What Is a Social Problem? Objective and Subjective ...

[Pages:8]What Is a Social Problem?

Objective and Subjective Elements of Social Problems

Objective element of a social problem refers to the existence of a social condition They exist independently of our perception Social conditions often affect people in waves or patterns Subjective element of a social problem refers to beliefs that particular social conditions

are harmful to society Social conditions are not considered social problems until a segment of society believes

that these conditions diminish the quality of human life Claims-making activities- strategies and actions that individuals or groups undertake to

define social conditions as social problems Defining conditions as problems is a social activity that assumes shared values and

shared definitions regarding what counts as a social good Past (and future) sociological assessments do not necessarily begin from the same shared

definitions A social problem is a social condition that a segment of society demonstrates to be

significantly harmful to members of society and in need of remedy

Variability in Definitions of Social Problems

Definitions of social problems vary not only within societies, but also across societies and historical periods

Concepts

Elements of Social Structure

Structure of a society refers to the way society is organized Different parts: institutions, social groups, statuses, and roles Social facts- that is, phenomena created by social organization rather than individual acts

of desperation

INSTITUTIONS An institution is an established and enduring organization of social relationships Main institutions: family, religion, politics, economics, and education Other examples: science and technology, mas media, medicine, sport and the military

SOCIAL GROUPS Social groups- defined as two or more people who have a common identity, interact, and form a social relationship A primary group, which tends to involve a small number of individuals, is characterized by intimate and informal interaction

 A secondary group, which may involve a small or large number of individuals, is taskoriented and characterized by impersonal and formal interaction i.e. employers and employees

STATUSES A status is a position a person occupies within a social group Statuses we occupy largely define our social identities Ascribed status is one that society assigns to an individual on the basis of factors over which the individual has no control Achieved status is assigned on the basis of characteristics or behaviour over which an individual has some control Ascribed statuses may affect the likelihood of achieving other statuses Everyone occupies numerous statuses simultaneously A persons master status is the one considered the most significant in a persons social identity

ROLES Every status is associated with many roles- the set of rights, obligations, and expectations associated with a status Roles guide our behaviour A single status involves more than one role

Elements of Culture

Culture refers to the meanings and ways of life that characterize a society

BELIEFS Beliefs refer to definitions and explanations about what is assumed to be true Beliefs influence not only how a social condition is interpreted, but also the existence of the condition Sociologists do not accept beliefs as true, but as sources of information

VALUES Values are social agreements about what is considered good and bad We apprehend social conditions as social problems when the conditions are incompatible with or contradict closely held values Absent or weak values may also contribute to social problems

NORMS AND FOLKWAYS Norms are socially defined rules of behaviour, serve as guidelines for personal behaviour Three types of norms: folkways, laws and mores Folkways refer to the customs and manner of society

LAWS, MORES AND SANCTIONS Laws are formalized norms backed by political authority

 Some norms, called mores, have a moral basis Violations of mores may produce shock, horror, and moral indignation All norms are associated with sanctions, or social consequences for conforming to or

violating norms When we violate a social norm, we may be punished by a negative sanction Most sanctions are spontaneous expressions of approval or disapproval by groups or

individuals- referred to as informal sanctions

SYMBOLS A symbol is something that represents something else Symbols of a culture include language, gestures, and objects whose meaning is commonly understood by the members of a society

The Sociological Imagination

The sociological imagination refers to the ability to see the connections between our personal lives and the social world in which we live

Enables distinction between "private troubles" and "public issues"

Theoretical Perspectives

Sociological theories help us to explain and predict the social world in which we live A theory is a set of interrelated propositions or principles designed to explain an

observable phenomenon Structural- functionalism assesses social structures and their functions or dysfunctions Conflict theory understands differentials in power, well-being, and access to resources Symbolic interactionism asks how people come to agree about the meaning and

significance of what occurs between them Feminist theory demonstrates that women are marginalized by social structures Postmodern theory argues that the progressivist stance of modernism presupposes too

easily that subjects and societies are stable and linear, moving toward their best possible manifestation Queer theory corrects the pervasive assumption that heterosexuality is both natural and ahistorical Offers more nuanced accounts of history Structural-functionalists see the world divided neatly into male and female bodies that fulfill social roles, tasks and institutional requirements Queer theory extends its utility well beyond the scope of questions focuses on sexuality

