Category: Essays on Controversial Topics
Browse our collection of essays on controversial topics. Each topic in this category represents a controversial issue and thus is a good choice if you are looking for argumentative or persuasive essay topics. When writing an argumentative essay or a persuasive essay you should focus on picking a topic that is current and relevant to society and can be argued logically.
While a strong interest in a topic is important, it’s not enough to be interested. You have to consider what position you can back up with reasoning and evidence. It’s one thing to have a strong belief, but when shaping an argument you’ll have to explain why your belief is reasonable and logical. As you explore the topics, make a mental list of points you could use as evidence for or against an issue.
One of the most contentious issues facing us today is the impact of changing norms and values on the bedrock of society: the family. The structure of the family has changed significantly over the past 50 years, so much so that it is often difficult for both individuals …
Blended families are the result of two adults establishing a union, with at least one having had a child or children previously. Because the concept of family itself is evolving to include gay partnerships, “commuter” relationships with separate households, and cohabiting couples, the definition of the blended family …
Dysfunctional family refers to a family pattern generally associated with lower levels of health, well-being, happiness, and positive outcomes, compared with other families. Conceptualizing a dysfunctional family should be not as a dichotomy but as a continuum, viewing it in terms of degrees of dysfunction. Some families may …
The extended family consists of two or more generations of the same family residing in the same household. Members of the extended family can consist of, but are not limited to, husband and wife, their children, maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The extended family is …
The nuclear family consists of a married couple and their children, either natural or adopted, who reside within the same household. Because the nuclear family is based on marriage, it is also called the “conjugal family.” Nuclear families form around marriage, a legal relationship that includes economic cooperation, …
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 was the first piece of legislation signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Prior to its enactment, the legislation went through numerous iterations, with nearly a decade of congressional debate, and was vetoed twice by President George H. W. …
U.S. immigration laws are based on the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act and subsequent amendments. These laws grant priority for permanent residence status to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents for family reunification. Priority is also given to applicants with critical job skills, refugees and …
Famines are complex processes, usually arising from a combination of several causes over an extended period. Their effects on different households and social groups vary greatly according to levels of anticipation and preparedness, capacity to cope with sustained adversity, and ability to return to previous livelihood patterns once …
The fathers’ rights movement is an international movement, though concentrated in Western countries, that seeks to protect the legal rights of biological fathers. This primarily involves advocating for custodial rights for divorced fathers on the part of local, state, and national organizations, such as the American Coalition for …
A felony, in contrast to a misdemeanor, is a more serious and harmful offense to society. Rooted in common-law tradition, felonies in most states are offenses punishable by imprisonment for one or more years or death. Misdemeanor offenders receive sentences for less than a year and serve their …
Female genital cutting (FGC; also known as “female circumcision” or “female genital mutilation”) has sparked enormous debate because the issue lies at the crux of many other critical issues: globalization, sovereignty, women’s and children’s rights, democracy, and modernity. The precise origins of the practice, which dates back to …
Feminism is both a theoretical perspective and a social movement. As a theoretical perspective, feminism provides an explanation of social behavior and social phenomena, particularly those having to do with gender. As a social movement, feminism seeks to bring about social change, specifically gender equity. Feminism as a …
Feminist theories are varied and diverse. All analyze women’s experiences of gender subordination, the roots of women’s oppression, the perpetuation of gender inequality, and remedies for gender inequality. Liberal feminism argues that women’s unequal access to legal, social, political, and economic institutions causes women’s oppression. Liberal feminists advocate …
The term feminization of poverty was first coined by Diana Pierce in 1976 in an attempt to describe the changing demography of the poor in the United States since 1960. Whereas the poverty rate for all families in the United States had declined quite rapidly (from 18.1 percent …
Fertility is the process of producing live births. Because of their roles in shaping population dynamics and change, fertility, migration, and mortality are central concepts in the field of demography. Demographic transition theory attempts to trace populations as they move from high or low birth and high or …
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a cluster of birth defects related to prenatal alcohol exposure. There are four diagnostic criteria for FAS: prenatal and/or postnatal growth deficiency, central nervous system abnormalities (most typically mental retardation), a set of characteristic craniofacial features, and confirmed maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. …
Fetal narcotic syndrome refers to the effects on the fetus and newborn of exposure to illicit substances— particularly cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin—during pregnancy. Narcotic use during pregnancy poses risks to both the woman and the fetus, including miscarriage, poor fetal growth, placental problems, premature delivery, low birth …
Flextime refers to an arrangement permitting full-time employees to negotiate hours of employment, allowing for an arrangement of the start and end times of the workday and workweek in such a way that they vary from the standard work schedule. Flextime arrangements benefit both the employee and the …
A focus group includes either strangers or acquaintances and typically 8 to 12 participants. Focus group interviewing is a valuable method for studying how particular categories of people think about social issues and social problems. The goal in such research is often to examine how claims making in …
Food security is access by all people in a population at all times to a reliable supply of food from socially acceptable sources sufficient for an active and healthy life. In contrast, food insecurity is the involuntary shortage of food due to economic constraints. When this food shortage …
