Journal Assignment #1

Please follow APA format when completing this assignment. Please remember a minimum of

2 citations from credible sources is required per question. A minimum of 250-word response

is required per question.

1.Most people think about at least some social problems from a “common sense” point of view.

What do you think are the benefits we gain from the sociological study of social problems? That

is, what specific insights and information can we expect sociological study to provide to us? In

what ways can sociology help improve U.S. society?

2.Looking ahead fifty years, do you think economic inequality in the United States is likely to

increase, stay about the same, or decrease? Which trend do you think improves U.S. society?

What specific policies would you support in pursuit of this trend.

3.How do you envision the racial and ethnic diversity of the United States fifty years from now?

Do you think the trend toward a “minority majority” will reduce social problems related to race

and ethnicity or make them worse? Why? What specific changes involving race and ethnicity do

you feel would improve U.S. society?

4.Looking ahead fifty years, what changes involving gender inequality do you expect?

Compared with men, what do you think will be women’s place in the labor force? What about

in higher education? Housework? What specific changes involving gender do you feel would

improve U.S. society?

5.What changes to U.S. society do you expect to accompany the increasing share of our

population that has reached the age of sixty-five? What policies or programs in support of

seniors would you like to see in the future that would improve U.S. society?

6.What do you see as the future level of crime in the United States? What specific changes do

you expect to see in the strategies and policies by which our society responds to crime? What

changes would you like to see toward the goal of improving U.S. society?

7.In what specific ways do you see our society’s attitudes about sexuality changing? Is this

change making society better or not? Why? Looking ahead fifty years, what further changes do

you hope to see? What specific policies or cultural shifts would help bring about this change?

8.Have you been surprised at the increasing public acceptance of legal marijuana? Do you think

that this trend is making our society better or causing problems? Why? Looking ahead, do you

support the legalization of marijuana nationally? Why or why not?