Structural-Functionalist Perspective

Society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole

Structural-functionalist perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of society by focusing on how each part influences and is influenced by other parts

 Elements of society are functional if they contribute to social stability and dysfunctional if they disrupt social stability

A manifest function is an intended, recognizable consequence or intent A latent function is an unintended, commonly hidden consequence or denied intention

Structural-Functionalist Theories of Social Problems

SOCIAL PATHOLOGY Social pathology model, social problems result from some "sickness" in society Society becomes "ill" when its parts- elements of the structure and culture- no longer perform properly Social illness also results when members of a society are not adequately socialized to adopt its norms and values To prevent or solve social problems, members of society must receive proper socialization and moral education

SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION Rapid social change disrupts the norms in a society When norms become weak or are in conflict with each other society is in a state of anomie, or normlessness The solution to social problems lies in slowing the pace of social change and strengthening social norms

CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE Conflict perspective views society as a struggle among different groups and interests competing for power and resources Sees conflict and struggle as the central feature of our social world Originates with the classic works of Karl Marx Marx argued that all societies go through stages of economic development Two classes of people: the bourgeoisie, or the owners of the means of production, and the proletariat, or the workers who earn wages According to Marx, the bourgeoisie use their power to control the institutions of society to their advantage

Conflict Theories of Social Problems

MARXIST CONFLICT THEORIES Social problems result from the class inequality inherent to capitalism Capitalism also encourages "corporate violence" Corporate violence may be defined as actual harm or risk of harm inflicted on consumers, workers, and the general public as a result of decisions by corporate executives or managers Focus on the problem of alienation, or powerlessness and meaninglessness in peoples lives Workers often have little power or control over their jobs

 The solution lies in eliminating inequality among classes of people by creating a classless society

NON-MARXIST CONFLICT THEORY Concerned with conflict that arises when groups have opposing values and interests Different value positions reflect different interpretations of what constitutes a social problem Solutions to the problems generated by competing values may involve ensuring that conflicting groups understand each others views, resolving differences through negotiation or mediation Outcomes of value conflicts are often influenced by power Macro-sociology- it looks at the "big picture" of society

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Micro-sociology- focuses on the psychological dynamics of individuals interacting in small groups

Symbolic interactionism reflects the micro-sociological perspective Symbolic interactionism emphasizes that human behaviour is influenced by definitions

and meanings that are created and maintained through symbolic interaction with others Suggested that humans respond to their definition of a situation rather than to the

objective situation Suggests that our identity or sense of self is shaped by social interaction Verstehen implies that in conducting research social scientists must try to understand

others views of reality and the subjective aspects of their experiences

Symbolic Interactionist Theories of Social Problems

A condition must be defined or recognized as a social problem in order for it to be a social problem

Develop in stages: o Social problems pass through the stage of social recognition o Social legitimation takes place when the social problem achieves recognition by the larger community, including media o The development of a social problem involves mobilization for action which occurs when individuals and groups become concerned about how to respond to the social condition

Labeling theory, a major symbolic interactionist theory of social problems, suggests that a social condition or group is viewed as problematic if it is labeled as such

Resolving social problems sometimes involves changing the meanings and definitions attributed to people and situations

Feminist Perspectives

 Feminist work begins with the observation that the experiences, social relations, and locations of womens lives are missing or discounted in traditional sociology

Feminist researchers work to move the specifics of womens lives to the centre of sociological inquiry

