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Chapter 1:
The Study
of Social Problems

What is a social problem?

Can you come up with 10 examples?
Who defines a social problem?
Are social problems the same over time?

What Is a Social Problem?

Social Problem
Issue that negatively affects a person’s state of being in a society
Sociology
The study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior

The Sociological Imagination

Sociological Imagination
Ability to look beyond the individual as a cause for success and failure and see how one’s society influences the outcome
To accomplish this we must look for the
Macro (large-scale) point of view
Micro (small-scale) view

The Sociological Imagination

To accomplish this we must look for the
Macro (large-scale) point of view
Helps to understand how history and social structure affect people
Micro (small-scale) view
Understanding the biography of the situation
Seeing social issues from personal viewpoints
Interpreting actions at face value

Example:

Why is the man on the corner?

The Essential Elements
of a Social Problem

The Objective Condition

Any aspect of society that can be viewed without bias
(number of violent crimes, number of mass layoffs, facts that are not arguable)

Subjective Concerns

A judgment based on personal feelings and opinions rather than external facts
(welfare queens living on the system)

Objective Conditions versus Subjective Concerns

Take for example
Unemployment
Poverty
Bullying

Factors that Define
a Social Problem

What is and is not considered a social problem can vary over time
Other factors influence how we define social problems

Factors that Define
a Social Problem

- History

Changes the definition of social problems

- Cultural Values

Values

A part of society’s nonmaterial culture that represent standards by which we determine what is good, bad, right, or wrong.

Women’s education

Factors that Define
a Social Problem

Cultural Universals
Any aspect of one’s social life that is common to all societies
Births, deaths, crime, war, and a host of other issues
Social problems are also cultural universals
Every society has social problems, but how societies deal with these problems can vary a great deal from place to place.

Note—Social problems are dealt with differently from place to place

Awareness

Awareness
The ability of a person or group to bring a problem into public recognition.

Happens after years of conflict (women’s suffrage)

Social Movements

Awareness can lead to:

Social Movements
Activities that support or protest social change (civil rights movement)

Charles Tilly, 20th-century American sociologist
Three elements common to all social movements

3 Elements common to Social Movements

Campaigns: organized and ongoing efforts
Repertoire: actions used to promote interest and participation
Worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitments (WUNC) of individuals involved

The Three Major Paradigms
of Sociology

Paradigms:
The theoretical frameworks through which scientists study the world

Functionalism

Functionalism:

Theoretical framework that defines society as a system of interrelated parts
Believes best way to understand society as a whole is to understand how parts of society are interrelated

Functionalist Thinkers

Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)
Society can be considered a living organism
Social Darwinism: Are some societies superior to others?

Emile Durkheim (1858–1917)
Social integration and social control hold society together
What keeps us “in line” and “together”?

Functionalist Thinkers

Talcott Parsons (1902–1979)
Society is a grand interrelated system in which each individual is instrumental in keeping the system functional

Functionalist Thinkers

Robert Merton (1910–2003)
Every action in society has manifest functions (intended, foreseen) and latent functions(unintended, unforeseen)
Can we ever perfectly predict the future of our actions?

Manifest versus Latent functions

The “manifest” function of antigambling legislation may be to suppress gambling, its “latent” function to create an illegal empire.

Or, Christian missions in parts of Africa “manifestly” tried to convert Africans to Christianity, “latently” helped to destroy the indigenous tribal cultures.

Other examples?

Conflict Theory

Theoretical framework that views society as being in a constant struggle over a limited amount of resources

Also uses a macro approach because it deals with interaction of multiple groups fighting to gain power

Conflict Theory

Conflict theory can be applied to many institutions, not just social class
Any social construct in which inequality can be viewed as a social problem

Conflict Theorists

Harriet Martineau (1802–1876)
Society’s actions are often quite different from the values expressed by that society
How are American values different than our actions?
Karl Marx (1818–1883)
Capitalism breeds conflict between the rich and the poor
Who benefits from inequality of wealth?

Conflict Theorists

W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963)
Social equality is impossible to achieve in corrupt social systems
How do those with power protect their positions?

Conflict Theorists

John Bellamy Foster (1953–present)
Social unrest is a result of unequal distribution of power and wealth
How does the U.S. exploit the less fortunate?

Symbolic Interactionism

How individual interactions between people influence their behavior and how these interactions can impact society

This paradigm is a micro approach because it deals with individuals, not groups or institutions

Symbolic Interactionism

Analyzes how social interactions influence, create, and sustain human relationships
Believes that symbols such as body language, words, gestures, and images affect communication
Humans interact with one another according to the meanings of these symbols
(asking for directions, saying hello, sitting next to someone)

George Herbert Mead (1863–1931)
Society is made up of symbols that teach us to understand the world
How do symbols get their meaning?
Herbert Blumer (1900–1987)
Individual’s behavior depends on meanings already created through experience and interaction
How do your values get reinforced or challenged by social interaction?

Erving Goffman (1922–1982)
Social interactions are the building blocks of society
How do our actions influence others’ perception of us?
Howard Becker (1928–present)
Social interactions can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies that limit a person’s outcomes
How is your self-perception affected by labels attached to you?

Emerging Paradigms

Feminist Theory
Female-centered, interdisciplinary approach that seeks to demonstrate how women fit into the social world
Three prominent feminist theories:
Gender-inequality theories:
Women’s experiences of the social world are not equal to those of men
Theories of gender oppression:
Men purposefully maintain control over women
Structural oppression theories:
Women’s oppression is rooted in capitalism

Research Methods

Research Methods
Scientific procedures that sociologists use to conduct studies and develop knowledge about a particular topic (why do research?)
Objectivity
The ability to conduct research without allowing the influence of personal biases or prejudices (Is this possible?)

Research Methods

Variables
Things we want to know about
Independent Variables
Factors that are deliberately manipulated in an experiment
Dependent Variables
The response
Control variables
Factors that are kept constant to accurately test the impact of an independent variable

The Six Steps of Social Research

Research Concepts

Cause and Correlation
Causal Relationship
One in which a condition or variable leads directly to a certain consequence
Causation
Relationship between cause and effect
Correlation
An indication that a factor might be connected to another factor

Research Concepts

Correlations exist in three forms:
Positive Correlation
Involves two variables moving in parallel
Variables must increase or decrease together
Negative Correlation
Occurs when the variables move in opposite directions
Spurious Correlation
Occurs when two variables appear to be related, but actually have separate causes

Ethical Concerns

Ethics
A system of values or principles that guide one’s behavior
Researchers must be professionally competent
All sociologists have a professional and scientific responsibility
Show integrity and never coerce their subjects
Scientists need to show respect for people’s rights, dignity, and diversity

Quantitative
and Qualitative Methods

Quantitative Methods
Quantitative Data
Refers to data based on numbers and used for macro analysis
Qualitative Methods
Qualitative Data
May include interviews, pictures, photos, or any other type of information that comes to researcher in a non-numerical form
Data tends to be used for microanalysis

Triangulation/ Social Policy
and Statistics

Triangulation
The process of using multiple methods to study a phenomenon
Social Policies
Refers to deliberate attempts on the part of society to solve social problems
Statistics
People on all sides of an issue seem to have statistics to back up their points of view

Pitfalls of Statistical Analysis

Five Pitfalls of Statistical Analysis
Be cautious of headlines
Double-check the definition of terms
Investigate the source
Beware of selective causes
Watch out for hidden agendas