One challenge for sociologists is to translate their knowledge of conditions producing social issues into concrete measures to improve them. In this assignment, you will work to gather online sources that provide data and propose policies to address a specific social issue.In this case human trafficking. Then,you will compose a letter or an online petition to send to local, state, and/or national representatives in support of a particular policy or approach. Through this assignment you will sharpen your sociological imagination and, by applying it, you will put into practice sociology’s principle that the personal is political.
Drawing on the resources you collected, you will write a letter individually to a state or local representative (US Senator, US Representative, Governor, County Commissioner, City Mayor, etc.) or create an online petition (for change.org, for example) to advocate for your viewpoint on the issue. You must describe the issue briefly. You must also take a position on the issue, supporting your position by referencing some form of data or research. This could involve supporting a specific policy change or increasing or decreasing funding for a particular program. Your letter or online petition must be grammatically correct and proofread. Your letter must include the name and address of a state or local representative. Your letter must be at least 300 words long (it is best to be concise, but still strong).
