SOC 1750 North Hennepin Community College Homelessness in Families Case Study

Family problem paper – a case study (due March 21st)
How do family problems affect families? In this assignment, you are asked to find a real case
of a family facing challenges, to study the dynamics, and to present your findings in an analysis.
The objective of this assignment is for students to apply analytical skills and assess how
challenges impact families lives.
Choose a family
Choose a family that faces or faced troubling conditions. I encourage you write about the
family of someone else, but you can write about your own family. The identity of this family is
not important and can be concealed.
What troubling conditions should you choose? Topics listed under the schedule in the syllabus
or in the textbook provide reference lists to consider. The troubling conditions might be the result
of an external event, deteriorating relationship between family members, or enduring structural
impediments confronting the family. It is also not uncommon to have multiple troubling
conditions occur concurrently or consecutively.
Describe and contextualize the case
Identify and describe what the problems are. You can write about prior or ongoing problems
in the family. In addition, present an argument for the significance of the case. All families
experience some challenges, so it is important to demonstrate why this case is worthy of
attention. Sometimes the nature of the problematic conditions is sufficiently severe. In other
times, specific circumstances exacerbate the impact of a mundane problem.
In addition, provide broader context to the troubles confronting the family. For example, if
single-parenthood is the issue, you can place the family in the larger social context of increasing
numbers of single-parent families. You can discuss the general issues related to single-parent
households. You should also be able to tell how typical or atypical the family of interest is.
Causes, impact, and responses
The problems are often a product of both personal and social circumstances. Discuss the
structural and proximate causes of the problems. There is often more than a single reason for the
problematic conditions. In addition, describe the effects on the family functioning; consider
which family members are impacted and how. Lastly, identify any responses the family might
have taken to cope and adapt. Some families take clear, explicit actions while others may react
less deliberately. Keep in mind that coping and adapting do not necessarily resolve the problems.
Recommendations
Offer recommendations that can help or could have helped the family. The recommendation
can range from programs and practices to help families cope. The recommendation can also
SOC 1750 Spring 2021
include more structural solutions when public policies are relevant to the case. Consider what
policy measures may help alleviate the troubles or better equip families to cope with them.
Writing and formatting requirements
The minimum length of the final paper is 1,500 word. Format the writing in 12-sized fonts,
double-spaced lines, with one-inch margins on all sides. We do not require any particular
academic reference style as long as citation sources are indicated. For the best readability on
D2L, the recommended file format .pdf. Files in .rtf, .doc or .docx are also accepted. Please do
not submit .pages files, as D2L lack the capacity to view these files.
This is a formal paper. Please include an appropriate title. Edit and proofread your paper
before submission to minimize any writing issues. Issues I commonly observed in students’
papers include long paragraphs containing unrelated threads, run-on sentences, informal
language, and issues with spelling or capitalization. Headings are not required, but they may help
keep the paper organized.
The Writing Center at North Hennepin offer appointments to help students with writing. To
contact them or to make an appoint, please visit: https://nhcc.edu/studentresources/tutoring/writing…
Evaluation criteria
The assignment is worth 150 points towards the final grade.
Components (points) Requirements
Problematic conditions
(30)
The paper describes conditions problematic to the family.
Causes (25) The paper explores the causes of the conditions.
Context (25) The paper places the case in a useful context.
Impact and responses (30) The paper analyzes how the troubling conditions impact the
family, and how the family copes and adapts.
Recommendations (20) The paper discusses recommendations.