Download carl_im01 - WordPress.com

CHAPTER 1: THE STUDY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Overview of Opening
The opening section of the chapter discusses a new social problem, “flash mobs.” Flash
mobs are spontaneous public gatherings that meet, perform some public action, and then
disappear. What started out as an innocent way to have people show up at malls and
dance has turned into a way for riots to become called and organized. They have
occurred in violent and nonviolent ways.
So-called “smash-and-grab” events result in groups of people entering a store and either
vandalizing or robbing it. The technology used is essentially social networking. This
opening points out the evolution of social problems and the instructor can use this new
phenomenon to link to a discussion of what constitutes a social problem.
A quick YouTube.com search provides a number of flash mob videos from which to
choose. Most of these are nonviolent but show grocery stores, malls, and other public
areas being overtaken by flash-mob groups.
Chapter Outline
I.
GET THE TOPIC: What Is a Social Problem?
A.
The Sociological Imagination
B.
The Essential Elements of a Social Problem
1.
The Objective Condition
2.
Subjective Concerns
C.
Factors that Define a Social Problem
1.
History
2.
Cultural Values
3.
Cultural Universals
4.
Awareness
II.
THINK SOCIAL PROBLEMS: How Do Sociologist Use Theoretical Paradigms
to Frame Their Thinking?
A.
The Three Major Paradigms of Sociology
1.
Functionalism
2.
Conflict Theory
3.
Symbolic Interactionism
B.
What Type of Questions Do Sociologists Ask?
C.
Emerging Paradigms
1.
Feminist Theory
2.
Exchange Theory
3.
Environmental Theory
III.
DISCOVER SOLUTIONS TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS: What Is the Role of
Research and Social Policy in Understanding Social Problems?
1
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Research Methods
1.
Objectivity
2.
Variables
3.
Cause and Correlation
4.
Interpreting Tables
5.
Ethical Concerns
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
1.
Quantitative Methods
2.
Qualitative Methods
Triangulation
Social Policy and Statistics
1.
Social Policy
2.
Civic Engagement
3.
Statistics
Chapter Overview
The chapter begins by linking the evolution of flash mobs as a social problem to the
understanding of what is and is not a social problem. The definition of sociology and
social problem is expected, pointing the reader in the direction of sociology as a means to
understand the complexity of issues rather than accepting simple answers to complex
questions.
C. Wright Mills suggested that people should use their sociological imagination to move
beyond the individual and to examine the role that society plays in influencing a person’s
outcome. This is particularly relevant when studying social problems. To be considered
a social problem, it must negatively affect a person’s state of being in society. In
studying social problems, the complexity of what is and is not a social problem is often
overlooked. Faculty would benefit by bringing forth the point that how a social problem
is defined is often related to the objective condition and subject concerns.
There are a few factors that help to define what a social problem is, such as a society’s
history, cultural values, cultural universals, and the ability of people in that society to
bring awareness of the problem. Awareness can lead people to start social movements.
The stages of social movements are illustrated in a graphic that points reader to how
problems and movements can move through the states of emergency, coalescence,
bureaucratization, and decline.
Social movements and social problems can be studied through three primary theoretical
paradigms: functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionism. These are discussed in
detail both in the chapter and in the theory wheel later in the chapter. The wheel tries to
address specifically the question of a “broken society” and show how a sociologist might
look at social problems such as the recent economic woes of the United States.
2
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Additionally, there are other emerging paradigms that can be used to analyze today’s
social problems. They are feminist, exchange, and environmental theories. Brief
overviews are provided to the reader to help illustrate that sociology is fluid science,
always evolving.
The second half of the chapter provides the student with an overview of the research
process and how it might be used for the creation of social policy. Key points raised here
are how research plays a major role in aiding in the understanding of social problems and
the creation of social policies. There are six steps involved in the research process.
Sometimes multiple methods need to be used to study a phenomenon. While doing
research it’s important to consider the ethics of the sociologist conducting the research.
Social policies emerge from research and statistics that are collected. It is important to
recognize the pitfalls of statistical analysis and the statistics that are being presented
when looking at social problems.
Chapter Objectives









Use the sociological imagination to understand social problems.
Explain the four factors that define a social problem.
Identify the subjective and objective concerns of social problems.
Describe how social movements emerge and decline.
Understand the three theoretical paradigms and their role in explaining social
problems.
Discuss the other emerging paradigms.
Understand the role of research in understanding social problems.
Identify the six steps in conducting social research.
