As we have discussed in class, studying topics that are as closely held to an individual as family can often be extremely personal. For this assignment, I would like you to consider the challenges of a specific area of family study, and describe ways in which researchers may engaged in both biased and un-biased attempts to frame a legitimate research study.
• Part 1– Identify a ‘controversial’ family problem
What is the question that you want to answer? Please use one to two pages of your paper to describe an issue that is of interest to you. Use the syllabus and text book to help you select a problem relevant to our class. Make sure to frame a research question. For example, you could ask, “Do abstinence-based sexual education curricula effectively reduce teenage pregnancy?” Find at least three academic journal articles that discuss your topic, and summarize the current findings.
• Part 2– Public or Private Problem
In class and your readings, you have learned about the difference between a public family and a private family. How do you think Americans feel about the issue you selected? Use about one page to suggest how the family problem you selected might be considered from both a private and public perspective. Do you think, as Cherlin suggests, that people may feel differently about this problem if it occurred in their own family as compared to across society as a whole?
• Part 3– Discuss a Biased Response
Identify a research study from popular media (the internet) that used a method like selective reporting, choosing an inappropriate population to survey, or asking loaded questions. In about two pages, describe the bias, how you identified it, and why it matters. Describe a different methodology that would reduce the bias you identified. Suggest reasons you think a non-biased research method might change the findings. Consider describing findings that show these differences.
Grading Rubric:
10 Selects family problem and phrases as a research question

30 Uses 3 academic sources to describe the current research in this area
30 10-describes the problem from a private perspective
10-describes problem from a public perspective
10-Provides opinion about how Americans may perceive problem
30 15-Identifies biased response to problem
• Describes bias
• Tells why bias matters
• Tells how it was identified
10-suggests a more accurate methodology
5-suggests how findings would change.
10 Uses correct grammar, formatting, and professional writing style and correctly formats citations and Works Cited page