Social Current Problems

Pick a current event article (within the last 6 months) from an online news agency (i.e.,

Huffington Post, CNN.com, etc.) on either the topic of, Urbanization or the Environment 

Write a 3-4 page paper analyzing that article with a sociological lens (functionalists, conflict theorists, symbolic interactionists. You’ll briefly summarize

the article, and then, you’ll address the contents of the article in light of the sociological

discussion we’re having in class and in your readings. Some questions to consider in writing

your analysis:

 How have sociologists researched the topic discussed in your article?

 How is the issue in your article constructed as a social problem in our society?

 Within what social context is the social problem emerging in your article?

 What have been some of the sociological findings (discussed in class and/or in your

readings) that have emerged about the topic in your article?

 What social theories inform the topic in your article, and how can you apply them to the

issues in the article?

 Would sociologists examine the social problem in your article in the same way as the

author of your article?

Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, have page numbers and a bibliography (citing the

news article, the Henslin book, and any other articles from the course that you cited in your

essay). The bibliography is not included in the page number requirement.