Assignment:
Global Societal Problem, Argument and Solution
Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this assignment, please review this Sample Final Paper GEN499 Preview the document for additional guidance on the expectations of this assignment.
The topic of your essay needs to be a global societal problem from the following list:
- Aging population
- Critical Thinking Skills for the 21st Century
- Gender Inequality
- Global Climate Change
- Global Water Shortage
- Marginalization and Minorities
- Refugee Crises
- Children's Rights
- Social Media Censorship
Reflect: Based on the topic that you have chosen, you will need to use critical thinking skills to thoroughly understand how this topic can be a global societal problem and determine some logical solutions to the problem.
Write: This Final Paper, an argumentative essay, will present research relating the critical thinker to the modern, globalized world. In this assignment, you need to address the items below in separate sections with new headings for each. In your paper,
1. Identify the global societal problem within the introductory paragraph.
- Conclude with a thesis statement that states your proposed solutions to the problem. (For guidance on how to construct a good introduction paragraph, please review the Introductions & Conclusions from the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Describe background information on how that problem developed or came into existence.
- Show why this is a societal problem.
- Provide perspectives from multiple disciplines or populations so that you fully represent what different parts of society have to say about this issue.
3. Construct an argument supporting your proposed solutions, considering multiple disciplines or populations so that your solution shows that multiple parts of society will benefit from this solution.
- Provide evidence from multiple scholarly sources as evidence that your proposed solution is viable.
4. Interpret statistical data from at least three, peer-reviewed scholarly sources within your argument.
- Discuss the validity, reliability, and any biases.
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of these sources, pointing out limitations of current research and attempting to indicate areas for future research. (You may even use visual representations such as graphs or charts to explain statistics from sources.)
5. Evaluate the ethical outcomes that result from your solution.
- Provide at least one positive ethical outcome as well as at least one negative ethical outcome that could result from your solution.
- Explain at least two ethical issues related to each of those outcomes. (It is important to consider all of society.)
6. Develop a conclusion for the last paragraphs of the essay, starting with rephrasing your thesis statement and then presenting the major points of the topic and how they support your argument. (For guidance on how to write a good conclusion paragraph, please review the Introductions & Conclusions from the Ashford Writing Center.
The Global Societal Problem, Argument, and Solution
Must be 1,750 to 2,250 words in length (approximately between seven and nine pages; not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center's APA Style.
Discussion
Reflecting on General Education and Career
Step 1
Prepare: Start by reviewing General Education Curriculum found in General Academic Information and Policies in the Ashford University Catalog, which addresses the core competencies that the general education courses must cover: Applied Ethics, Communication, Information Technology, Critical Thinking, and Quantitative Reasoning. Review Resources that are applicable toward career success.
Step 2
Reflect: Think about the core competencies as previously mentioned, and ponder your time taking general education courses. Reflect on the specific courses not associated with your college major and determine the level of new information you have acquired that relates to the core competencies. You must also think about a potential job you might apply to once you graduate and determine what skills you developed through general education courses that make you qualified for a specific job.
Step 3
Write: For this discussion, you will address the following prompts:
- Review a job description through a job website (e.g., Career Builder, Monster, etc.) in your desired career field. Please provide the job title and the link to the job description.
- Identify at least five skills you have obtained through your general education courses that will make you successful at this job.
- Demonstrate with at least two examples how your newly acquired knowledge and skills have shaped both your personal and professional development.
- Describe your plans for putting your education to use within your community.
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length, which should include a thorough response to each prompt. You are required to provide in-text citations of applicable required reading materials and/or any other outside sources you use to support your claims. Provide full reference entries of all sources cited at the end of your response. Please use correct APA format when writing in-text citations (see In-Text Citation Helper and references.