PAD 201: PAPER GUIDELINES

GENERAL INFORMATION
Overview of
Assignment:

Select a social problem or social movement as the primary topic of your paper. You should describe the
problem (or the problem the social movement addresses) - (e.g., Why is it a problem? What geographic
area/populations does it impactor at least which areas/populations are you focusing on? What are some
of the challenges?) and then describe how this social problem is being addressed by each sector
(business, nonprofit, government).
Include specific examples from at least one organization in each sector where possible. You may also
wish to include a description of how individual citizens address or could address the problem, or any
innovative ideas you have for business, government, or nonprofits to address the problem? Make sure to
bring in some of the concepts discussed in class (e.g., social change, social movements, the role of various
sectors, etc.).

Required Length: 5-7 pages (double-spaced)

Points/Weight:

The paper is worth 100 points of the course grade.

Purpose:

There are three major purposes of this assignment:

1. To learn more about a social problem/movement and the responses of different sectors to that
problem.
2. To demonstrate understanding of concepts discussed throughout the course.
3. To improve research, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

Formatting:

I leave most formatting to your judgment. Please include your name on the paper and number pages. I
think of 1-inch margins and 12 point font as the standard, so please dont diverge significantly from this.

Writing:

Writing should have a clear line of argument and be well-organized. I strongly suggest that you
work from an outline and do a grammar/spell check before submitting your paper.

Academic Honesty:

Academic dishonesty, including any form of plagiarism, is not tolerated and will result in a failing grade.
Students are expected to be aware of and abide by the Academic Honor Code of Suffolk University. Please
see the course syllabus for additional information.

REFERENCES
Reference List:
Number and Quality
of References:

In-text citations (parenthetical references or footnotes) and a reference list are required. Please use either
the MLA style or the APA style.
A minimum of 5 references is required, including at least 2 academic references (i.e., books, journal
articles). Clearly, reading extensively on a topic contributes to a quality paper. Keep in mind that the
process of searching for references on your topic, as well as reading through them for relevant information,
is part of the value of this assignment. Exploring the approaches of organizations in three different sectors
is likely to involve a review of many resources, so its likely that most papers will have a reference list that
exceeds the minimum of 5 references.
Make sure to consider the quality of your sources, as this will be considered in your grade. Although there
are many good resources available on the Internet, there are also a lot of non-reliable sources. Books and
academic journals are generally higher quality resources than various websites. Due to the nature of this
assignment, organizational websites (such as those of businesses, non-profits, government, and activists),
news articles, and reports may also be very helpful. Please do not use Wikipedia or similar sources.

Library Resources

As a student at Suffolk University, you all have access to a wide variety of resources at the Sawyer Library.
The library provides resource guides in government, business, and nonprofits. Please let me know if I can
be of any assistance in navigating these resources.

IMPORTANT DATES
July 23rd

Paper topic and list of 10 potential references due.

You should describe your topic in paragraph form what do you want to discuss and why
Your 10 sources should be in APA or MLA format I will not accept a list of URLs.

August 13th

All papers due.

POTENTIAL TOPICS
Below is a list of potential topics for your paper. Most of the topics below are quite broad. It is fine, and probably advisable, to
generate a narrower topic from one of those below. Students are also encouraged to think of other social problems not listed below.
Your focus can be domestic or global; current or historical.
Examples of areas to consider for paper topics:
Racial/Ethnic Inequality/Civil Rights Movement
Gender Inequality/Womens Rights Movement
Gay and Lesbian Movement
Various Environmental Issues (e.g., global warming,
pollution, rainforests)
Various Education Issues (e.g., achievement gaps,
urban school issues)

Various Health Issues (e.g., lack of health

care/insurance, obesity)
Poverty
Homelessness
Crime (e.g., violence, recidivism)
Drug and/or Alcohol Abuse
Terrorism