One subfield of sociology deals with the impact of crime in our society. There are many paper topics that can specifically address crime. One might deal with the impact of crime in inner city development or effects of crime on the relationships between parents and children and what the long-term implications of those relationships are. Writers can also look at drug abuse and the ramifications of that abuse on any number of social institutions --- the family, education or the job market.
There are many possible topics on the role of family in social development. Writers could look at the impact of single-parent homes on troubled adolescents or the ways those broken homes contribute to other social problems, such as drugs, crime and adolescent ambition. Other topics could include comparisons between working parents and those that stay at home or the stigmas associated with adopted children and how they are integrated into the home and the community as a whole.
Many students will feel right at home choosing term paper topics related to popular culture. Students might investigate what impact television is having on the way we perceive ourselves and those around us. Violence in video games or the impact of technology on interpersonal communication would both be good subjects for a sociology paper topic. You could also explore how society values music and sports and the implications of that valuing on self-perception. Also, why we respond to certain forms of humor on television or the mass media and what that says about our social values would be a fine topic to pursue.
The causes and effects of race relations in our society can lead to very promising term paper topics. You might look at some of the root causes of racism or the manner in which racism manifests itself in common culture. How does television help or hurt our understanding of others? Similar topics about how gender roles are cemented in our cultural consciousness and the discriminatory effects of such roles. You might look at specific examples of race and gender stereotypes or what the effects of those stereotypes are on social growth.