013). This figure includes students who were homeschooled only and students who were homeschooled and enrolled in school for 25 hours or less per week. Parents offered a variety of reasons for homeschooling their children: belief that they can give their child a better education at home, to provide religious or moral instruction, the poor learning environment at school, and family reasons (Planty et al. 2009). Homeschoolers are more likely to be located in rural and suburban areas of the western United States (Bauman 2001). Homeschool World provides a listing of all U.S. national and state homeschool organizations, including a listing of international organizations (under “Homeschool Organizations”). Log on to http://www.home-school.com/.

Investigate how many female and male students are declared majors in math, engineering, English, nursing, and sociology at your university. Is there a difference in the number of female majors in engineering versus English? Math versus nursing? What sociological perspective(s) might best explain the gender gap in majors?

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides career descriptions, earning information, and job prospects for a range of occupational groups. For information about sociologists and other social scientists, go to http://www.bls.gov/ooh/.  Research other occupations that might be of interest to you.

Do you know what the fourth Thursday in April is? It is “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” The program is sponsored by the Ms. Foundation for Women, which first created the “Take Our Daughters to Work Day” in 1993. “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work” is a program that explores career opportunities and work/life issues with girls and boys. To find out more about the national program and related activities, log on to http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org/. Does your school or workplace support this program? Why or why not? Do you believe that these or similar activities are effective in changing girls’ and boys’ definitions of work and family life? Why or why not?

The Kheel Center at the Cornell University library presents an on-site historical exhibit of the Triangle Factory Fire. On March 25, 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City killed 146 immigrant workers. In 2003, the factory site was recognized as an official landmark by New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. This tragedy led to the creation of local and federal policies prohibiting sweatshop conditions and ensuring worker health and safety. Log on to https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/kheel-center for more information. The website provides a history of early industrial sweatshops, along with a detailed narrative of how the community, workers, and unions responded to the tragedy. The website includes photographs, interviews, and documents from the period.

The United Nations’ Human Development Report tracks the labor force participation ratio of females to males. Log on to http://hdr.undp.org/en to compare the U.S. rate with rates in the other listed countries. How does our rate compare with those of other developed countries? Which countries have the lowest rates?

Based on the American Medical Association website, review the organization’s mission statement, history, and legislative initiatives. Log on to http://www.ama-assn.org/ama. Is there evidence to demonstrate how the AMA maintains its power and influence on the medical profession?

Select a specific disease or illness that you believe affects college-age men and women. Identify several Internet websites and support groups related to the disease or illness. How is the disease defined? Are there objective and subjective aspects of the disease? Does it vary by gender? By ethnicity/race?

Select one local hospital or health care system in your area or state. Through the Internet (or by visiting the hospital), identify the organization’s mission statement, its patient bill of rights, and community-based programs. How does this organization define care? Does its definition appear to be consistent with the community’s population and needs? Why or why not?

The United Nations Human Development Report tracks several health indicators: life expectancy at birth, expenditure on health (percentage of GDP), and maternal mortality ratio. Log on to http://hdr.undp.org/en for the UN link and compare the United States with Canada, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

In an effort to improve the quality of food served at local schools, some parent, health, and medical advocacy groups have rejected the National School Lunch Program, promoting instead a healthier and local school lunch program. Legislation introduced in 2010 by the Obama administration would ban candy and sugary beverages from schools, replacing them with healthier options. Each school day about 32 million children participate in a meal program. Select one local elementary or high school in your area. Investigate its school lunch program. Does its menu feature healthy options? Does it rely on food products from local or regional farmers?

Interview the editorial staff of your school newspaper. Ask the editor how decisions are made regarding the leading stories in the paper. What qualifies as news? Who makes decisions about the content of the paper and what appears as the lead story on the front page? Is it done by the entire news staff or by a small group?

Media watchdog groups such as the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) and Accuracy in Media (AIM) track major news stories, checking reporters’ facts or exposing their biases. Select a current news story and observe how both groups examine it. Do they reveal any different or new information about the story?

Project Censored is a media research group founded at Sonoma State University in 1976. The group of faculty, students, and community members publishes an annual list of 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, underreported, or self-censored by the major national news media. Go to the Project Censored website (see http://www.projectcensored.org/ to review the most recent list of news stories. What social problems are identified by these stories? What might be done to promote these stories in mainstream media?