Multiple forms of feminist theory In all feminist work gender comprises a central subject matter of the theory; gender

relations are viewed as a problem

Postmodern Perspectives

Present a turn away from the positivism of earlier perspectives Recognize that subjectivity and interpretation do not move in one unified direction to

assess a certain, external reality Postmodernism resists simple categorization Charge against what he called "metanarratives"- grand stories that aim to explain total

phenomena

Queer Theory Perspectives

The queer theory perspective Butler helped create refuses the commonly assumed distinction between sex and gender, and in dismantling those allegedly causal relations that structure the difference between the two, Butler...foregrounds the ,,instability at the very heart of sex

Queer theory is both an intellectual and political perspective Aaron Devor helps people understand the complexities of gender and identity in persons

who do not perform gender in "traditional" ways

Social Problems Research

Research and Methods

Think of theorizing as quite divorced from the business of gathering facts One strength of scientific research is that it is subjected to critical examination by other

researchers Of critical importance for students practicing sociologists is the need to be aware that the

methods we choose can have a strong influence on the conclusions we will generate and the powers our work will serve

Stages of Conducting a Research Study

FORMULATING A RESEARCH QUESTION Research study usually begins with a research question Researchers may ask a particular research question because of their personal values Researchers may also want to test a particular sociological theory to establish its validity or conduct studies to evaluate the effect of a social policy or program

REVIEWING THE LITERATURE Researcher reviews the published material on the topic Provides ideas about how to conduct research and helps investigators formulate new research questions

DEFINING VARIABLES A variable is any measurable event, characteristic, or property that varies or is subject to change An operational definition specifies how to measure a variable Particularly important for defining variables that cannot be directly observed

FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS Hypothesis- a prediction or educated guess about how one variable is related to another variable The dependent variable is the variable that the researchers wants to explain In formulating a hypothesis, the researcher predicts how the independent variable affects the dependent variable Status of a variable is not eternal

Methods of Data Collection

EXPERIMENTS An experiment involves manipulating the independent variable to determine how it affects the dependent variable Requires one or more experimental groups exposed to the experimental treatments and unexposed control group Major strength of the experimental method is that it provides evidence for causal relationships Weakness is that experiments are often conducted on small samples

SURVEYS Survey research involves eliciting information from respondents through questions A sample is a portion of the population, selected to be representative so that the information from the sample can be generalized to a larger population

1. Interviews In interview research, trained interviewers ask respondents a series of questions and make

written notes about or tape-record the respondents answers Advantage of interview research is that researchers can clarify questions for the

respondent and follow up on answers Most serious disadvantages of interview research are cost and the lack of privacy and

anonymity Respondents may feel embarrassed Those who do participate may conceal or alter information or give socially desirable

answers

2. Questionnaires May develop questionnaires that they either mail or give to a sample of respondents Advantages of being less expensive and time consuming Provides privacy and anonymity Major disadvantage of mail questionnaires is that it is difficult to obtain an adequate

response rate 3. Talking computers Have respondents provide answers to a computer that "talks"

FIELD RESEARCH Field research involves observing and studying social behaviour in settings in which the behaviour occurs naturally Participant observation research, the researcher takes part in the phenomenon being studied In nonparticipant observation research, the researcher observes the phenomenon being studied without actively taking part in the group or the activity Main advantage is that is it provides detailed information about the values, rituals, norms, behaviours Potential problem is the researchers observations may be biased

SECONDARY DATA RESEARCH Researchers analyze secondary data: data already collected by other researchers or government agencies A major advantage of using secondary data is that the data are readily accessible Also often based on large representative samples Disadvantage is that the researcher is limited to already available data

Goals of the Text

1. To provide an integrated theoretical background 2. To develop an understanding that theories and methods can be extremely useful to one

research project not to another 3. To encourage development of a sociological imagination- various structural and cultural

elements of society have far-reaching effects on the individual lives and societal wellbeing 4. To provide global coverage of social problems 5. To provide opportunities to assess personal beliefs and attitudes 6. To emphasize the human side of social problems 7. To encourage students to take positive social action

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