I have decided that my research question will be “What are the short and long-term effects of divorce on children in the United States?”

I chose to research divorce because of its prevalence in the United States. Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce, and this not only affects the adults involved but more so the children who have little to no say in the process. I was also interested in the United States specifically because we have a very individualistic culture. We tend to prioritize personal success, with the goal of adulthood being independence and personal achievement. I wanted to see if divorce could potentially have positive effects on children in the long-term because of our culture. However, I have realized with the research that I have done so far that the majority of the effects divorce has on children are negative. It tends to occupy their minds, preventing them from completing and understanding their schoolwork. It also tends to negatively affect their self-esteem and mental health. Though there are some parents that take their children to counsel after their divorce, the majority do not. This means the child will be grappling with the situation primarily on their own. I’ve also found so far in my research that the age of the child is also a big factor in how they will interpret the situation they are in. According to one of my sources, the worst ages to experience divorce are children from the ages of six to ten. During this time, these children are already in grade school and their environments will greatly affect how they will be able to cope with the situation they are dealing with at home. This topic is relevant to social action because, in order for the affected children to be successful later in their lives, the adults around them need to be aware and educated of their circumstances. Thus, the target audience for this essay will be parents and educational staff that play a part in the child’s development.

The essay that I will be modelling is: http://marripedia.org/effects_of_divorce_on_children_s_education

I chose to model this essay because it relates to my research topic about divorce and focuses on one of the effects I will be writing about. It is clearly organized in different sections and subsections, as well as includes a large array of sources and statistics to back up their claims. I also plan to include graphs in my research essay similar to this model essay. For my research paper, I have curated a few sources from general search engines, but I still need to consult databases and more trusted websites. By Wednesday, I plan to have the complete list of all my sources, and by the end of this week, I will hopefully be done annotating and analyzing all of my sources.

Bibliography;

Blakeslee, Sandra. “MAJOR STUDY ASSESSES THE CHILDREN OF DIVORCE.” The New 

          York Times, The New York Times, 10 Apr. 1984,

          www.nytimes.com/1984/04/10/science/major-study-assesses-the-children-of-divorce-by-s

          andra-blakeslee.html. 

“Divorce Statistics and Facts: What Affects Divorce Rates in the U.S.?” Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, 

          LLP, 12 Aug. 2020, www.wf-lawyers.com/divorce-statistics-and-facts/. 

“Effects of Divorce on Children’s Education.” Effects of Divorce on Children’s Education 

          [Marripedia], marripedia.org/effects_of_divorce_on_children_s_education. 

Morin, Amy. “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children.” Verywell Family, 6 Aug. 

          2019, www.verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170. 

For this essay, my research question revolves around how does earning a college degree impact an individual’s quality of life in the United States? As a college student in the United States, I can relate to this subject as well as many others who are attending college or planning to attend college. This question relates to the growing debate about the value of a college education. Students are generally told to pursue a college education to become successful in their future by their family and teachers. For those who get a college education, they tend to earn higher salaries and are more marketable.. On the contrary, those who do not pursue a college education generally earn lower salaries and are less marketable. This has developed the ongoing debate of whether college is worth it. Student debt is a major social issue in the United States that correlates to college education as well. Many have argued whether the cost of getting a degree is worth the economic income they will receive with that degree. Although colleges offer a variety of undergraduate degrees, not all degrees lead to a successful career due to the demand in the workforce for specific degrees. S.T.E.M degrees are generally seen as the most successful in terms of the economic outcome they provide to an individual in comparison to other degrees. Many college students are graduating with other degrees and struggling to find a well paying job to pay their student loans. However, many people around the country have chosen not to pursue a college education and this has resulted in the absence of student debt in their lives. Many people without a college degree have had to take on lower salary jobs due to their lack of being marketable in the workforce. On the other hand, many people without a college degree have been able to become successful in life. Many people are naturally talented and skilled in certain areas that make them marketable without the need of a college degree.  Furthermore, there are other alternatives to college when seeking a career that can lead to a successful future.

