Assignment 1: Social Construction of a Social Problem and Defined Need
Length: 3-page double-spaced minimum – 5-page double-spaced maximum
Due: 2/22 by 11:59 PM;
Consider the pdf outline, and there are assignment examples in the modules. PLEASE DO NOT USE AS A TEMPLATE. EXAMPLES are to be used to illustrate a point not to model. Based on your research, define and describe a social problem and the need that is created among specific populations. Most of your answers should be based on what the research tells us about how the problem impacts the population and the need they are experiencing. You must support your statements about need with references from relevant literature or research. In the opening paragraph, briefly describe the social problem which will include a context. (examples of introduction are listed below) Main content: Using existing literature, discuss what is known about the problem and how it affects the population in focus: Objective data points to consider: Answer who is in need (based on the data, who is experiencing the problem include specific numbers)? Include national data, statewide, regional or local data to better emphasis the impact of the problem. Based on aggregate data from the government or experts in the field, when is the need evident (how do we know the need exists, national data, county data (service provider reports, police/hospital reports, consider reports like morbidity/mortality reports)? Target Population A target population is any clearly defined population who is experiencing the problem or may be at greater risks to the causes of the problem. Any documentation of need among members of the target population around this problem, including a discussion of how widespread the problem is among the target population and how severely it impacts members of the target population. Any additional demographic information about the target population. Do all members of the target population experience the problem in the same way? For example, do women as members of the target population affected similarly by the problem (Consider intersectionality!)? Does the problem affect single parent households differently from two-parent households? Does the problem affect people with mental illness or with some type of physical disability differently? Which of the causes of the problem listed above seem to be most relevant or greater priority for members of the target population? Subjective information or social norms to consider: Include a short history of the problem (1 page max). What is known about the problem in general? Why do people consider it a problem? Who is being hurt by it? Is it widespread around the country or only found in certain locations? What are the general causes of the problem? How does this social norm impact the understanding of the problem? i.e. who is deserving or services or how does the current society view the populations experiencing the problem? People who are experiencing homelessness; gun ownership and violence; gender identify or misogyny and violence? SHORT EXAMPLES of the introduction: (In the opening paragraph, briefly describe the social problem which will include a context) Research has shown that those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ+) have a 120% higher risk of experiencing some form of homelessness.[1] With up to 40% of the 4.2 million youth experiencing homelessness identifying as LGBTQ+[2] while only 9.5% of the U.S. population[ include this number], LGBTQ+ youth disproportionately experience homelessness compared to their straight and cisgender peers; Reproductive care for women attending college is overlooked or neglected. One study indicated that up to 10% of dropouts among female community college students were the result of unintended pregnancies, with other studies documenting a significant gap between desires to avoid pregnancy and contraceptive knowledge and use among community college students, or a topic you are interested in addressing this semester. (Lots more data you can include on this problem)
Previous assignment: (Use the research topics from below to complete the above assignment)
The interplay between homelessness and substance use disorder in Downtown LA is an example of a systemic crisis stemming from extreme material inequality rather than personal moral failure. The majority of research indicates that the primary condition causing this issue is the extreme lack of material necessities, such as access to a restroom or shower, which creates a survivalist environment that further exacerbates dependency (Goldshear et al., 2025). Furthermore, many of this population suffer from functional impairment to perform daily living tasks, thus limiting their ability to navigate through the current social safety net system (Fields et al., 2025). Recently, there has been a shift toward developing equity-oriented care models and harm-reduction models to help alleviate systemic gaps created by systems responding to this crisis. Examples of how this is taking place include the development of telemedicine-based opioid treatment programs and mobile street medicine teams that can bypass the multitude of barriers present in the traditional hospital setting (Passmore et al., 2025). These systemic responses clearly indicate that it is imperative for the development of systemic responses that address the extreme material deprivation that drives the ongoing cycle of chronic homelessness and addiction.
Through an objective lens, recent surveillance data indicate that a segment of the population is disproportionately out of reach of life-saving healthcare resources. The current statistics indicate that 37.1% of adults encountering homelessness in California report having frequent illicit substance use, yet 43.8% of the unsheltered people used no ambulatory care in the prior year (Fields et al., 2025). This lack of connection is the worst among the marginalized groups, and Black and African American people, and the aging population are disproportionately represented in high-risk mortality statistics (Fields et al., 2025). The study’s geographic scope is the Skid Row area of the Downtown Los Angeles neighborhood, where specific mortality trends are documented (Bishop et al., 2025). The Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner are the primary governmental bodies responsible for monitoring and responding to such circumstances (Bishop et al., 2025). To implement effective measures to improve public health in the given region, one must understand the precise demographic statistics and the geographic concentration of the crisis.
Undesirable Social Conditions Resulting from this Issue
- Extreme States of Preventable Mortality: The crisis leads to the death of people with conditions that are easily treatable, including diabetic ketoacidosis, because of a complete loss of care and fear of institutional stigma (Bishop et al., 2025).
- Forced Displacement and Instability: The policing of the crisis results in forced displacement, resulting in loss of life-saving drugs and survival gear, prolonging the duration of time people are homeless (Goldshear et al., 2025).
- Social Isolation and Lack of Bystander Response: One of the most severe outcomes of this crisis is the dehumanization of the unhoused, in which the bystanders often disregard people in physical distress, resulting in unobserved deaths (Bishop et al., 2025).
References
Bishop, R. A., Tarleton, C., Braslow, J. T., & Castillo, E. G. (2025). Barriers and delays to healthcare at time of death: qualitative analysis of Los Angeles County death records of people experiencing homelessness. BMC Public Health, 25(1).
Fields, J. D., Assaf, R. D., Nguyen, K. H., Platamone, C. C., Pottebaum, J. M., Giannola, J., & Kushel, M. B. (2025). Health Care Access and Use Among Adults Experiencing Homelessness. JAMA Health Forum, 6(5), e250820.
Goldshear, J. L., Ganesh, S. S., Borquez, A., Gelberg, L., Corsi, K. F., & Bluthenthal, R. N. (2025). Material hardship, forced displacement, and negative health outcomes among unhoused people who use drugs in Los Angeles, California, and Denver, Colorado: a latent class analysis. BMC Public Health, 25(1).
Passmore, H., Craft, S., Krieger, R., Tang, S., Sacerdote, S., Lumbis, E., Blaufarb, S., & Doran, K. M. (2025). Innovations at the intersection of homelessness and substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review. Harm Reduction Journal, 22(1).