This assignment is designed to develop critical thinking, written and visual communication, and empirical and quantitative skills, and social responsibility skills.  

• Critical Thinking Skills – to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
• Communication Skills – to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
• Empirical and Quantitative Skills – to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions   

This assignment will require students to analyze and interpret a primary or secondary document that includes quantitative data (e.g. graphs or other visual illustrations) using sociological terminology in an essay format.  The following writing assignment is meant to help you use the concepts you have learned in this class to explore and analyze an important current issue in our society.  As you write your paper, focus your attention on how you as an individual can respond to this current issue using the sociological imagination.  

After reading the assigned article, you will write an essay, 250 words minimum; using Standard English and submit electronically on eCampus.  The minimum requirements for this assignment are to:

1. Draw three main conclusions from the article;
2. Describe two important elements of data presented on the charts/graph and briefly interpret each data element;
3. Describe the ways in which this can be defined as a personal trouble or social issue.  Be sure to cite specific evidence from the article to support your position (i.e. be sure to include other cultural perspectives in addition to your own);
4. Explore how the social phenomena discussed in the article may or may not contribute to human suffering and or social disorganization (i.e. be sure to include other cultural perspectives in addition to your own);
5. Based on your exploration on prompts numbers 1-4 make three recommendations including, but not limited to:
   1. A need for future research on this social phenomenon,
   2. The development of new laws or public policies to address this issue
   3. Relevant programs to assist individuals and groups regarding the issue.