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4 pages/≈1100 words
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4 Sources
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APA
Subject:
Social Sciences
Type:
Term Paper
Language:
English (U.S.)
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MS Word
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Total cost:
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Topic:

Inequality in Drug Treatment Resource Allocation

Term Paper Instructions:

Sociology is the scientific study of human behavior.

For this project, you will research a specific contemporary social issue and examine the issue using your sociological perspective. This sociological perspective is also termed the sociological lens. The sociological lens is how sociologists examine cultural beliefs and biases, the roles that define a social issue, and the social inequalities that define a social issue. The sociological lens changes over time because social change might shift the definition of a particular social issue. The purpose of the paper is to help you use research to examine different sides of a contemporary social issue and use scholarly sources to analyze the issue. The final project is a compilation of three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to build on your learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, and Five.

The final PowerPoint and paper will be submitted in Module Seven.

In this assignment you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes: • Explain cultural beliefs and biases utilizing a sociological lens • Explain the influences that shape the creation of roles within society utilizing real-world examples • Draw basic connections between social inequalities and human behavior • Identify the relationship between social change and contemporary social problems through the application of basic sociological concepts Prompt Here are the steps in defining your project subject matter: Step One: Thinking About Your Issue Sociologists begin with thinking in general about a social issue. Here are some suggested general subject areas: • Bullying • Violent Crime • Discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, social class, gender identity, age, or nationality • Substance abuse (drugs or alcohol) • Income inequality 2 • Inequalities in social institutions: medicine, education, the justice system, or the economy • Social media and its effects on mental health Step Two: Narrowing Your Focus To narrow your focus, start by reviewing research about your topic from SNHU’s Shapiro Library or the Pew Research Center. Here are some suggested topics: General Subject Prompt Specific Topic Bullying • Cyberbullying • Physical bullying • Workplace bullying Violent Crime • Index crimes (murder, sexual assault, battery, robbery) • Gang-related/organized crimes • Inequalities and disparities in sentencing • Hate crimes based on race, gender, sexuality Discrimination • Hiring discrimination based on race • Hiring discrimination based on gender • Discrimination and job promotions • Discrimination in allocation of medical information in doctor patient exchanges • Discrimination in mortgage applications and redlining • Age-based discrimination • Discrimination based on sexuality in workplace and hiring processes Substance Abuse • The opioid epidemic • Prescription drug abuse • Legalization of marijuana • Racial disparities in drug law enforcement • Inequality in drug treatment resource allocation 3 Once you have chosen a specific subject, apply the sociological lens to your specific topic. Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed below. Most of the critical elements align with a particular course outcome.

I. Topic Selection: To begin this project, you will identify and summarize the contemporary social issue you selected, citing resources to strengthen your summary. Explain what is happening in the issue and provide a brief history of how the issue began.

II. Mapping the Issue: Now that you that you have selected your social issue, you will break the issue down into the following sociological concepts: cultural beliefs and biases, social roles, social inequalities, and the existing social conditions. These concepts will serve as categories through which you will examine the issue. You will use the provided PowerPoint template (linked in Module Seven of your online course) to connect the sociological concepts and their smaller pieces to the social issue.

A. Identify the cultural beliefs and biases present in the social issue. For example, there may be prejudice or discrimination at play

B. Identify the social roles played by the main individuals or groups in the social issue. For example, an individual may be a mother and/or teacher.

C. Identify the social inequalities present in this social issue. For example, there may be racism or sexism at play.

D. Identify the existing state or conditions that the social issue is challenging. For example, if your issue is that recycling is bad, the existing condition may be that recycling is good.

III. Creating Connections: Now that you have broken the social issue down into smaller pieces in the PowerPoint, you will explain the connections you made and how these connections will help you better understand the issue, using your knowledge from the course and your research. You will describe the connections between the sociological concepts and the social issue and demonstrate the value of using a sociological view when examining social issues.

A. Cultural 1. Describe the relationship between the cultural beliefs and biases identified in PowerPoint and the social issue and provide specific examples to support your description. For example, you might describe how the relationship is positive, negative, or strained.

2. Explain how the cultural beliefs and biases identified in PowerPoint help you better understand the social issue.

B. Social Roles 1. Describe the relationship between the social roles identified in PowerPoint and the social issue and provide specific examples to support your description. For example, you might describe how the relationship is positive, negative, or strained. In your response, you might consider what expectations are in place because of the social roles.

2. Explain how the social roles identified in PowerPoint help you better understand the social issue.

C. Social Inequalities 1. Describe the relationship between the social inequalities identified in PowerPoint and the social issue. How are the social inequalities present in the issue?

2. Explain how the social inequalities identified in PowerPoint help you better understand the social issue. 4

D. Impact of Social Change

1. Describe how the social issue is challenging the existing state or conditions, providing specific examples.

2. How might the social issue facilitate change for the existing state or conditions? Provide specific examples.

Term Paper Sample Content Preview:

Inequality in Drug Treatment Resource Allocation
Student’s Name
Institution
Lecturer’s Name
Course Name and Number
Due Date
* Topic Selection: Inequality in Drug Treatment Resource Allocation
Inequality in drug treatment is one of the common social problems in today's society. Governments worldwide have taken adequate measures to fight the drug problem that has affected the lives of users and their families. However, complaints have been made about the unequal distribution of drug treatment resources, denying people needing the interventions. Due to this inequality, the solution to drug abuse remains a mystery. Estimates show that in 2020, more than 41 million Americans experienced a substance use disorder (SUD), but only 2.7 million received treatment (Melnick et al., 2021). This estimate indicates that treatment does not reach many people addicted to substances. The causes of this problem have raised controversy, with researchers attributing them to racism and socioeconomic status. This problem stems from systematic racism and the legacy of slavery that have resulted in discrimination against people of color (Dean et al., 2021). The United States, for instance, has had a long history of racism that has led to unequal distribution of resources. For a long time, people of color have been discriminated against in many sectors, including education, health, employment, and housing. Due to this prejudice, black people cannot access social amenities, explaining why racial-ethnic disparities in substance treatment are common in the US. According to Priester et al. (2016), of people in need of treatment for illicit SUDS, white people are more likely to receive treatment than black people. This indicates racial disparity in the treatment of SUDs.
* Mapping the Issue
Cultural Beliefs and Biases
The tradition of black Americans being associated with the drug culture continues to create inequality in drug treatment resource allocation. Black people are highly linked to drug abuse and drug dealing despite uniform rates of substance use among racial and ethnic populations. This notion has caused negative bias regarding treatment. For instance, speculations have it that black people are more likely to express a negative opinion of their substance abuse treatment experiences, have less likely to complete their medications for SUDs and have fewer treatment visits (Melnick et al., 2021). These assumptions have made healthcare providers assume that African-Americans do not need quality treatment. These cultural beliefs and biases contribute to the African-American community's absence of drug treatment resources.
Social Roles
Inequality in drug treatment resource allocation has affected the lives of drug-dependent individuals. Due to a shortage of resources, substance users are indulging in depression. Their mental health continues to deteriorate. Increased mortality and morbidity have been reported in some regions because affected populations cannot access the treatment needed. These issues have attracted the attention of policymakers. They are critical in advocating for meaningful policy changes and a shift in clinical practice to promote equitable access to substance use disorder treatment. They effecti...
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