ENGWR 300 (Abbott)

Research Paper: A Problem in Your Community (and Its Solution)

Project Requirements:
1750-2000 words (7-8 pages, not including Works Cited page, typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt)

Final Draft: Due 12/14 (worth 20% of ENGWR 300 course grade)

Assignments leading up to final draft: 

• Mini-Assignment #1--Prewriting work/topic approval: due Nov. 7
• Mini-Assignment #2--Annotated sources list: due Nov. 21
  • 5 sources (8 needed for final essay) - newspaper, magazine, academic journal article, book, interview subject
• Mini-Assignment #3--Outline/thesis statement: due Nov. 28
• Final draft: due Dec. 14

Prompt
Identify a meaningful problem faced by people in your community, investigate the background and causes of the problem, and learn about potential solutions in order to advocate for what you determine is the best solution.

• Your topic and, later, your thesis must be approved by me in advance as being appropriate for the project.
• As part of the paper, you must define the problem, show your readers the scope of the problem, and explain who/what is affected by the problem, how they are affected, and why they are affected. You must compare two possible solutions to the problem, and based on your research, state how you think the problem should be helped or solved, and why it’s the best solution. To do this, you must cite evidence from quality sources to convince your readers why the problem is serious and worthy of their attention.
• For the purpose of this project, you are free to interpret “your community” in any way that seems fitting. For example, you might choose to explore a problem faced by students in our campus community (Sacramento City College or the community college system in general), your geographic community (your neighborhood, city, or state), or your cultural community (LGBTQ+, Latinx, people with your same profession or hobby/interests, etc.).

Topic: Transgender Rights

• Background: Transgender individuals face specific challenges, including legal and social recognition, access to gender-affirming care, and discrimination.
• Effects: Depression, anxiety, suicide, poverty, lack of access to resources, homelessness, and more. 
• Causes: Transphobia, lack of legal protections, and limited access to supportive resources contribute to these issues.
• Potential Solutions: Advocate for gender identity protections in laws, provide affordable gender-affirming care, and raise awareness about transgender experiences.

Possible Keywords For Research:

1. Transgender rights
2. Gender identity laws
3. Gender expression protection
4. Transgender legal issues
5. Transgender discrimination
6. Gender-affirming care
7. Gender marker change
8. Transgender healthcare access
9. Transgender healthcare disparities
10. Gender transition support
11. Transgender advocacy
12. Gender recognition laws
13. Transphobia
14. Gender identity discrimination
15. Anti-transgender legislation
16. Gender-affirming surgery
17. Transgender legal challenges
18. Transgender civil rights
19. Transgender policy
20. Transgender inclusion