The model essay that I have chosen for my research is “The value of a college education”, published by the Pew Research Center. This model essay relates to my research question through analyzing the different perspectives Americans have on the college education system. The model essay used the information gathered through the surveys conducted by the research center to compare the statistics pertaining to those with a college degree and those without a college degree This essay will help me structure my essay regarding this subject. By the end of this upcoming week, I will have gathered most of my secondary sources that I will be using throughout my essay as well as analyzing each source to gather the information I will use in my essay. As stated before, the targeted audience of the essay pertains to students who are close to finishing high school and thinking about continuing their education in college. Furthermore, there are also people out there who are thinking of pursuing a college education many years after getting their high school diploma. This research essay may help them better understand the different perspectives society has along with the statistical analysis on the college education system.

Model Essay: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/10/06/5-the-value-of-a-college-education/

Works Cited:

“The ROI of a Bachelor’s Degree.” Bachelor’s Degree Completion, www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-completion/news/is-a-bachelors-degree-worth-it/.

“Is a STEM Degree a Good Investment?” Value Colleges, www.valuecolleges.com/resources/faqs/is-a-stem-degree-a-good-investment/.

Question:-Yet how many more incompetent girls have to lead measurable life, just for some cruel beasts of sexual intercourse without her willing? 

Publication Name:- Frontiers in psychology

Essay Model:- “Blaming the victim of Acquaintance  Rape: Individual, Situational, and Socio-Cultural factors” by Claire R. Gravelin, Monica Biernat, Caroline E. Bucher.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6348335/

Finally, I came up with a question about my research topic. I grew up in an area where I used to watch girls who were scared of getting raped to go alone from one place to another. They avoid some areas and modes of transportation, or they avoid wearing modern clothes that are provoking. When a girl gets raped, society always blames her dress, and this is why girls cannot travel the way they want, and they cannot dress the way they want. Society has bound them to certain compulsions. The parents are too concerned about their girls about going outside. They do not want their girls to face an ambiguous situation. Undergoing ambiguous situations seems likely to contribute significantly to women’s fear of sexual harassment, even if those situations are encountered more frequently than indisputable circumstances of danger. “Warr reported that women (under the age of 35) in the USA fear rape more than any other crime” (Hendrik Peter). If this is the case for a guy, whenever they want, they can go anywhere. Even with a short and sporty t-shirt, they could go outdoors. A dress does not matter to society at that point. Here is the point that we all have to worry about. Why do girls need to lead an observable life, just for some barbaric beasts of sexual intercourse? Rape is not a matter of particular concern that impacts a few people but is a social justice issue that affects all. Society and parents thought that girls cannot protect themselves. That is why they discriminate against girls from boys. This is the best time for girls to show their strength, and society needs to see that girls can defend themselves. “The first argues that women’s involvement in sexual assault prevention is empowering and effective, particularly in respect to self-defense training and avoidance of risky situations” (Nicole Bedera). The family needs to encourage their girls to learn boxing and karate to protect themselves. There is no point in having girls locked within four walls for this issue.  

For my secondary resource, at first, I researched how girls get raped in a different situation. How do they have to face ambiguous circumstances in schools, colleges, even in hospitals? How society bound them in certain compulsions and have to face discrimination almost everywhere. Then I found a resource that helped me improve my analysis and provide me with a strong understanding to prevent this from happening. In my final research, how girls should defend themselves from rape, pursue justice, help the family, more obligation. 

My article will attract an audience of people who are interested in the women’s rights movement. People feel concerns and excuses not to reveal their experiences of rape to the police and lay criminal charges. In my article, I am going to discuss the role of our police officers and support the victims’ families to get justice. Feminists, government officers including police officers, civil officers are also part of my audience.

                                                           Work Cited

Gravelin, Claire R, et al. “Blaming the Victim of Acquaintance Rape: Individual, Situational, and Sociocultural Factors.” Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers Media S.A., 21 Jan. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6348335/. 

