choose one (1) social problem related to health, healthcare, and/or aging: physical or mental health disparities of race, class, or gender; inequities in access to quality healthcare or insurance; or ageism (discrimination against the elderly) or elder abuse.
Think about which theoretical perspective best applies to the problem (functionalism, conflict, symbolic interaction, or feminist theory).
Consider the different research methods that are used to investigate social problems (quantitative – survey, experiment, existing data or qualitative – interviews, observations, focus groups, and archival research) and determine which would be best for researching your topic.
Assignment Instructions:
Pretend you are applying for a grant to fund your research. Write a letter with an overview of your research proposal. Include the following components:
Follow letter writing format, with the date at the top and Dear Grant-Funding Institution or To Whom It May Concern. Write in paragraph form, left-aligned with no indentations and a space between paragraphs with single or 1.5-spacing and 12-point readable font.
Discuss the problem you are researching and why it is important, including how prevalent or widespread it is (using recent stats within five years).
Explain your theoretical approach. (In other words, apply one of the sociological perspectives to the problem.)
Describe which research method you will use and the rationale for the choice (i.e., why it is applicable). Also, describe two (2) other research methods and why you chose not to use them. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the three research methods.
Explain how you plan to utilize the research method. For example, if you chose survey research, who would you survey and what would you ask?
Discuss any ethical issues in researching the problem. How would you avoid harming your research participants physically and/or psychologically? If using existing data, how would you determine whether the data was collected in an ethical manner?
Full Answer Section
The primary research method I will utilize is quantitative survey research. This method is applicable because it allows for the collection of data from a large and diverse sample, enabling the identification of patterns and correlations between race and various indicators of healthcare access, such as insurance coverage, availability of primary care physicians, and experiences of discrimination within the healthcare system. Standardized questionnaires will ensure that the same questions are asked in the same way to all participants, enhancing the reliability and comparability of the data.
Two other research methods I considered but chose not to primarily use are qualitative interviews and existing data analysis. Qualitative interviews, while providing rich and in-depth insights into individual experiences of healthcare access disparities, would be less feasible for capturing the broad scope and prevalence of the problem across different racial groups due to time and resource constraints associated with large-scale data collection. Existing data analysis, using publicly available datasets like the National Health Interview Survey, has the strength of providing large-scale data but may lack the specific variables needed to fully explore the nuances of access barriers and individual experiences of discrimination.
Survey research has several strengths, including its ability to gather data from a large sample, allowing for statistical analysis and generalizability of findings. It is also relatively cost-effective compared to in-depth qualitative research. However, limitations include the potential for response bias, where participants may not answer truthfully or accurately, and the inability to capture the depth of individual experiences and the underlying social processes contributing to the disparities. Qualitative interviews excel at providing rich, contextualized data and understanding individual perspectives but lack generalizability. Existing data analysis is efficient and can reveal broad trends but is limited by the data already collected and may not capture the specific variables of interest.
To utilize survey research, I will aim to recruit a diverse sample of adult participants across different racial and ethnic groups in a geographically diverse set of communities. The survey will include questions about their insurance coverage, access to primary care and specialists, experiences with healthcare providers (including instances of perceived discrimination), transportation barriers to healthcare facilities, and overall satisfaction with the healthcare they receive. Statistical analysis will be used to identify significant differences in these indicators across racial groups, controlling for socioeconomic factors such as income and education.
Ethical considerations are paramount in this research. To avoid harming participants physically, the survey will be administered online or through mail, minimizing any direct physical interaction. To protect participants psychologically, informed consent will be obtained, clearly outlining the purpose of the research, the voluntary nature of participation, the confidentiality of their responses, and their right to withdraw at any time. The survey will be designed to avoid overly sensitive or potentially triggering questions. If using any existing data for supplementary analysis, I will ensure that the data was collected with appropriate ethical protocols in place, including informed consent and anonymization, and that the data is de-identified to protect individual privacy.
Thank you for considering my proposal. I believe this research has the potential to contribute significantly to our understanding of racial disparities in healthcare access and inform the development of effective interventions and policies to promote health equity.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample Answer
May 4, 2025
Dear Grant-Funding Institution,
This letter outlines my research proposal to investigate racial disparities in access to quality healthcare in the United States. This social problem is of critical importance because equitable access to healthcare is fundamental for individual well-being and societal progress. Despite advancements in medicine and healthcare infrastructure, significant disparities persist across racial and ethnic groups, leading to poorer health outcomes and reduced life expectancy for marginalized communities. For instance, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2023 revealed that non-Hispanic Black adults are 40% more likely to die from stroke than non-Hispanic White adults, and Hispanic adults are 30% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes compared to non-Hispanic White adults. These statistics underscore the urgent need to understand and address the systemic factors contributing to these inequities.
My research will employ a conflict theory perspective to analyze this problem. Conflict theory posits that society is characterized by inequalities and power struggles between different groups. In the context of healthcare access, this perspective suggests that disparities arise from the unequal distribution of resources and power, where dominant racial groups often have greater access to quality healthcare due to historical and ongoing systemic advantages. This can manifest in discriminatory practices, unequal funding for healthcare facilities in minority-majority areas, and differential treatment by healthcare providers. By examining the social, economic, and political structures that perpetuate these inequalities, conflict theory provides a framework for understanding the root causes of racial disparities in healthcare access.