For this assignment, you will  choose one (1) social problem related to health, healthcare, and/or  aging: physical or mental health disparities of race, class, or gender;  inequities in access to quality healthcare or insurance; or ageism  (discrimination against the elderly) or elder abuse.  

Think about which theoretical perspective best applies to the problem  (functionalism, conflict, symbolic interaction, or feminist theory). 

Consider the different research methods that are used to investigate  social problems (quantitative – survey, experiment, existing data or  qualitative – interviews, observations, focus groups, and archival  research) and determine which would be best for researching your topic.  

Assignment Instructions:  

• Pretend you are applying for a grant to fund your research. Write a  letter with an overview of your research proposal. Include the following  components: 
• Follow letter writing format, with the date at the top and Dear  Grant-Funding Institution or To Whom It May Concern. Write in paragraph  form, left-aligned with no indentations and a space between paragraphs  with single or 1.5-spacing and 12-point readable font. 
• Discuss the problem you are researching and why it is important,  including how prevalent or widespread it is (using recent stats within  five years). 
• Explain your theoretical approach. (In other words, apply one of the sociological perspectives to the problem.) 
• Describe which research method you will use and the rationale for  the choice (i.e., why it is applicable). Also, describe two (2) other  research methods and why you chose not to use them. Evaluate the  strengths and limitations of the three research methods. 
• Explain how you plan to utilize the research method. For example, if  you chose survey research, who would you survey and what would you ask?
• Discuss any ethical issues in researching the problem. How would you  avoid harming your research participants physically and/or  psychologically? If using existing data, how would you determine whether  the data was collected in an ethical manner?
• Conclude by thanking the institution for their consideration and close with a farewell greeting and your name.