Bedera, Nicole, and Kristjane Nordmeyer. “‘Never Go Out Alone’: An Analysis of College Rape Prevention Tips.” Sexuality and Culture, vol. 19, no. 3, 2015, p. 533+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A423856435/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=92c7a12e. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Aronfeld, Spencer Marc. “Sexual assault by a health care provider: it may seem impossible for a patient to be sexually assaulted in a hospital by a health care provider, but it happens. This type of case presents unique challenges. Be ready for them – and help your client hold the responsible parties accountable.” Trial, vol. 45, no. 12, Dec. 2009, p. 46+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A238558841/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=2251d3f6. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Peters, Jan Hendrik, and Michael Hock. “Memory for pictures of sexual assault: Sensitive maintenance of ambiguous stimuli.” PLoS ONE, vol. 15, no. 7, 2020, p. e0236873. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630938579/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=96990fc9. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Mgolozeli, Siyabulela Eric, and Sinegugu Evidence Duma. “‘They all laughed and asked me if I enjoyed having sex with those guys’: Exploring men’s lived experiences when reporting rape to police in South Africa.” PLoS ONE, vol. 15, no. 8, 2020, p. e0235044. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A633157699/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=9ce25224. Accessed 18

Question: “What social and psychological factors influence rates of depression among college students in the United States, and how do institutions of higher education and individuals as themselves help to mitigate these risk factors?”

The name of the publication: Triggers and Strategies to Alleviate Depression Among College Students in the U.S.

Essay Model: “College Students: Mental Health Problems and Treatment Considerations” by Paola Pedrelli, Maren Nyer, Albert Yeung, Courtney Zulauf, and Timothy Wilens. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527955/)

This research question interests me because many people from different groups and demographics must have something they concern about, especially students that come from high school to college, since everything will change and they will face many distinct challenges, but also to form a part of their new experiences. Since then, as college students, they have symbolized as adults now. This response is a part of them becoming more independent and no longer relying on their parents as before. In other words, the university will create a sense of environmental change, while they also have to get used to certain things and adapt to a new whole place and its surroundings. Next, it connects to social action because all of these stresses and depression that each individual will face and has, such as any obstacles and troubles, might lead to some of them (college students) into committing suicide or other misconduct actions due to their impulse, or any other reasons.

This is an essential issue because it is a concern that many college students worry about because of their personal or social difficulties, which may lead to various serious results. Also, as for college students, they have to adapt to many things and at the same time being independent in an age where they couldn’t support all of them of a sudden. So, it is important that we get to know more about depression triggers and what we and other people from high institutions can do to help each other and the community in order to prevent any risk factors. By extension, with all of these in mind, I will look for secondary sources to help me answer the common social and psychological factor influences of depression, but also the importance of higher institutions and as individuals themselves to overcome this issue. As said, the sources will be primarily based on the causes of depression among college students in the USA and some of its treatments.

This research focuses on the audience as college students since they are the main characters for this topic (depression triggers), parents, and people from higher institutions such as instructors, advisors, counselors, and psychologists to help guide the students to overcome some struggles and to reduce the risk factors caused by depression. The audience will be based on them because this writing concentrates on depression amongst college students, but also the connection or relationships between them to their parents, and individuals from higher institutions to help them guide through their obstacles, and prevent any circumstances caused by this matter, also with the idea to get more understanding about this issue.

