Social Issues

Social & Ethical Issues
[Dewey numbers: 170s; 360s]
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The Library subscribes to two online databases which can be helpful for your social issues projects. One is the EBSCO Magazine and Newspaper database. Once you've logged in check out the "Topic Search" link. The other database is the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, an online version of the Opposing viewpoints books. Both of these resources have much more than just articles. They also index books, primary source documents, and websites. Ask the library staff for User Names and Passwords for these online resources. Print resources which have articles on social issues include CQ Researcher (REF 300.973 CQ), SIRS Enduring Issues (SIRS binders in the Reference Room), and the Information Plus guides all of which are great resources for current issues projects.
See also Help with Social Issues Research. This page will give you help not only with Internet resources but also tell you where to look in the library collections for materials on social issues. For international issues see the Cybrary's World Issues Page. For health and medical issues see the Health Page.

Social Issues - http://www.multnomah.lib.or.us/lib/homework/sochc.html: A part of the Multnomah County Library Homework Center, this webliography was created for "middle and high school students researching current social issues from multiple perspectives." The three dozen highly relevant topics include: abortion; affirmative action; AIDS; animal rights; capital punishment; censorship; child labor; children's rights; civil rights; creation science vs. evolution; drugs and drug abuse; drunk driving; euthanasia & assisted suicide; famine; flag burning; gangs; gender issues; genetic engineering; global warming; homelessness; homosexuality; immigration; national debate topic; organ & body donation; prayer in schools; sweatshops; violence in schools; welfare; and world population.
Yahoo! Issues and Causes - http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Issues_and_Causes/: A comprehensive list of various "issues and causes" which have implications nationally and internationally. The list includes: Abortion, Activism resources, Affirmative action, Afrocentrism, Animal rights, Breastfeeding in public, Campaign finance reform, Child advocacy, Church-state, Civil rights, Climate change policy, Cloning, Conservation, Correction and rehabilitation, Creation vs. evolution, Dam issues, Death penalty, Disabilities, Diversity, Drug policy, Educational equity, Environmental health, Euthanasia, Extended breastfeeding, Fat acceptance, Feminism, Firearms policy, Food safety, Genetic engineering, Gentrification, Global warming, Health care policy, Historical issues, Housing, Human genome projects, Human rights, Immigration reform, Immunizations, Internet policy, K-12 education, Language policy, Lesbians, gays, and bisexuals, Literacy, Men's movement, Militia movement, Minimum wage, Mining, Multiculturalism, Native American, Oil and gas, Ozone depletion, Peace and nonviolence, Philanthropy, Political issues, Pollution, Population, Pornography, Poverty, Prostitution, Race relations, Racial profiling, Secondhand smoke, Shorter workweek, Social security reform, Socially responsible investing, Stadium taxes, Sustainable agriculture, Sustainable development, Tax reform, Term limits, Urban sprawl, Violence, Waste management, Weapons disarmament and nonproliferation, Weight and nutrition, Welfare reform, Whistleblowing, Xenotransplantation, and, Zoos.
Issues and Conflicts Page from IPL - http://www.ipl.org/cgi-bin/teen/teen.db.out.pl?id=ic0000: As well as links to general sites about teen problems, this page has special links to the issues of abuse, advice and counseling, baby-sitting safety, cars & driving, cultural diversity, disabilities, family, gangs, homelessness, law, teen pregnancy, sexual assault, sexuality & sexual orientation, and suicide.
Puberty101 - http://www.puberty101.com: Puberty 101 was founded by J. Geoff Malta, an adolescent therapist. For several years Mr. Malta provided a place on the web for adolescents and teens to ask questions and get honest open answers about puberty. Puberty 101 soon became an important educational resource on the web. Currently it is run by teenagers themselves. From this site you can find answers to your questions on GovTeen.com's puberty forums; speak out about your rights at B418.com; and take part in online discussions at TeenCentre.net. Links are provided to short articles on the following topics: Puberty: Am I gay, Height, Is it normal, Love, Can I get pregnant if..., Pubic hair, Sexual feelings, Underarm hair, Circumcision, Erections, Masturbation, Penis size, Wet dreams, Stages of puberty, Drawings (male & female genitalia, breasts, pubic hair, orchidometer, foreskin), Breast size, Female arousal, Menstruation, Gynecologist; Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Clap, Syphilis, Genital warts, Genital herpes, Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, Nonspecific urethritis, Nongonoccal urethritis, Pubic lice; Drug Abuse: Alcohol, Amphetamines, Anaesthetics, Cocaine, Ecstasy, Heroin, Ketamine, Inhalants, LSD, Marijuana, Mushrooms, Nitrites, Steroids, Tobacco, Tranquilizers; Mental Health: Adoption, Alcoholic parents, Alcohol and drug abuse, Child abuse, Conduct disorders, Depression, Discipline, Adolescent development, Divorce, Eating disorders, Foster care, Gay and lesbian teens, Grief, Learning disabilities, Long term illness, Manic-depressive, Mentally ill parents, Moving, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Online-Internet use, Panic disorder, Pregnancy, Psychiatric evaluation, Psychiatric medication, Psychotherapy, Schizophrenia, Sexual abuse, Sleep problems, Stepfamily problems, Stress, Suicide, Talking about sex , Threats, Tic disorders, Psychiatric medications, Questions before psychiatric treatment, Violent behavior, and Where to find help.
