HTS 2016 Social Issues and Public Policy

Fall 2013 Dr. DUnger

ASSIGNMENT #1: Due IN CLASS on September 10, 2013

In this section of the class, we have been talking about the social construction of social problems using the critical constructionist perspective. For this assignment, you will find your own example of a social problem as it is discussed in a major media outlet. Follow the directions below to complete the assignment. 1. Select a prominent national newspaper (e.g., The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post, etc.). Do not use newspapers such as the National Enquirer or other entertainment periodicals. 2. Find an article from the last 50 years that details a particular social problemfind something that we have not discussed in class AND that you find interesting. 3. Next, find another article on the SAME social problem from a DIFFERENT publication. You should now have two articles on the same social problem, from approximately the same historical time period, from two different publications. 4. Describe the social problem using the critical constructionist perspective. Who are the claimsmakers for the problem? How do they typify the problem? Who are the victims of the problem? What is the cause of the problem? Is the problem to blame on individuals? Society? Something else? How can the problem best be solved, according to the claimsmakers and/or the author of the article?

5. Describe how the authors of the stories frame the problem. Do they see it the same way as the claimsmakers for this problem? Why or why not? CITATION INFORMATION Please use parenthetical (in text) citation with the authors name and the publication year, and always include a page number when using a direct quotation. Include all sources on a bibliography to accompany the paper. Refer to the citation guidelines on how to correctly use parenthetical citations and how to create a bibliography.