Bibliography：

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Journals&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=MultiTab&hitCount=5&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=3&docId=GALE%7CA592073094&docType=Report&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA592073094&searchId=R5&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Journals&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=MultiTab&hitCount=5&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CA592073095&docType=Report&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA592073095&searchId=R5&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-and-anxiety-among-college-students/

https://psychcentral.com/depression/depression-treatment/

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-16220-015

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=24&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=4&docId=GALE%7CA160103827&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZONE-MOD1&prodId=AONE&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA160103827&searchId=R2&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=487&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=8&docId=GALE%7CA624880387&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZONE-MOD1&prodId=AONE&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA624880387&searchId=R7&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527955/

https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1027/0227-5910/a000226?journalCode=cri

For my research-based essay question I will be presenting: What are the primary contributing factors to rising U.S. crime rates during the Covid-19 Pandemic? The paper will model the article “Has Covid-19 Changed Crime? Crime Rates in the United States during the Pandemic.” written by J.H. Boman and O. Gallupe for the American Journal of Criminal Justice. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09551-3) My objective is the transference of fact-supported information compiled during my research to an equally inquisitive and concerned audience as I explore three factors that may or may not contribute to the recent rise in violent crime across the country. This question is significant to me as the current resident of a large metropolis where criminality impacts my daily activities and overall safety.  It is relevant to society as it represents possible consequences of our current social climate and choices that have been made amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Thus far I have collected the majority of my secondary source material, notwithstanding additional sources that may be sought out as I thoroughly investigate each subsection.

The first avenue of examination will be whether an increase in alcohol and substance use due to mandated stay-at-home orders nationwide has any effect on increased crime rates. I will parallel information gathered from researchers who studied the HIV/AIDS epidemic, any correlating substance abuse, and its impact on crime and violence at that time. The second consideration will be if the early release of incarcerated individuals, due to Covid-19 health concerns, generated more regional delinquency in the areas surrounding the penitentiaries from which they were discharged. And finally, I will research if BLM and De-fund the Police protesting has any influence on the uptick in criminal activity across the United States. Does the possibility exist that Law Enforcement agents are intentionally eschewing their responsibilities or is the opposite true; are more arrests being made due to the rise of community unrest and the call to action by outraged citizens.

By narrowing the potential causes from my preliminary list of possibilities to the most substantial three, I feel that I can better manage the direction and focus of my research question. My aim is to maintain command of my topic by eliminating redundant ideas that could potentially oversaturate my essay with unnecessary or confusing information making it difficult or tedious to read.

Works Cited

ACLU, “Decarceration and Crime During Covid-19.” American Civil Liberties Union, 27 Jul. 2020, https://www.aclu.org/news/smart-justice/decarceration-and-crime-during-covi19/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020

Ashby, Matthew P. J. “Initial evidence on the relationship between the coronavirus pandemic and crime in the United States.” Crime Science, vol. 9, no. 1, 2020, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A624351034/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=86a8b973. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

Boman, John H., and Owen Gallupe, “Has COVID-19 Changed Crime? Crime Rates in the United States during the Pandemic.” Am J Crim Just 45, 537–545 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09551-3. Accessed 18, Oct 2020.

Curtis, Richard. “The improbable transformation of inner-city neighborhoods: crime, violence, drugs, and youth in the 1990s.” Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, vol. 88, no. 4, Summer 1998, p. 1233. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A54700680/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=7d939bce. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Hobbs, Michael. “Don’t Blame BLM For The Rise In Violent Crime. The Real Reason Is Much More Interesting.” The Huffington Post, 19 Jul. 2020, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dont-blame-the-rise-in-violent-crime-on-protesters_n_5f122c8bc5b6cec246c294f3. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020

Loader, Ian. “To reduce the harm: On defunding the police.” TLS. Times Literary Supplement, no. 6124, 2020, p. 10+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632770147/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=60d033b4. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

NIDA. “Research at the Intersection of HIV with Substance Use Disorders amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 28 Jul. 2020,   https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2020/07/research-intersection-hiv-substance-use-disorders-amidst-covid-19-pandemic. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Raphael, Steven, and Michael A. Stoll. “The effect of prison releases on regional crime rates.” Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs, Annual 2004, p. 207+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A303451041/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=1671c8ad. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Southall, Ashley, and Neil MacFarquhar. “Gun Violence Spikes in N.Y.C., Intensifying Debate Over Policing.” The New York Times, Published 23 Jun. 2020, Updated 24, Aug. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/nyregion/nyc-shootings-surge.html. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

Vitelli, Romeo. “How Are Substance Abuse and Violence Related.” Psychology Today, 08 Mar. 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-spotlight/201803/how-are-substance-abuse-and-violence-related. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Zaveri, Mihir. “A Violent August in N.Y.C.: Shootings Double, and Murder is Up by 50%.” The New York Times. 02 Sept. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/nyregion/nyc-shootings-murders.html. Accessed 11, Oct. 2020.

