SOCY 350: Contemporary Social Problems

Contemporary Social Problems examines how social conditions become recognized as social problems — and how various actors seek to resolve them.

What SOCY 350 covers

Prerequisite: SOCY 100. An advanced examination of various local, national, and global problems that affect societies. The aim is to apply sociological perspectives and research to analyze the process by which social conditions become recognized as social problems and are resolved by various actors.

Topics include the subjective/objective aspects of social problems, claims about social problems in the media, and how sociologists can help inform possible solutions to social problems. Discussion also covers problems related to human rights, violence, social isolation/loneliness, and social inequality.

Typical SOCY 350 assignments

Expect an assignment requiring you to trace how a specific social condition became recognized as a social problem, addressing the role of media claims-making.

Key topics in SOCY 350

• Social problem construction process
• Subjective vs. objective aspects of social problems
• Media claims-making
• Human rights and social inequality

Writing tips for SOCY 350

Follow the assignment instructions and rubric line by line

UMGC assignments for SOCY 350 are graded against a specific rubric or grading criteria your instructor provides — every requirement has to be visibly addressed. Skipping a requirement because it seems minor is one of the most common reasons a strong submission loses points.

Apply a specific sociological theory, not personal opinion

Sociology courses like SOCY 350 expect analysis grounded in a specific, named sociological theory or perspective (functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism) — personal opinion about a social issue, however reasonable, is not a substitute for theoretical analysis.

Distinguish the individual level from the structural/societal level

Strong sociological work is explicit about whether it's analyzing individual behavior, group dynamics, or broader social structures — collapsing these levels together (explaining a structural problem purely through individual choices, or vice versa) is one of the most common ways students lose points.

Why students seek help with SOCY 350

Students sometimes describe a social problem's severity without tracing the actual social construction process (how it became "recognized" as a problem) the course specifically requires — the rubric typically wants that construction process shown.

How GradeEssays helps with SOCY 350

Share your social problem scenario and rubric, and your writer will build an analysis tracing the social construction process, including media claims-making.

Prerequisites and course context

SOCY 350 requires Introduction to Sociology (SOCY 100). Note: students may receive credit for only one of SOCY 105, SOCY 210, or SOCY 350.

Related courses