2 PARTS TO ASSGNMENT Assignment 1: Discussion—Poverty and Discrimination Poverty and discrimination are linked as one often leads to the other and vice versa. The poor are a target for discrimination due to their circumstances, while discrimination due to ethnicity, race, or gender reduces the number of economic opportunities an individual might get. In this module, you explore the segments of the population that are more likely to be poor. You also examine the reasons for the poverty of these segments and its implications for social policy development. Research the link between poverty and discrimination using your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet. •Select two journal articles that address the linkage between poverty and discrimination reflected in the conditions of racial and ethnic minority populations. ◦Be sure to select one article that addresses poverty and discrimination in the United States and one in any other country. ◦Make sure the articles include examples of social policies that have attempted to address these issues. Respond to the following: •How is the linkage between poverty and discrimination reflected in the conditions of racial and ethnic minority populations? •Identify two examples of social policies that have attempted to address these issues and discuss their effectiveness. •Support your positions with material from your library research. Write your initial response in a minimum of 200–300 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. By Saturday, August 2, 2014, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, August 6, 2014, review and comment on at least two peers’ responses. Cover the following items in your posts: •Provide a statement of clarification. •Provide a point of view with rationale. •Challenge a point of discussion, or draw a relationship between one or more points of the discussion. _______________________________________________________________________ Assignment 2: Taking Action In this course, you have been introduced to ethics, social problems, and social policy. This assignment will prompt action from you to help resolve a social issue. You must learn about a problem, find a piece of legislation addressing your concern, and act to help solve the problem. Using the textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, do the following: 1. Identify the Problem Select and research a social issue based on the course readings or personal interest. Then, address the following: •Define and describe the social issue in detail using a variety of relevant outside sources. •Explain the social context of the social issue. •Identify and describe ethical concerns related to the social issue. •Determine what population is most impacted by the social issue. 2. Find the Legislation Use credible government sources to find and learn about a piece of legislation related to your chosen social problem or issue. Then, address the following: •Explain how the piece of current legislation relates to the social problem or issue. Make sure you provide a description of the piece of legislation. 3. Write an Advocacy Letter In order to help resolve the social issue, you must take action. Identify your elected representative(s) and find their contact and e-mail addresses. Write an advocacy letter regarding the piece of legislation and your support of or opposition to it. The purpose of an advocacy letter is to support or oppose the legislation that affects a social issue of concern to you. This letter is a way for representatives to stay in touch with the constituents they represent. The letter consists of a brief introduction identifying and addressing the social issue of concern (through personal experience, if applicable), an identification of the piece of current legislation that addresses your chosen issue, and your request advocating your representative to support or oppose the legislation. Be sure to address the following in your letter: •Identify the purpose of your letter. •Identify House bill (HR) or Senate bill (S) number of the legislation. •Briefly summarize the social problem or issue. •Explain the importance of the legislation as it relates to your issue. •Advocate for or against the legislation in a knowledgeable and respectful tone. This includes the following: ◦Evaluating the proposed impact of the legislation on target population ◦Proposing possible ways the legislation can influence the social problem or issue Download and review samples of advocacy letters. Use either of the sample letters as a template for your own letter. Write a 3–5-page report in Word format that begins with an Advocacy Letter followed by a supporting report of 3–5-pages. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.doc. By Wednesday, August 6, 2014, deliver your assignment to the M3: Assignment 2 Dropbox. Assignment 2 Grading Criteria Maximum Points Identify the Problem: Define and describe the social issue in detail using relevant outside sources. (Course Objective [CO] 1) 24 Identify the Problem: Identify and describe ethical concerns and population(s) most impacted by this social issue. (CO 1, 4) 28 Finding the Legislation: Explain piece of current legislation related to social problem/issue and evaluate legislation related to social problem or issue. (CO 3, 4) 28 Advocacy Letter: Identify purpose of your letter, as well as, the House bill (HR) or Senate bill (S) number of legislation. (CO 1, 2) 20 Advocacy Letter: Analyze the importance of legislation related to problem or issue. (CO 3, 4) 28 Advocacy Letter: Advocate for or against legislation in knowledgeable and respectable tone. (CO 4) 28 Written Components: Organization. (12) Usage and mechanics. (12) APA elements. (16) Style. (4) 44 Total: 200