I’ve decided that my research question will be “How does the United States make it difficult for Immigrants to move on with their lives and succeed?”. Based on some research I’ve looked into, these days the Trump administration has not only seen an increase of people wanting to enter the country legally, but they’ve made it harder for people to earn their citizenship the way they would want people to fill out the process. This question interests me because I am interested with learning about immigration and the upside and downsides that come from it. I found a model essay that I can reference in my essay, the title is “How Trump made it that much harder to become a US citizen”. This article posted on VOX.com goes in depth with what I’m looking for in my research because one section talks about how Trump caused a “naturalization backlog”. This naturalization backlog is basically what happens when someone applies for a citizenship but has to go through another screening process. The process is also more strict than usual and the fees for online naturalization have increased by $1,160 since October 2^nd of this year. Not to mention its already difficult to get much done because of covid-19. But nonetheless, this model essay can help guide my research so I can look more into why the government has made becoming a legal citizen much harder for immigrants these days. In this essay I hope to reach those who are as considered with the problems that have surrounded immigration and possibly educate and inform those who want to learn about the corrupt system and how it has constantly been against minorities. Since this essay is due on November 6^th, I plan to have my research done by next week Sunday, October 25^th. I’ll base my research off the model essay and look more into the subtopics of naturalization and what new laws the government has placed against immigration since 2016. This week I will start looking into the increase of people applying for their citizenship and how that number has increased.

Like our first essay, my topic for this essay will be related to homelessness. I felt inspired by the sources I read when composing my first essay and wanted to do even more research. I especially want to find sources that include the voices of homeless people, with words directly from them. I follow some youtube accounts that interview homeless people. I also follow homeless people on TikTok who spread awareness about the conditions they live in and their experiences being homeless in general. I know of a couple Instagram accounts that document work done to aid the homeless. Specifically, I want to know how I can further make a difference so I can do my part as well as inform others on how they can do their part. I think it is our duty as humans to be there for one another and improve the quality of life for people who are struggling. I also wanted to familiarize myself with facts about homelessness. My first idea for a research question was: How can one help solve the issue of homelessness? However, I feel my first idea cannot be easily debated against. It could also be too broad. This led me to think of the research question: What NYC laws further criminalize or improve the lives of the homeless population? This question may be too specific, however it can be disapproved and requires research to be done. I also thought of the question: How does being homeless affect students in NYC public schools? I feel like I can look at how the NYC public school makes it easier for the lives of homeless youth and also how it can make it harder. I am not sure how many sources are out there for this topic though. As of right now, I am leaning towards the questions of how can one help solve the issue of homelessness and how does homelessness affect the lives of students. I hope to get some help in figuring out which is better to use.

EDIT: While reading through other student’s topic reflections, I started to find interest in the topic of  the prison system. How does the prison system work? Does the prison system help or harm our society? Who does the prison system help or harm? Should prisons be more rehabilitating rather than punitive? I will probably stick with the topics I thought of above, however I hope I will get the chance to research this topic in a future essay for this class.

For this essay, I have chosen to go a little bit far to learn more about social issues currently happening and affecting us, and I, for some reason, did not know a lot or anything about it. Here are two social topics I would like to write for my second essay.

1. To what extent does national security interfere with the personal liberties of the citizens?

Social media has always been a widespread alternative for young adults and teenagers to get in touch with relatives and people worldwide. However, recently there has been one that has taken over the world. TikTok has reached to top in the list of popularities, with more than 2 billion downloads. In the last few months, the world’s largest markets have begun to ban the app for stealing and surreptitiously transmits unauthorized data to third parties. India banned the use of TikTok in June of 2020, while the US still face the hard choice to banned or not, the truth is that people still allegate that these allegations are not 100% truth. Therefore it should not be banned just because of incorrect and weak allegations.

