Homelessness in America is a persistent, complex, and widely-occurring problem that incorporates many economic, social, and psychological dimensions

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Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Final Paper

 

Final Paper

Homelessness in America is a persistent, complex, and widely-occurring problem that incorporates many economic, social, and psychological dimensions. After years of war and economic decline, the ranks of the homelessness have grown to include families with children (35%), military veterans (23%), children (25%), persons fleeing domestic violence (30%), and the mentally ill (20-25%) (National Student Campaign, 2012). Additionally, the number of homeless young adults, aged 18 to 24, is growing, giving homelessness a new face (Saulny, 2012).

With regard to the problem of homelessness, some people perceive a call for greater human compassion, while others demand more effective social policy and more comprehensive public health services. Still others insist on greater individual responsibility and more respect for the needs of business, reinforced by aggressive criminal justice responses.

Your paper will examine a broad range of private and public responses (e.g., laws, policies, programs, and individual behaviors) to various aspects of the problem of homelessness in America. You will examine five to seven such responses in depth, and at least two of those must relate to criminal justice.

For each response examined, you will summarize the nature of the response, its history, its objectives, and information about any positive or negative outcomes relevant to homelessness. You will also analyze each response from the perspectives of distributive, commutative, and retributive justice. You will consider competing/conflicting views (the pros and cons) of the justice issues, leading to a balanced conclusion about the justness of each response. Finally, you will draw an overall conclusion about whether, 30 years from now, the next generation of Americans will view today’s responses to homelessness as just. Your conclusion must be supported by various points in your analysis of the justice of specific responses.

Start your research by reviewing the PDF document, Recommended Resources for the Final Paper. Use these resources to gain familiarity with various aspects of the homelessness problem and a range of responses to it. Some of the websites list other research based resources that contain in-depth information that can also be utilized in your paper. Also, use the Ashford University Library to find scholarly articles that are relevant to the specific responses to homelessness that are the focus of your paper.

The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly resources (at least two of which can be found in the Ashford University Library) other than the textbook to support your claims. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.

Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:

  1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and      formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing      Center.
  2. Must include a title page with the following:
    1. Title of paper
    2. Student’s name
    3. Course name and number
    4. Instructor’s name
    5. Date submitted
  3. Must start with a short introductory paragraph which      includes a clear thesis statement (your answer to the question: Will the      next generation of Americans view as just today’s response to      homelessness?). The thesis statement itself is just that – a statement of      what your essay demonstrates. The thesis is not a question and it is not a      summary of what the topics discussed. The thesis is not a question and it      is not a summary of what the topics are discussed. The thesis should avoid      using the first person voice; avoid sentences like “This paper will show      that…” and avoid asking questions. Rather, your thesis should make      declarative statements.
  4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical      thought.
  5. Must end with a short paragraph which includes a      conclusion. The conclusion and thesis must be consistent.
    1. Your paper must logically develop the thesis in a way       that leads to the conclusion, and that development must be supported by       facts, fully explained concepts or assertions, and persuasive reasoning.
  6. Must use at least five scholarly resources, including a      minimum of two from the Ashford University Library.
  7. Must be in your own words. While brief quotes from      sources may be used, altogether the total amount of quoted text must be      less than five percent of the body of your paper.
    1. When you use someone else’s words, they must be       enclosed in quotation marks followed by an APA in-text short citation       (Author, Year, page number) to your source. The in-text citation must       correspond to a full APA citation for the source on the reference page at       the end of the paper.
  8. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in      the Ashford Writing Center.
  9. Must include a separate reference page, formatted      according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.