ESSAY QUESTIONS & FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS:

Welcome to this online course. Online courses are conducted differently by each Professor, just as regular classroom/lecture courses are. In this course, you will have to respond to five Essay Questions. No exams will be given.

Use your textbook, any related websites and videos and powerpoints with each Essay Question, to respond to all five essay questions. Responses should be thorough, include definitions, examples, and demonstrate clear understanding of conceptual objectives listed on the Syllabus. Each response should be 3-4 pages in length, double spaced. Use APA citations but NO ABSTRACT.

Email all Essay Question responses to me at JBEHN@BERGEN.EDU. Your responses are due by 10:00 pm on the posted due dates. SEE DUE DATES ON THE COURSE HOMEPAGE. If you email your responses earlier than the posted due dates, I will not email you back with my comments and your grades until after each due date.

Thanks for your participation and I hope you have a good learning experience.

ESSAY QUESTIONS (SEE DUE DATES ON COURSE HOMEPAGE FOR EACH QUESTION):

Question 1
1. Please read Chp. 1, related Videos and websites, and related PowerPoint Presentation on What is a Social Problem on Course Homepage, and other relevant information from the course homepage to address the following question:
a) What is a social problem and how can we use the sociological perspective to study social problems? What types of social problems are there?
b) Outline the life cycle of a social problem. Describe each stage in detail. How do we know when/if a social problem has been resolved? Give an example.
c) Briefly, how do the three major perspectives sociology uses to study social problems (functional theory, conflict theory, and interactionism) differ regarding causation and solutions to social problems. Give specific examples.
d) Finally, provide an overview of how conservatives, liberals, and radicals would view social problems in general?