Research suggests that women’s magazines also promote a traditional gender ideology. Review four women’s magazines, Ms., More, New Woman, and Essence, and identify the images of women presented. Through the articles and advertisements, how do these magazines promote feminism, independence, beauty, or social class?

File sharing is restricted by U.S. copyright law. Under this law, copyright owners have the right to control copies and distribution of their original material. Throughout the United States, colleges and universities have implemented policies for P2P (person-to-person) file sharing including documents, software, music, and movies. What is your university’s policy regarding file sharing? How is it enforced? Do you believe it is an effective policy? Why or why not?

Several advocacy groups are committed to promoting alternative solutions to the drug problem in the United States. Two groups are Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Stop the Drug War. Log on to http://ssdp.org/ and http://stopthedrugwar.org/ for information. Examine how both organizations define the drug problem. Are there any differences in their definitions? What solutions does each group support?

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the illegal drug market in the United States is one of the most profitable in the world. The trafficking of illegal drugs has benefited from globalization, linking producers, dealers, and users more easily. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA)  provides assistance to enforcement agencies operating in critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. For information about drug trafficking in your state, go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/high-intensity-drug-trafficking-areas-program.

According to Maria Alaniz (1998), “Alcohol outlet density is an important determinant of the amount of alcohol advertising in a community. Merchants use storefronts and the interiors of alcohol outlets to advertise alcohol products. Therefore, areas with a high density of outlets have a greater number of advertisements” (p. 286). Alaniz cites a study showing that a student walking home from school in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in northern California may be exposed to between 10 and 60 storefront alcohol advertisements. The same study found that there are five times more alcohol advertisements in Latino neighborhoods than in predominantly White neighborhoods. Count the number of alcohol outlets around your college or university, along with billboard advertising within a 5-mile radius. Do these ads target college students? Do you think exposure to alcohol advertising increases alcohol consumption? Why or why not?

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a national campaign effort to protect children from tobacco addiction and exposure to secondhand smoke. The campaign’s website includes information on state initiatives, as well as statistics on tobacco use. Log on to http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/.

The World Health Organization supports a global alcohol database. It reports trends in alcohol use and related mortality for selected countries since 1961, allowing you to compare international data. Log on to http://www.who.int/en/.

Investigate the two official sources of U.S. crime data: the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics and the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports. On both sites, search and compare information for one type of crime (e.g., homicide, property crime, rape). Log on to Study Site http://www.bjs.gov/ and  http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr for the web links.

The debate about gun control has two vocal sides: those advocating for gun control and those supporting the right to own guns. Investigate local or national organizations on both sides of this issue. You can start by visiting the following sites: the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the National Rifle Association (log on to http://www.bradycampaign.org/ and http://home.nra.org/ for links). How do these organizations define the problem of handgun violence? How does each side identify the pros and cons of gun control? What solutions does each side offer?

Do your local police support the National Night Out program? Contact the local police station to learn more about the program and other community policing efforts in your city. What community programs are implemented? What residents or social groups are police attempting to reach? To learn more about the program, visit the National Association of Town Watch, the sponsor of the program. The website includes links to selected city and state programs. Log on to Study Site https://natw.org/.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) annually collects data on crime and criminal justice from national government sources and international and regional agencies. Data are compiled for more than 100 countries and member states. For more information about the UNODC’s crime and criminal justice statistics, go to http://www.unodc.org/.

Use U.S. Census (log on to http://www.census.gov/) or local data to determine the population growth or decline for your community. What areas of your community are thriving? What areas are declining? Overall, how would you characterize the state of your community?

Investigate the Center for Neighborhood Technology and U.S. Conference of Mayors websites. These organizations attempt to address various urban living, quality-of-life, and urbanization issues. What solutions, policies, and programs are promoted by each? How does this affect your community? Log on to http://www.cnt.org/ and http://www.usmayors.org/.

If you can’t live without a car, perhaps you might consider sharing one. Car-sharing programs began in the 1980s in Switzerland and Germany, with Canadian and U.S. programs established in the 1990s and early 2000s.  There are car-sharing programs in 27 countries.  As of January 2014, there were 43 car-sharing programs in the United States and Canada. Zipcar, the largest national car-sharing service, provides access to a vehicle for a monthly user fee. Subscribers prepay for hours per month and are able to pick up and drop off a vehicle in a designated location. Zipcar also has a campus-based program. Investigate whether a car-sharing program exists serving your city, state, or campus. What advantages and disadvantages can you identify with sharing a car?