Are girls married before the age of 18 more likely to suffer domestic violence?
Coming from a third world country full of stigmas makes me think a lot about social issues. A social issue that has been placed as one of the most controversial ones in all the tabloids is the child marriage of girls under 16 years old. This issue has the target of multiples comments worldwide, most of them blaming the parents or blaming the lack of education these poor girls received in their lives. In contrast, others refuse to see the other side of the coin, they preferred to ignore the poverty, misery, and suffering these poor girls lived. Countries with the highest percentage of child marriage are usually the ones with the highest percentage of domestic violence, being at the same time considered as the “third world countries” because of their outdated ideas and stigmas.

For my second essay I have decided to write about another social issue that has interested me, that is, the deforestation of national reserves in the Amazon. More specifically, how indigenous tribes have been affected by illegal logging, mining, and farming. Some of the research questions that have come to mind are: Why are people illegally logging, mining, and farming in national reserves in the Amazon? How are indigenous tribes being affected by this? What is the government doing to help indigenous tribes protect their land? These questions arose after I watched a documentary called “Guardians of the Amazon”. This documentary follows a group of indigenous people, from Brazil, in their hunt to stop illegal loggers from logging on their lands. It also points out the lack of response from the Brazilian government in aiding them in their fight. Unfortunately, many more tribes have also had to wage war against illegal loggers, miners and farmers who have, day by day, taken more of their lands. This topic is very important because it talks about how the deforestation of the Amazon threatens the lives of indigenous tribes. Some of these indigenous tribes still remain uncontacted from the world, making them more vulnerable and more likely to disappear if these illegal activities were to continue on in the future. The consequences will be devastating to these local indigenous communities. It saddens me to think that these indigenous people have been forced to take it upon themselves to fight to protect their lands from disappearing. This rainforest has been the home to thousands of generations of indigenous tribes. They shouldn’t have to fight to preserve their homes or their way of life. I plan to answer these questions by researching more on what is causing the deforestation of the Amazonian rainforest, the effects it’s had on indigenous communities, and in what ways has the government not/assisted in protecting these national reserves. I’m still not sure if I want to cover different parts of the Amazon, since it expands over a few countries, or just focus in one location specifically. This battle to protect the rainforest and the indigenous tribes inhabiting them, takes place in several locations.  Lastly, for my opposing point of view, I might research for interviews with loggers, miners, and farmers on their reasons for exploiting the rainforest’s resources.

How does age affect a person’s response to their parent’s divorce? In other words, how will a child’s reaction differ from a teenager or an adult? This question came to mind when I saw a large billboard that advertised divorce attorneys. At the time, I had thought that divorces were uncommon since the majority of people I knew had whole families, so I didn’t understand why such a large ad would be needed for what I thought would be a small number of people. However, when I got home and decided to search up how common divorce was in America, I was surprised to find that fifty percent of marriages end up in divorce. 

This is an important issue that may seem private at first, but upon closer inspection, can be seen as a public one. For one, it involves various institutions outside of the family, such as the state. It also raises policy issues that can include property division, custody, and child support. Beyond immediate consequences, I am also very interested in how this separation in the household will affect the children in both the short and long term. Since children are generally seen as the hope for the future, I believe that in order to really help them succeed, we need to understand the effects of private issues like divorce.

For a more objective view on this issue, I plan to go through web articles, magazine publications and news sites, as well as CCNY’s databases for scholarly articles regarding this topic. I could also possibly ask social workers if they’ve noticed any effects divorce may have had on people they know, or even just ask around for personal experiences, which can help me understand this topic on a more personal level. To start off, I could use social media platforms, like Instagram and Twitter, where minors and young adults tend to poke fun at these types of personal issues.