SOC 2302: Milestone 2 Guidelines and Grading Guide
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of an Analysis of a Social Problem.
In this milestone you will select one theoretical perspective and how that particular perspective would explain the social
issue that you have selected. Remember to look at the feedback from your instructor from your journal entry in Module 1
and your short paper in Module 3 before you start this assignment.
Prompt Briefly outline your topic and the perspective are you selecting.
Explain how the theoretical perspective would apply your chosen topic. Include the following in your response:
● How the theoretical perspective would explain your topic.
● Identify your approach to the topic – how did you select your perspective? Such as are you interested in
the big picture (macro) or how individuals (micro) are affected by the issue? For example, a macro topic
could be income inequality and the effects it has on society overall. This would require a different
perspective than explaining how individuals are affected by the experience of income inequality or what it
means to be poor when others are not.
● Is there any classic explanation from the perspective you have selected that is addressed in the textbook
(pre-1950)? If so, what is it? Who was the theorist associated with the explanation? For example, Conflict
Theory could be a useful perspective to analyze poverty. Classic examples of the conflict perspective
come from Karl Marx and his writing on the divide between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat and Max
Weber’s three components of stratification. These are really important theorists and theories that the
modern theories are based upon.
● What is the specific theory/theorist that you feel best addresses your chosen social problem?
Analyze the strengths and challenges of the theoretical perspective. Include the following in your response:
● What is the strength of the perspective you selected in explaining your topic? What does the perspective do well?
● Where do you think this perspective could be improved in explaining your topic? What exactly could be improved?
For example, you could discuss the strengths of conflict theory in explaining income inequality. This could include its
particular focus on power differences between groups and differences in resource allocation and what those concepts
mean.
Conflict theory is mostly focused on large groups of people and does not focus much on how individuals make sense of
inequalities or how individuals contribute to inequality other than at group levels, though. This is a weakness of this
perspective, especially compared to symbolic interactionism, which would be very focused on how individuals make sense
of power differences and how interactions reinforce, or, reduce inequalities.
Rubric for Milestone 2 Final Project (100 pts) Requirements of Submission: Your milestone must be submitted as a two-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman
font, one-inch margins, and at least one source cited in APA format.
Instructor Feedback: Students can find their feedback in the Grade Center.
Critical
Elements
Satisfactory (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Topic and
Perspective
Outlines the topic and the
theoretical perspective.
N/A Outlines the topic and the
theoretical perspective but the
response is missing details
and/accuracy.
Does not outline the topic or
perspective.
10
Theoretical
Perspective
Application
Explains how one of the
major theoretical
perspectives would apply to
the topic with sophisticated
awareness.
Explains how one of the major
theoretical perspectives would
apply to the topic.
Explains how one of the major
theoretical perspectives would
apply to the topic but the
response is missing detail
and/or accuracy.
Does not explain how one of
the major theoretical
perspectives would apply to
the topic.
40
Strengths and
Challenges
Analyzes the strengths and
challenges of the theoretical
perspective in explaining
the topic with sophisticated
awareness.
Analyzes the strengths and
challenges of the theoretical
perspective in explaining the
topic.
Analyzes the strengths and
challenges of the theoretical
perspective in explaining the
topic but the response is
missing detail and/or accuracy.
Does not analyze the
strengths and challenges of
the theoretical perspective in
explaining the topic.
40
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations,
grammar, spelling, syntax,
and organization and is
presented in a professional
and easy to read format.
Submission has no major
errors related to citations,
grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization.
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or
organization that negatively
impact readability and
articulation of main ideas.
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or
organization that prevent
understanding of ideas.
10