English I Honors

Mrs. Beery

Week 5/ Sept 14-18

A social issue (also called a social problem or a social illness) refers to an issue that influences and is opposed by a considerable number of individuals within a society. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control and local geographical environment. In some cases, a social issue is the source of a conflicting opinion on the grounds of what is perceives as a morally just personal life or societal order. Different societies have different perceptions, and "normal" behavior in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues; however, some issues (such as immigration) have both social and economic aspects. There are also issues that don't fall into either category, such as wars.

This week we will pluck many learning lessons out of our reading. This legwork will critically identify and legitimize the injustice in working-class America, the commonality between the urban and rural poverty, the awareness of disabled individuals in our midst, and the unsafe workplaces in our world. However, all of these stories are microcosms of our world. My hope is that this journey exposes the necessity to stay informed on issues that affect you individually and collectively.

Many scholars believe we are socially constructed so will all must be invested in these issues:

Social constructionism, or the social construction of reality, is a theory of knowledge in sociology and communication theory that examines the development of jointly constructed understandings of the world. It assumes that understanding, significance, and meaning are developed not separately within the individual, but in coordination with other human beings. The elements most important to the theory are (a) the assumption that human beings rationalize their experience by creating a model of the social world and how it functions and, (b) that language is the most essential system through which humans construct reality.[1]

If this is true, then our experiences with our society matter a great bit. With this in mind, this next leap is to go from reader to writer. We will continue researching our social topics so we gain a vast array of knowledge about topic. We have the power to educate, inform, and argue that these social issues need attention and resolve.

------

Learning Goals: Writing (Research)

Standard 7

I can focus my research around a problem to be solved, a central question that is provided, or a self-generated question I have determined.

  • I can choose several sources and synthesize information to answer my research inquiry.
  • I can determine if I need to narrow or broaden my inquiry based on the information gathered.
  • I can demonstrate understanding of the subject under investigation.

Standard 9

  • I can compose written responses and include textual evidence to strengthen my analysis, reflection, and research.

Standard 10

  • I can write for a variety of reasons and can determine a writing format/style to fit my task, purpose, and/or audience.

M: No School

T:Weekly letter

Lab 217

Discuss social issues: What is it? Why should be write about it?

Research (review topics on the back)

---writing packet & worksheet: What have we learned?

Homework: Worksheet (fill in or use word document) “What social issue did you learn about from the reading the selections this quarter?” Think beyond our discussions----Go Big----Think critically! MUST-----Write a working thesis statement and bring in 2 pieces of TE for your expository essay: You will eventually need to cite five different sourcesin your essay (three from our readings and two from outside sources) so we will begin this process by bringing in two, credible sources about topic (you can have them printed, or you can bring them up on a flash drive in the lab or have URL to reference in lab----but make sure you read and highlight new information you learned about your social issue.Watch for HMWK: Ted Talk: The Danger of a Single Story

Research is critical to reveal multiple perspectives. It is important that we spend the time educating ourselves

Distribute the expository writing packet:.

W:Lab 217---Learning TRUE research with Databases

Homework: Bring in two, credible sources from the databases about your social issue that supports your thesis(you can have them printed, or you can bring them up on a flash drive in the lab or have URL to reference in lab----but make sure you read and highlight new information you learned about your social issue.

TH: Lab 217---Thesis Statement construction: 3-part, parallel structure

Continue constructing a “working” thesis statement/Review the purpose of expository essay

Homework: Write your thesis statement and the first body paragraph of your essay.

F:Lab 217---Draft out the body paragraphs---

Homework:All three body paragraphs should be written by Monday. Print two copies so you can workshop on Monday.