Community interest developments are private subdivisions where residents own their homes and pay an annual or monthly home association fee. For their nominal or sometimes large fee, residents ensure that their neighborhood is strictly managed by a residential board backed by a series of covenants, codes, and restrictions dictating the color of one’s home, how many cars can be parked in the driveway, or where fences or a garden shed can be built. These communities have also been referred to as gated communities, reinforcing the notion that their residents are separating themselves physically and psychically from the general population in their city or town. Determine if there are any community interest developments in your community. If available, interview a member or an officer of a development’s board. What does the development’s codes statement cover? How does the board member describe the quality of life in the development? Would you want to live in this development? Why or why not?

What is the extent of homelessness in your community? Contact a housing agency or homeless shelter to determine the estimated number of homeless. How are the experiences of the homeless invisible to mainstream society? To students on your campus?

Access “Envirofacts,” a one-stop source for environmental information about your community sponsored by the EPA. Go to http://www.epa.gov/emefdata/em4ef.home. You can retrieve information by typing your area’s zip code, city, county, water body, or park name. Or you can select a topic—air, land, water, waste, toxics, radiation, facility, compliance, or other—to find out if the EPA is monitoring any local emissions, sites, violations, or companies. Based on the information provided, how would you rate the environmental quality of your community?

The Edible Schoolyard Project, located at the Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California, was established in 1995. Founded by Chef Alice Waters, the nonprofit organization embraces a “Seed to Table” philosophy, allowing students to experience firsthand the cycle of food production from garden to table via gardening and cooking classes. The organization promotes the establishment of garden-kitchens in schools, with a listing of school gardens throughout the United States. Explore whether a school garden exists in your university or in an elementary or secondary school in your area.

Invite a faculty member from the biology, ecology, or natural sciences department to talk about the ecosystem of your college campus. How do your faculty and student populations affect the environmental habitat? How much waste is produced on campus? What environmentally friendly practices are supported on campus?

What sustainability programs does your university have in place for faculty, students, and the campus? Is your school part of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment?

Whether we look at individuals, cities, or nations, everyone and everything has an impact on the Earth because we consume the finite products and services of nature. As a result, we each leave an ecological footprint, some environmental impact on the amount of natural resources we use and waste output we create. Footprints are calculated for countries by measuring the amount of resources (e.g., fossil fuel, acreage and land, housing, and transportation) consumed in a given year. Individual footprints can also be estimated. To estimate your personal footprint, visit http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/.

Investigate the history of women’s peace movements through the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, established in 1930 by Jane Addams of Hull House in Chicago. Current women’s peace organizations include CODEPINK and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. The site for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom also lists state branches. Log on to http://wilpfus.org/ for more information.

Investigate a peace and social justice organization on your campus. How many students and faculty members belong to it? What activities does the organization sponsor? If your campus does not have such an organization, can you determine why this is the case?

Select a country (other than the United States) and research whether peace or social justice organizations exist on university campuses. Examine one organization’s mission and activities. What similarities and differences can you identify between this organization and the one based on your own campus?

The Corporation for National and Community Service is part of the USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to “foster a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility.” The organization includes three programs: AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America and other programs. The AmeriCorps program is a network of local, state, and national service programs. The Senior Corps includes volunteers older than age 55 serving local nonprofits and public agencies. Learn and Serve America supports service-learning programs for kindergarten through 12th-grade students, combining community service with student learning. For more information on local initiatives and volunteer opportunities in your state, go to http://www.nationalservice.gov/.

To learn more about the Woolworth’s Greensboro sit-ins, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18615556, which includes recordings with sit-in participants, along with related stories and photos and links to other civil rights sites.

If you do nothing else, make sure to show up on Election Day to support candidates who support your views (Hollender and Catling 1996). Tracking presidential election years, research indicates that electoral participation of Americans younger than 29 years of age has increased since 2004. In 2008 and 2012, the youth voter turnout rate was over 50%, a record high. In 2008 African American youth posted the highest turnout rate ever observed for any racial or ethnic group of young Americans since 1972 (Kirby and Kawashima-Ginsberg 2009). Rock the Vote is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that attempts to mobilize youth to create positive social and political change in their lives and communities (Rock the Vote 2004). The organization works year-round, encouraging youth to become involved in a range of issues: education, economy, environment, violence, and national and personal debt. You may have seen http://www.rockthevote.com/ for more information.