9/13/2011. Sociology and the Study of Social Problems. Using Our Sociological Imagination. What Is a Social Problem? Understanding Social Problems

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1 Sociology and the Study of Social Problems JENNIFER L. GRAVES, M.A. Understanding Social Problems What is the definition of a social problem? What are some examples of social problems? What is the most important social problem facing the world today? What should we do about it? How do you know? Who says? How do we learn about social problems? CNN God Hates Protesters Using Our Sociological Imagination Using Our Sociological Imagination The sociological imagination links our personal lives and experiences with our social world. It helps us see the connection between personal troubles and public issues. Example Personal Trouble: A man loses his job. Public Issue: The unemployment rate is very high. Example: Personal Trouble: You cannot afford to pay for college. Public Issue: The cost of higher education is on the rise nationally. Both of these examples represent social problems: unemployment and the rising cost of tuition. The sociological imagination challenges the claim that any problem is natural or based on individual failures, reminding us that all problems are rooted in society. The Consequences of Social Problems What Is a Social Problem? Social Problem a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world Might impact us, people around us, our social institutions, or our entire social world. Examples: Drug Abuse HIV/Aids Spousal Abuse Lack of Affordable Housing Climate Change Social problems are inherently social in their causes, consequences, and solutions. 1

2 Objective Reality comes from acknowledging that a particular social condition does exist Can be confirmed by data collection. Ex: HIV CDC: 1.2M Americans are infected with HIV. Other Data: It impacts their lives, their families, and their communities. We understand this to be real even though we may not be infected. Subjective Reality how a problem comes to be defined as a problem Based on the social construction of reality, a term that refers to how our world is a social creation that originates and evolves through our everyday thoughts and actions. We assume and act as though the world is a given, objectively predetermined outside of our existence. However we apply subjective meanings to our existence and experience. So things don t just happen to us, things happen and we attach meanings to them, which constructs our reality. Social Constructionism SPs become real only when they are subjectively defined or perceived as problematic. This allows us to understand why people may disagree about social problems and view them differently even when looking at the same objective facts. Ex: 68% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese (NIDDK 2011). Is this a problem? Doctors and other members of the medical establishment say YES. Fat acceptance activists and HAES scholars say NO. Ex: Economy Denise Loseke (2003): Conditions might exist, people might be hurt by them, but conditions are not social problems until humans categorize them as troublesome and in need of repair. Social Constructionism Important Questions (Best & Loseke 2003): What do people say or do to convince others that a troublesome condition exists that must be changed? What are the consequences of the typical ways that social problems attract concern? How do our subjective understandings of social problems change the objective characteristics of our world? How do these understandings change how we think about our own lives and the lives of those around us? The History of Social Problems Social Constructionism Essentially this perspective focuses on how a problem becomes defined as a problem. They pay particular attention to how powerful groups like politicians, religious leaders, and the media influence our opinions and conceptions of what is a social problem. From this perspective, problems are in the eye of the beholder (Konradi and Schmidt 2001). Problems don t appear overnight. They emerge as part of a 4 part process: Stage 1: Transformation Taking a private trouble and transforming it into a public issue. Stage 2: Legitimization Formalizing the manner in which the social problems or complaints generated by the problem are handled. Stage 3: Conflict Stage Stage 2 routines are unable to address the problem, so an overhaul must take place. Stage 4: Radical Change Must radically alter the system or work outside of it to have the problem addressed. 2

3 Understanding the Sociological Perspective Functionalist Perspective Functionalist Perspective examines the functions or consequences of the structure of society Macro-Level Perspective Focused on understanding how society creates and maintains social order. Questions Regarding SPs: How does the social problem emerge from society? Does the social problem serve a function? Eufunctions (+) & Dysfunctions ( ) Example: Homelessness +?? Functionalist Perspective Functionalist Perspective Emile Durkheim As the body has essential organs, each with a specific function, so too does society. Such as? Family Economy Politics Education Religion These social structures have essential and specialized functions. Such as? Example: Family cares for the young and provides a basic economic unit. Example: Education provides knowledge and skills necessary to work and live in society. Emile Durkheim Believed that the function of society as a whole was to civilize and control individual actions. If social change occurs too rapidly (like during industrialization or political upheaval), people may find themselves in a state of normlessness known as anomie. During anomie, society is particularly prone to social problems. These social problems, then, have their root in society and not the individual. Conflict Perspective Conflict Perspective considers how society is held together by power and coercion for the benefit of those in power Macro-Level Perspective Contrast to the functionalist view that society is held together by norms, values, and common morality. SPs emerge from the continuing conflict between groups in our society in which the dominant groups typically win. Thus there are no easy fixes the biggest SP facing society today is the system itself. Conflict Perspective Karl Marx One of the first to tout the conflict perspective. Saw conflict as rooted in capitalism, noting that capitalism is the substructure impacting and shaping all other social structures and social relations. Focused specifically on class conflict between the proletariat (workers) and the bourgeoisie (owners). Instead of viewing society as civilizing like Durkheim, Marx saw capitalist society as alienating. Encouraged the proletariat to develop class consciousness, an awareness of their social position and oppression, so they could unite and revolt to usher in socialism. Other conflict theorists have focused on conflict emerging from values, resources, and interests. 3