List of Human Rights Issues

Adequate Housing
Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context
Toolkit on the right to adequate housing
Administration of Justice
Expert Consultation on the Administration of Justice
Albinism
Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
Business and Human Rights
Business and Human Rights
Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises
Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights
Children
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
OHCHR Thematic reports on children
Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
United Nations Study on Violence against Children
Civil and Political Rights
Human Rights Committee (HRC)
Climate change
Human Rights and climate Change
Rio+20 - United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
Coercive measures
Special Rapporteur on unilateralcoercive measures
Unilateral coercive measures and human rights
Cultural rights
Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
Death penalty
Death penalty
Democracy
Equal participation in political and public affairs
Rule of Law - Democracy and Human Rights
Detention
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Development (Good Governance and Debt)
Development - Good governance
Human rights and the financial crisis
Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights
Open-ended working group on the right to development
Right to development
Disability and Human Rights
Human Rights of persons with disabilities
Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
Disappearances
Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Discrimination
A special focus on discrimination
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Portal (ESCR)
Open-ended Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Education
Human rights education and training
Special Rapporteur on the right to education
Environment
Human Rights and the Environment
Rio+20 - United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment
Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes
Executions
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
Food
Special Rapporteur on the right to food
Toolkit on the Right to Food
Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Freedom of expression and advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
OHCHR Seminar on effective measures and best practices to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests
Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Freedom of Religion and Belief
Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
Health
Consultation on Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members
Maternal and Child Health
Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
Toolkit on the Right to Health
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS and Human Rights
Human Rights Defenders
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
Human rights education and training
Human rights education and training
United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training
World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing)
Human Rights Indicators
Human Rights Indicators
Independence of Judiciary
Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
Indigenous Peoples
Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Fellowship programme
Main page Indigenous
Open-ended inter-sessional Working Group on the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples
Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples
Working group on indigenous populations
Internal Displacement
Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons
International Order
Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order
International Solidarity
Independent expert on human rights and international solidarity
Mercenaries
Special Rapporteur on use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination
Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination
Migration
Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW)
Migration and Human Rights
Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
Millenium Development Goals and Human Rights
The Millennium Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda
Minorities
Fellowship programme
Main page Minorities
Special Rapporteur on minority issues
Nationality
Right to a Nationality and Statelessness
Older persons
Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons
Older persons
Plans of Action for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
National Plans of Action for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Poverty
Human rights dimension of poverty
Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
The draft guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights: the rights of the poor
Privacy
Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
Racism
Ad-Hoc Committee on the elaboration of complementary standards
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Durban Review Conference (2009)
Fellowship Programme for People of African Descent
Group of Independent Eminent Experts
Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
International Decade for People of African Descent
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism
Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Durban (2001)
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
Situations
Working Group on Situations
Slavery
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
Social Security
Toolkit on the Right to Social Security
Terrorism
Independent expert on Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism
Torture
Committee against Torture (CAT)
Special Rapporteur on torture
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture
Trade and Investment
Business and human rights
Trade and investment
Traditional values
Human rights and traditional values
Trafficking in Persons
Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
Transitional Justice
Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence
Water and sanitation
Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation
Toolkit on the Right to Water and Sanitation
Women
Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
Women's Rights and Gender main page
Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice
Youth
Human rights of youth

Listed below are contemporary social problems and news topics. "The definition of a social problem, also called a social issue, is an undesirable condition that people believe should be corrected" (). To make yoursubject manageable, narrow your topic or focus as you locate information.
  • Abortion
  • Affirmative Action
  • Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
  • Ageism / Age Discrimination
  • Airport Screening Procedures
  • Airport Security
  • Alcoholism
  • Animal Rights
  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Anti-Muslim Discrimination
  • Binge Drinking
  • Birth Control
  • Bulimia Nervosa
  • Bullying
  • Campus Crime
  • Capital Punishment / Death Penalty
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Child Abuse
  • Child Labor
  • Classism
  • Climate Change
  • Cloning
  • Colorism
  • Cloud Hacking
  • Computer Hacking
  • Corporal Punishment
  • Corporate Downsizing
  • Cyber Bullying (Cyberbullying)
  • Date Rape
  • Disaster Relief
  • Domestic Violence
  • Dream Act
  • Drinking and Driving
  • Driving While Black
  • Drug Abuse / Drug Addiction
  • Eating Disorders
  • Ebola Virus Disease
  • Embryonic Stem Cell Research
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Environmental Racism
  • Equal Pay
  • Euthanasia / Mercy Killing / Assisted Suicide
  • Excessive Force By Law Enforcement
  • Felony Disenfranchisement
  • Gang Violence
  • Gay Rights
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Genetically Modified Food
  • Gentrification
  • Global Warming
  • Gun Control
  • Gun Rights
  • Hate Crimes
  • Hazing
  • Health Care Disparities
  • Health Care Reform
  • HIV / AIDS
  • Home Forclosures
  • Homelessness
  • Honor Killings
  • Human Trafficking
  • Hunger
  • Identify Theft
  • Illegal Immigration
  • Legalization of Marijuana
  • Legalization of Prostitution
  • Mall Shootings
  • Mass Murder
  • Militarization of Police
  • Minimum Wage
  • NRA
  • National Rifle Association
  • Obamacare (Affordable Care Act)
  • Obesity
  • Organ and Body Donation
  • Outsourcing Jobs
  • Pedophilia
  • Photobombs
  • Police Brutality
  • Police Militarization
  • Pollution
  • Pornography
  • Poverty
  • Prayer in Schools
  • Racial Disparities in Health Care
  • Racial Disparities in Sentencing
  • Racial Profiling
  • Racism
  • Rape
  • Retail Profiling
  • Recycling and Conservation
  • Right to Work
  • Same-Sex Marriage
  • Sex Trade
  • Sexism
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Sexting
  • Shopping While Black
  • Single Parenting
  • Smoking / Tobacco Use
  • Social Networking and Privacy
  • Spousal Abuse
  • Stand Your Ground Laws
  • Steroid Use in Sports
  • Stereotyping
  • Suicide
  • Sweat Shops
  • Teen Pregnancy
  • Terrorism
  • Texting While Driving
  • Texting While Walking
  • Unemployment
  • Union Busting
  • Vigilantism
  • Violence in Schools
  • Violence in Music Videos
  • Violence in Video Games
  • Voter Disenfranchisement
  • Voting Rights Restrictions
  • Workplace Violence

