Social Problem Paper

Technology addictions among adults

Focus on the followings:

Social media addiction and video gaming addiction.

The relationship between social media and loneliness.

The effects social media usage and social isolation.

Changes in Internet Use during Covid-19.

Problematic internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic and pre COVID-19.

The use of the internet for coping with stress during COVID-19.

The major goal of this course is for each student to write a paper that can serve as the basis for the social problem/issue/theory paper that is required to enter doctoral candidacy. The paper should be between 30 pages long (excluding references and appendices)

Social Problem/Issue Paper: Requirements

The Social Problem

Identification of Social Problem:What is the problem? Why is it a problem? How did it become a problem? What was the process that made it a problem? Has this problem been identified before? Explain. How salient is this problem in comparison to others? Who does the problem affect the most and Why? What is the scope of the problem? What are the underlying causes of the problem? Are there any theoretical models that better explain the causes of the problem and Why?

Note:There are no a priori limits on suitable topics in what is referred to as a “social problem” – usually manifested in individual, familial, organizational, institutional, or broadly societal dysfunction – or “public issue” that is of significant concern to one or more actors in social welfare.

Students are expected to demonstrate an advanced understanding of how the problem or issue is defined and explained by various actors or stakeholders, and of the historical, policy, institutional, and other contexts within which the problem or its concerns reside. This might include the history of varying definitions of the problem, the salient indicators of the problem as currently defined (e.g., characteristics of affected populations, prevalence and incidence rates, evolution over time), the major social policies (e.g., laws, regulations, court decisions, dominant or normative ideologies) that pertain to the problem or issue, as well as the characteristics of key service delivery systems (e.g., major programs and their financing, their stated goals and structures and eligibility criteria) that attempt to respond formally or informally to the problem or issue. This might also include a critical understanding of major ideological, theoretical, and empirical perspectives which seek to explain the origin, development, and consequences of the problem or issue.

Students must demonstrate their understanding by means of the breadth and depth of their coverage, by their reference to seminal, appropriate, and timely literature, by the quality of their logic and argumentation, by their ability to critically engage with (rather than merely summarize) relevant literature related to their topic, and by the clarity and accuracy of their language and presentation.

Policy(ies)/intervention developed to address the problem

Must choose an existing policy that addresses the chosen problem even if only does it in a limited way. It is best if students choose a policy that has been legislated into law or is based on a presidential executive order or, if available at the state level, on a decision made by a governor, mayor, commissioner, or other county or city board (e.g., school board).

What is the specific policy? What are the stated and unstated goals of the policy? Does it fit well with the definition of the social problem /issue? What are the proposed short term and long term outcomes of the policy if any? Is it primarily a federal, state, or local level policy?Who does the policy target? Are they any assumptions about how this policy can be most effective? Is this a new policy or a modification of an existing policy? What resources are attached to policy if any? (Budget) Are these resources enough to carry out the policy’s short and long term goals? What specific interventions/programs have been developed by the policy to address the problem? Do the programs developed effectively address the problem? Who are the key stakeholders of the policy (policy makers, news media, government workers, special groups etc.)? How has the agenda setting of the policy evolved? What have been the unintended outcomes of the policy, if any? What are the external forces (e.g. political, economic, ideology, major news event etc.) if any influencing the development of the policy? What policy analysis models you think better explain the development of your policy? Has the policy been effectively evaluated?

Changes to existing policy/intervention

What changes will you make to the existing policy to make it more effective? How will the intervention affect the implementation of the policy including the development of specific interventions to address the problem? What steps will you take to influence the process of modifying the policy? Which stakeholders will you involve, why and how? What are the political, ideological, and economic forces/barriers that will get in the way of modifying the policy? How would you address these forces/barriers? Is it possible that such modifications will be made? Explain. What steps will you take to ensure that the policy is effectively implemented? How will you go about evaluating the short term and long term outcomes of the policy?

Summary and concluding remarks

Reference section

Tables and graphs

Appendix—please, no more than three appendices

GRADING

Criteria for grades

A grade of A will be given to students whose papers and presentations are deemed to include not only a detailed overview of the social problem/issue, but also a thoughtful and critical analysis of the chosen social problem /issue and accompanying policy. Additionally, both the presentation and paper should discuss strategies that will lead to innovative yet feasible modifications of existing policies to more effectively address the social problem/issue at hand. Each student will also weave assigned readings into the presentation and paper to support their arguments and the role of the social work profession in addressing this problem. The presentation must be well-organized and accessible to those who are not experts in the subject matter. That is, general audiences should be able to understand the nature and extent of the social problem/issue and the policy developed to address said problem.