How has the social problem you have chosen come to be defined as a "problem"?
What are the causal factors (social, political, economic and/or cultural) that have led to the social problem's definition as a social problem?
Why has the social problem you have chosen remained in or fallen out of the public spotlight?
Option 2Select a social problem and write about it from a cross-cultural or historical perspective:
Explain the diverse reactions to similar social conditions across selected cultural and social settings.
Why is a particular social phenomenon considered a social problem in one setting, but not in another? Compare two different countries/cultures or compare different historical eras within the same country/culture.
Option 3Select a social phenomenon or condition and analyze or argue for why this has not become a social problem.
What are the causal forces that have kept a social phenomenon from becoming defined as a social problem?
Sample topic ideas:How did child abuse come to be defined as a social problem in the U.S.?Why was marijuana illegal for such a significant period of time, but not alcohol?When or why children born out of wedlock became a social problem?Why is the physical punishment of children considered a problem in some settings but not in others? Why do some cultures define FGM as a social problem and others see it as a beneficial practice?