Table of contents for Social issues in America : an encyclopedia / James Ciment, editor.

Bibliographic record and links to related information available from the Library of Congress catalog.
Academic Freedom
Adoption
Advertising, children's
Affirmative Action
Ageism
AIDS/HIV
Air Pollution
Airline Issues
Alcohol Abuse
Animal rights
Anti-Muslim Discrimination and Violence
Anti-Semitism
Arson
Arts Funding and Censorship
At Risk Students: Higher Education
Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder
Autism
Automobile and Highway Safety
Bi-lingualism
Birth Control
Campaign Finance Reform
Cancer
Capital Punishment
Census Issues
Cheating, academic
Child Abuse and Molestation
Child Labor
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Church-State Separation
Civil Liberties
Civil Rights
Coastal Pollution and Wetlands Protection
College Sports
Computer Crime, Hacking
Consumer Debt and Bankruptcy
Corporal Punishment
Corporate Crime
Crime
Criminal Rights
Cults and Alternative Religions
Defense Spending and Preparedness
Deforestation and Logging
Disability Rights
Divorce and Child Support
Domestic Violence
Downsizing, corporate
Drought and aquifer depletion
Drug Abuse
Drugs, War on
Eating Disorders
Energy Dependency
Environmental Justice
Environmentally-inducred Illness
Euthanasia
Evolution Education
Extinction and Species Loss: Biota Invasion and Habitat Destruction
Farm crisis
Food and Drug Safety
Foster Care
Gambling
Gangs
Gay and Lesbian Rights
Genetic Engineering
Gentrification
Global Warming
Gun violence and gun control
Hate Crimes
Hate Internet and Radio
Hate Speech
Health Care Reform
Heart Disease
Homelessness
Housing costs
Human experimentation
Identity Theft
Immigration
Immigration, Illegal
Indoor Pollution
Infectious Diseaseand Epidemics
Infrastructure Deterioration
Intellectual Property Rights
Journalistic Ethics
Judicial Reform
Juvenile Justice
Legal Services for the Poor
Literacy
Mandatory Sentencing
Marijuana
Mass Transit
Media Bias
Media Consolidation
Media Sex and Violence
Medical Malpractice
Medicare and Medicaid Reform
Medicine, alternative
Mental Illness
Migrant Workers
Militia Movement
Minimum and Living Wages
Money Laundering
N(ot) I(n) M(y) B(ackyard) Y(ard) Issue
Native Americans and Government Policy
Natural Disasters and Disaster Relief
Needle Exchange Programs
Noise Pollution
Nuclear Power and Waste
Nuclear Weapons
Obesity
Occupational Safety and Health
Organ and Tissue Transplants
Organic Foods
Organized Crime
Plagiarism
Police Abuse and Corruption
Pornography
Poverty and Wealth
Prison Reform and Prisoner Rights
Privacy
Prostitution
Public Opinion Polling
Racial Profiling
Rape
Recycling and Conservation
Red-lining and loan discrimination
Reproductive Rights and Technology
Rioting
School Standards and Testing
School Violence
School Vouchers and Privatization
Scientific Research Ethics
Secrecy, Governmental
Sex Education
Sexual Harassment
Single Parenting
Social Security Reform
Space Exploration, costs and benefits
Special Education
Stem Cell Research
Stress
Student Rights
Suicide
Superstores v. Main Street
Sweatshops
Tax Reform
Term Limits
Terrorism, Domestic
Terrorism, Foreign
Terrorism, War on
Tobacco and tobacco-related health issues
Tort Reform
Toxic Waste
Traffic Congestion
Unemployment
Unions
Urban Sprawl
Veterans' Issues
Voluntarism and Volunteering
Voting Issues
Waste Disposal
Water Pollution
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Welfare and welfare reform
Wilderness Protection
Women's Rights
Xenophobia and Nativism

Some websites to check out: