Chapter 1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Answer the following question, "What is a social problem?"
2. Discuss the objective and subjective elements of social problems.
3. Define and give examples of the following elements of social structure and culture:
institutions, social groups, statuses, roles, beliefs, values, norms, sanctions, and
symbols.
4. Explain the term "sociological imagination" and discuss it’s relevance to the study of
social problems.
5. Describe the structural-functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist perspectives.
6. Explain how the three theoretical perspectives may be applied to the study of social
problems.
7. Outline the necessary steps involved in conducting research.
8. Describe and compare the following methods of research: experiments, survey research,
field research, and secondary data research.
9. Identify the goals of Understanding Social Problems.
KEY TERMS
achieved status (p.5)
alienation (p.12)
anomie (p.11)
ascribed status (p.5)
beliefs (p.6)
conflict perspective (p.11)
dependent variable (p.18)
experiment (p.19)
field research (p.20)
folkways (p.6)
hypothesis (p.18)
independent variable (p.18)
institution (p.4)
labeling theory (p.14)
latent function (p.10)
laws (p.8)
macro sociology (p.13)
manifest function (p.10)
master status (p.5)
micro sociology (p.13)
mores (p.8)
norms (p.6)
objective element (p.3)
operational definition (p.18)
primary group (p.5)
roles (p.5)
sample (p.19)
sanctions (p.8)
secondary group (p.5)
social constructionism (p.14)
social group (p.5)
social problem (p.4)
sociological imagination (p.9)
sociological imagination
status (p.5)
structural-functionalism (p.9)
subjective element (p.3)
survey research (p.19)
symbol (p.8)
symbolic interactionism (p.13)
values (p.6)
variable (p.18)
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I.
WHAT IS A SOCIAL PROBLEM?
A.
Objective and Subjective Elements of Social Problems
1.
Objective element: the existence of a social condition.
2.
Subjective element: the belief that a particular social condition is
harmful to society, or to a segment of society, and that it should and can
be changed.
3.
A social problem is a social condition that a segment of society views
as harmful to members of society and in need of remedy.
B.
Variability in Definitions of Social Problems
1.
II.
III.
IV.
Social problems vary across societies, among individuals and groups
within a society, and across historical time periods.
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE
A.
Social problems are rooted in the structure and culture of society.
B.
Elements of Social Structure
1.
Institutions: established and enduring patterns of social relationships
(family, religion, politics, economics, and education).
2.
Social groups: 2 or more people who have a common identity, interact,
and form a social relationship.
a.
Primary groups are small, intimate, and informal.
b.
Secondary groups are large or small, task-oriented,
impersonal, and formal.
3.
Statuses: positions occupied within a social group.
a.
Ascribed status: is assigned on the basis of factors over which
the individual has no control (e.g. sex, race).
b.
Achieved status: is assigned on the basis of some
characteristic or behavior over which the individual has some
control (e.g. parent, college graduate).
c.
Master status: the status that is considered the most significant
in a person's social identity.
4.
Roles: the set of rights, obligations, and expectations associated with a
status.
a.
Roles guide our behavior and allow us to predict the behavior of
others.
C.
Elements of Culture refer to the meanings and ways of life that characterize a
society.
1.
Beliefs: definitions and explanations about what is assumed to be true.
2.
Values: social agreements about what is considered good and bad, right
and wrong, desirable and undesirable.
3.
Norms: socially defined rules of behavior.
a.
Folkways: customs and manners of society.
b.
Laws: norms that are formalized and backed by political
authority.
c.
Mores: norms that have a moral basis.
4.
Sanctions: social consequences for conforming to or violating norms
(positive, negative, formal and informal).
5.
Symbols: language, gestures, and objects whose meaning is commonly
understood by the members of a society.
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
A.
The sociological imagination (C. Wright Mills) refers to the ability to see the
connections between our personal lives and the social world in which we live.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
A.
Structural-Functionalist Perspective:
1.
Structural-functionalism views society as comprised of parts that work
together to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium.
2.
It is concerned with how changes in one aspect of society affect other
aspects of society.
3.
Social patterns have functions (or consequences) that are manifest
(intended and recognized) and latent (unintended and often hidden).
4.
Two theories that grew out of the structural-functionalist perspective are
social pathology and social disorganization.
B.
Conflict Perspective:
1.
The conflict perspective views society as comprised of different groups
and interests competing for power and resources.
2.
Marxist theories claim social problems result from class inequality
inherent in a capitalistic system.
3.
V.
VI.
Marxist theories focus on problems of alienation, or powerlessness and
meaningless in people's lives.
4.
Non-Marxist theories claim conflicts arise when groups have opposing
values.
C.
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective:
1.
The symbolic interactionist approach emphasizes that human behavior
is influenced by definitions and meanings that are created and
maintained through symbolic interaction with others.
2.
Labeling theory states that a social condition or group is viewed as
problematic if it is labeled as such.
a.
Stages in the development of a social problems include "societal
recognition," "social legitimation," and "mobilization for action."
3.
Social constructionism argues that reality is constructed by individuals
who interpret the social world around them.
SOCIAL PROBLEMS RESEARCH
A.
Stages of Conducting a Research Study:
1.
Formulating a research question.
2.
Reviewing the literature.
3.
Defining and operationalizing variables.
a.
An operational definition specifies how a variable is to be
measured.
4.
Formulating a hypothesis.
a.
The dependent variable is the variable that the researcher
wants to explain.
b.
The independent variable is the variable that is expected to
explain change in the dependent variable.
B.
Methods of Data Collection
1.
Experiments assess causation by manipulating the independent
variable in order to determine how it affects the dependent variable.
2.
Surveys include interviews, questionnaires, and talking computers that
elicit information from respondents through questions.
3.
Field research involves observing and studying social behavior in
settings in which it occurs naturally.
4.
Secondary data research involves analyzing data already collected by
other researchers or government agencies.
GOALS OF THE TEXT
A.
Goals of the text include:
1.
Providing an integrated theoretical background for understanding social
problems.
2.
Encouraging the development of a sociological imagination.
3.
Providing a global coverage of social problems.
4.
Providing an opportunity to assess personal beliefs and attitudes.
5.
Emphasizing the human side of social problems.
6.
Encouraging individuals to take prosocial action.