The Class
Our Approach
Each Brief is structured in the same way, enabling readers to pick any Brief and quickly find the information they need. In the Ballard Brief class, students dive into the complexities of their selected social issue using four different steps. These steps turn into the four different sections found in every Ballard Brief:
Context
This section provides the basics of the social issue and answers fundamental questions: what the social problem is, who is most affected by the problem, and how widespread the issue is. It also provides necessary information on the issue’s history, notable trends, common questions, and misconceptions about the topic. This Context section gives readers a good foundation for what to expect from reading the Brief.
Contributing Factors
Just as a tree’s roots anchor it in place, social problems are deeply rooted in various factors that contribute to the problem. The Contributing Factors section provides information on what “roots” are feeding into a social issue, providing a multidimensional view of the issue. It is important to have a good understanding of a social issue’s contributing factors to avoid pursuing strategies that only address an issue’s consequences.
Consequences
This section outlines specific and direct consequences of the given social issue. A single social issue can have several individual and widespread consequences: legal, economic, social, emotional, environmental, and others. Ballard Briefs examine several direct consequences in order of importance and prevalence. This section allows readers to not only learn about the effects of a social issue but also which consequences to target in their efforts to alleviate the issue.
Practices
This section highlights what is already being done about the social issue. The Practices section provides insights on what types of interventions have been successful and unsuccessful. These interventions may include government interventions, broad practices, or specific organizations. This section may also provide insights into the effectiveness of efforts and organizations.
Want to Write a Brief?
Applications for Spring/Summer 2023 are open!
Please submit by March 11, 2023