PSYC 338 Psychology of Gender - Applied Final Project

ASSIGNMENT 5.3: Outline of Your Research Paper

Write a two-page formal outline for your final research paper. Look at the example outline

below, and keep in mind that formal outlines are very detailed and use all complete

sentences.

(Also note that you will need to resubmit a formal outline with your final paper, so it may

be revised as you continue your research).

Outline (Give a Title)

Thesis: The federal government should do more to help the homeless towards

independence.

I. Homelessness is a major problem in the United States.

A. Experts disagree about the number of Americans who are homeless.

B. Experts agree that the number of homeless, particularly homeless

families, is growing.

II. Finding ways to help the homeless is difficult.

A. Even if the homeless find shelter, they still often wander the street.

1. Some homeless people are addicted to alcohol or drugs.

2. Some have serious psychiatric problems.

3. Others lack basic survival skills.

B. This is why Comprehensive programs are needed to address the

complex problems that many homeless people have.

III. The opposition would also state that there are already assistance programs

that provide training in everyday survival skills.

A. Homes for the Homeless offers workshops on everything from

nutrition to interview techniques.

B. Project Hope shows clients how to apply for food stamps and other

benefits to which they are entitled.

C. House of Hope provides instruction in household budgeting and home

maintenance.

D. These are great programs, but the government needs to offer more

assistance in the training of everyday survival skills because the

problem of homelessness is still growing.

IV. The opposition would state that some broad assistance programs help the

homeless get a job.

A. Many of the homeless have no jobs or have never worked for more

than six months.

B. CANP provides training in resume writing and interviewing.

C. CANP’s job training has a high success rate.

D. Yet, the government still needs to offer more assistance to help the

homeless get a job because these programs aren’t doing enough.

V. The opposition would also state that some programs offer broad assistance to

the homeless.

A. Project Renewal and Pine Street Inn offer substance-abuse programs.

B. Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and CANP also offer psychological

support.

C. Still, the government needs to offer more assistance to help solve these

issues.

VI. The federal government should help such broad based-assistance programs.

A. CANP’s funding has slipped.

B. Project Hope doesn’t have the resources needed to meet the growing

demands of its services.

VII. The government should also raise the minimum wage.

A. Some of the homeless have jobs, but their low incomes put most

housing out of their reach.

B. The last two decades have seen a dramatic drop in minimum wage

buying power.

VIII. A lack of affordable housing is at the heart of the homeless problem.

A. One magazine argued that people’s deep disturbances are not the

unavailability of inexpensive housing—are at the heart of the homeless

problem.

B. Numerous studies and many experts show that the recent trends in

housing are the culprit.

IX. The federal government should finance more low-cost housing.

A. Affordable private housing is almost non-existent.

B. Public Housing can accommodate a small percentage of those seeking

from high costs in the private housing market.

1. The federal government has cut funding of public housing and

housing subsidies.

2. Cities have slashed funding for the construction of shelters.