The Diary Project- http://www.diaryproject.com/: "The Diary Project, a non-profit organization, is a global multimedia resource that encourages teens to write about their day-to-day experiences growing up. The nucleus of the project is this website. We invite you to write freely and often about anything that is on your mind, just as you would in your own journal. Our goal is to encourage communication amongst teens of all cultures and backgrounds, provide peer-to-peer support, stimulate discussion, and generate feedback that can help ease some of the concerns encountered along the way."
Marin Services - http://www.marinservices.org/: "These pages are made to be a quick and easy way to find resources for people who are homeless and for people with low income." Links are provided to: 24-hour Crisis Lines; Accessibility; Administrative Support; Alcoholism; Childcare; Clothing; Community Support; County Government; Drug Recovery; Education; Finances; Food; Health Care; Housing; Identification; IRS Income Tax; Job Counseling; Job Search; Legal Aid; Mail; Mental Health; Seniors; Shelter; SSI; Transportation; Utility Payments; and Veterans.
ThinkQuest- http://www.thinkquest.org/: "ThinkQuest is an educational initiative committed to advancing learning through the use of computer and networking technology. ThinkQuest challenges teachers and students of all ages to use the Internet in innovative and exciting ways as a collaborative, interactive teaching and learning tool." Over a thousand student-designed Web pages are indexed in the ThinkQuest Library.
USA Today: Annual Teen Survey - http://www.usaweekend.com/classroom/index.html#survey: Annual survey and results on teen opinions of matters of importance and value to teens. For 1997 the survey was on the issue of freedom, in 1998 teens were surveyed about self image, in 1999 they were surveyed about their attitudes toward money, in 2000 the survey asked teenagers about their attitudes toward safety issues, and in 2001 the issue was attitudes toward parents.
Tolerance.org - http://www.tolerance.org/index.jsp: "The mission of Tolerance.org is to create a national community committed to human rights. Its goal is to awaken people of all ages to the problem of hate and intolerance, to equip them with the best tolerance ideas and to prompt them to act in their homes, schools, businesses and communities. Tolerance.org is a Web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a national non-profit civil rights organization that promotes tolerance and diversity and combats hate and discrimination through education, investigation and litigation.
Redwood Cybrary Civil Rights Page- http://rhsweb.org/library/civil_rights.htm: Links to pages on the civil rights movement of the post-World War II era. Includes links to such topics as: Brown v Board of Education; Desegregation at Little Rock's Central High; Mongtomery Bus Boycott; Plessy v Ferguson; and the people of the civil rights movement.
Redwood Cybrary Health Page - http://rhsweb.org/library/health.htm: Links to pages on all sorts of health topics including: Alcohol, Consumer Issues, Diseases, Drugs, Environmental Health, Family, Emotions, Safety Issues, Nutrition, Personal Health, Psychology, and Smoking.
Statistical Resources on the Web - http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/Documents.center/stats.html: From the University of Michigan Documents Center, a well organized collection of statistical data. Grouped by major subject area: Agriculture, Business and Industry, Comprehensive Subjects, Consumers, Cost-of-Living, Demographics, Economics, Education, Energy, Environment, Finance, Foreign Government Data Sources, Foreign/International Economics, Foreign Trade, Government Finances, Health, Housing, Labor, Military Politics, Science, Sociology, Tourism, Transportation, and Weather.
Project Censored - http://censored.sonoma.edu/ProjectCensored/: The primary objective of Project Censored is to explore and publicize the extent of censorship in our society by locating stories about significant issues of which the public should be aware, but is not, for one reason or another.
The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights - http://lcweb2.loc.gov/const/abt_const.html: The Constitution defines the fundamental law of the United States federal government, setting forth the three principal branches of the federal government, outlining their jurisdictions, and propounding the basic rights of U.S. citizens. It has become the landmark legal document of the Western world, and is the oldest written national constitution currently in effect. The essential principle of the document is that government must be confined to the rule of law.
The Public Agenda - www.publicagenda.org: "Public Agenda is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research and citizen education organization .... The two-fold mission of Public Agenda is to: Help leaders better understand the public's point of view on major policy issues.... [and] Help citizens better understand critical policy issues so they can make their own more informed and thoughtful decisions. Links are provided to "issue guides" on the following issues: Abortion; America's Global Role; Campaign Finance; Child Care; Crime; the Economy; Education; The Environment; The Family; the Federal Budget; Gay Rights; Health Care; Illegal Drugs; Immigration; Internet Speech/Privacy; Medical Research; Medicare; Poverty and Welfare; Race; Right to Die; and Social Security.
Women's History Resources - http://rhsweb.org/library/women.htm: The RHS Cybrary's collection of links to locations that cover the history of the struggle of women for equality.
African and African American Resources - http://rhsweb.org/library/african.htm: Collection of links to resources related to African and African American topics.
Native Peoples Resources - http://rhsweb.org/library/native.htm: Collection of links to resources related to native peoples, including native American topics.
Asian and Asian American Resources - http://rhsweb.org/library/asian.htm: Collection of links to resources related to Asian/Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans.
European and European American Resources - http://rhsweb.org/library/european.htm: Collection of links to resources related to Europeans and European Americans.
Latina/o and Hispanic American Resources - http://rhsweb.org/library/latino.htm: Collection of links to resources related to Latina/o and Latin American topics.