Soc 206 - Final Exam Paper - Freedom

Jose Sandoval

SOC 206 Tele course

Millie Harmon

Instructor

SOC 206

harm@exchange.chemeketa.edu

RE: Final Exam Paper

Social problem is defined as conditions that are undesirable, unjust, dangerous, and offensive or in some way threatening to the smooth functioning of society.

Social policy would be the course of action or intended course of action conceived as deliberately adopted, after a review of possible alternatives, and pursued, or intended to be pursued.

Being part of a minority group, gives me a big insight into what issues affect the Latino community. I'm of Mexican decent and also part of the first generation in my family to be born in the United States of America. I grew up in Northern California and at a young age started running with gangs, which led to me dropping out of high school, my junior year. From my perspective one of the most pressing social problems affecting today's Latino youth is the failure to succeed in the school system, producing the highest dropout rate among any ethnic group in the US. I believe that Latino youth are falling out of the educational system because of inequality and offensive way they're being taught.

While the school dropout rates of some minorities have fallen over time, the rates for Hispanic students have remained stubbornly high; the annual dropout rate for Hispanic students is more than double the rate for African-Americans and 3 1/2 times that for non-Hispanic whites. The national drop out rate is 26 percent of students enrolled in high school. But when these statistics are broken down into ethnic groups, the drop out rate for minority students is far bleaker. I found that 44 percent of African- American students and 46 percent of Latino students dropped out of high school in 1998. The minorities with the highest drop out rate in Oregon are consistent with this, being those of Hispanic decent.

Public schools is where I would start, trying to solve this unjust problem, I believe that the Educational system in most public schools today are inadequate and cause youth to fall throw the cracks, especially minorities. It does not address the cultural differences in the students and therefore is not effective with students coming from strong cultural beliefs, aside from mainstream America. I would begin with the way classes are being taught. The Latino population is experiencing a great surge in its population and along with it bringing many youth into the system. I believe that classes should be taught in Spanish, so that the transition for newly arrived and those that first language is other than English, is made much easier. I still believe