4 Feminist Perspective Feminist Theory defines gender as a source of social inequality, group conflict, and social problems Emerged in the 1970s. Treats the experiences of women as the starting point for all sociological investigation. Seeks to promote a better world for women and for humankind. Sees patriarchy as the root of social problems. Feminist theorists may embrace functionalism, conflict theory, or interactionism. But they most often align with conflict theory due to their focus on the unequal power relations between men and women. focuses on how we use language, words, and symbols to create and maintain our social reality Micro-Level Perspective Highlights what we typically take for granted. Expectations Rules Norms As we interact with others, we become the products and creators of our social reality. It is through our interaction that social problems are created and defined. George Herbert Mead Society consists of the organized and patterned interactions among individuals. The self is a mental and social process: the reflexive ability to see others in relation to ourselves and to see ourselves in relation to others. All interaction is based on symbolic exchange and symbols have no inherent meaning, only the meaning we give them. Herbert Blumer Built on Mead. Coined the term symbolic interactionism. Emphasized how society emerges from interaction and the use and understanding of symbols. Example: Roles in the Classroom I am aware of what is expected of me as the professor. You are aware of what is expected of you as the student. There are no posted guides, but we all know where to stand, how to dress, and what to bring to class. Before we enter the room, we know how we are supposed to behave. We act based on past experiences and based on what we have come to accept as the definitions of each role. But we need each other to create this reality. Our interaction in the classroom reaffirms each of our roles and the larger educational institution. The maintenance of this reality requires consensus not just between us, but between every student on every campus of every college and university! Summary of Perspectives How do social problems emerge from interaction? Problematic behavior is learned through interaction, Example: Juvenile Delinquency The behavior is learned from others. Objective problems do not exist they become real only in how they are defined or labeled through interaction. Questions to Ask: Who or what group is defining the problem? Who or what is being identified as a social problem? Example: AIDS epidemic only became a problem when public health workers called attention to the disease. Solutions to SPs also emerge from our definitions which are the product of interaction. 4

5 Your Thoughts? Which theory or perspective best matches your own general view of the world? Which do you think will be most useful for the study of social problems? Why? READ THIS ON YOUR OWN! Basic vs. Applied Research Basic expands our understanding of the causes and consequences of a social problem Applied the pursuit of knowledge for program application or policy evaluation All research begins with a theory to help identify the phenomenon we re trying to explain and provide explanations for the social patterns or causal relationships between variables. Ex: Social class impacts risk of HIV infection. Variables a property of people or objects that can take on two or more values Ex: HIV Infection Rates per 1,000 Ex: Social Class Household Income Hypothesis a tentative statement about how variables are related to each other Ex: Poor people have a higher prevalence of HIV infection. Dependent vs. Independent Variables DV the variable to be explained Ex: HIV Infection IV the variable expected to cause a change in the DV Ex: Social Class Quantitative vs. Qualitative Approaches Quantitative rely on the collection of statistical data Qualitative designed to capture social life as participants experience it Research Methods Survey Research Qualitative Methods Participant Observation Focus Groups In-Depth Interviews Historical and Comparative Methods Secondary Data Analysis The Transformation FROM PROBLEM TO SOLUTION 5

6 From Problem to Solution From Problem to Solution Mills & the SI: Personal Trouble Public Issue But how about Public Issue Solution? By focusing on social structures and social institutions, as Mills encourages through the use of the sociological imagination, we can begin to make this leap. Solutions require social action. [Examples on Pages 20-21] Social Policy the enactment of a course of action through a formal law or program Usually begins with identification of a problem. Specific guidelines are developed regarding what to do. Directly changes the social structure. Ex: SELHA Social Advocacy advocates use their resources to support, educate, and empower individuals and their communities Works to improve social services, change social policies, and mobilize individuals. Ex: Project H.O.M.E. Social Innovation may take the form of a policy, program, or advocacy, but features an untested or unique approach Ex: Habitat for Humanity in 1965 Making Sociological Connections Making Sociological Cnnections Sociology is something to be lived! Lemert (1997): The use one s sociological imagination, whether to practical or professional end, is to look at the events in one s life, to see them for what they truly are, then to figure out how the structures of the wider world make social things the way they are. So our first step is to use our sociological imaginations to explore and understand social problems. But our next step is to change the world and make it a better place! Marx : The philosophers have only interpreted the world ; the point, however, is to change it. Making Sociological Connections So throughout our study of SPs we will try to consistently make three connections. 1. Personal Troubles Public Issues (aka Social Problems) 2. Social Problems Social Solutions 3. Social Problems & Solutions Our Community Summary 6

7 Summary Definition of sociological imagination. Definition of social problem. Sociological perspectives and theorists. Science of sociology. [On your own!] Solutions. 7