Discuss the role of civic engagement in solving social problems.
In-Classroom Activities
1.
Identify a contemporary social problem and have students apply the three
theoretical paradigms to understand how each perspective would view the same social
problem differently.
2.
Ask students to bring in a newspaper. Students can work in small groups to view
the articles related to social problems and how those issues can be viewed using the
sociological imagination.
3.
Students can discuss the emerging paradigms and whether or not they agree with
these as well as providing current examples.
4.
Brainstorm with students to create a list of what they see as the most pressing
social problems in the U.S. Then, divide them into groups, assign each group one
3
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
problem, and ask them to discuss: 1. How they would describe the extent of this
problem. 2. Who does this problem affect the most? 3. What are the costs and
benefits of keeping and/or eliminating this problem? 4. How they would go about
eliminating this problem.
Out-of-Classroom Activities
1.
Have students choose a contemporary social problem and find either quantitative
or qualitative data about that social problem either in their community, state, or for the
United States.
2.
Students can volunteer at a community organization and write a short paper about
the importance of being involved in helping to solve social problems in the community.
3.
Have students research a social movement and write a paper on how that social
movement impacted society.
Discussion Questions
1.
What is a social problem and what are some social problems that currently exist in
society?
2.
What were Auguste Comte’s contributions to sociology?
3.
Which of the emerging paradigms do you most agree with? Why?
4.
Why is research important in understanding social problems?
5.
What can you do to help solve social problems?
6. Have students look at table on page 14 and describe the contents of that table. What
are the trends in drug treatment? Is this a serious problem? For whom is it a problem?
Essay Topics
1.
Explain how using subjective concerns can lead to incorrect conclusions about a
social situation.
2.
What factors influence how social problems are defined?
3.
How are the three theoretical paradigms different from one another?
4.
Identify and explain the six steps in conducting social research.
4
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
5.
What are some ethical concerns in conducting social research?
6.
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods?
7.
What are some pitfalls of statistical analysis?
Links
1.
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/
Social science research
There are a number of resources and links for those who are conducting social
science research.
2.
http://www.faculty.rsu.edu/~felwell/Theorists/Mills/
The sociological imagination
Lots of information about C. Wright Mills and the sociological imagination.
3.
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/gentrans/pop2f.cfm
Qualitative vs. quantitative methods
The debate about the use of each method.
4.
http://www.wsu.edu/~amerstu/smc/smcframe.html
Social movements
The study of social movements in the U.S., including those linked to transnational
and global movements, are presented.
Key Words and Terms
awareness
campaigns
causal relationships
causation
conflict theory
control variables
correlation
cultural universal
dependent variables
ethics
functionalism
gender-inequality theories
independent variables
macro
micro
5
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
negative correlation
objective condition
objectivity
paradigms
positive correlation
qualitative data
quantitative data
repertoire
research methods
social movements
social policies
social problem
sociological imagination
sociology
spurious correlation
structural oppression theories
subjectivity
symbolic interactionism
theories of gender oppression
triangulation
values
WUNC
Lecture Suggestions
1.
Have a member of the community who studies or works in an area that is
considered a social problem come to class. They can share issues related to the social
problem and discuss possible social solutions.
2.
Discuss quantitative and qualitative measures with the class and provide examples
of how social problems can be studied using each method.
3.
Bring in examples of social movements and discuss how these causes went
through the four stages of social movements.
4.
Show YouTube videos of flash mobs. Have students discuss if this is or is not a
social problem. What can be done to eliminate these “smash-and-grab” type crimes
while, at the same time, not eliminating people’s access to social networking.
Suggested Readings
Dolgon, Corey, and Chris Baker. 2010. Living Sociology: Social Problems and Service
Learning. Newbury Park: Pine Forge Press.
6
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Lune, Howard, Enrique D. Pumar, and Ross Koppel. 2010. Perspectives in Social
Research Methods and Analysis. Newbury Park: Sage Publications.
Best, Joel. 2004. More Damned Lies and Statistics. Berkeley: University of California
Press.
Snow, David A., and Sarah A. Soule. 2009. A Primer on Social Movements. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Videos/Films
Quantitative Research: Methods in the Social Sciences, DVD, 20 minutes, 2006. This
DVD introduces quantitative research. It covers topics such as validity, sampling, and
distribution. There is also another video available on qualitative measures. Available
from Insight Media.
Research Design: The Survey, DVD, 25 minutes, 2008. This DVD teaches how to design
surveys for research. The program offers step-by-step explanations of the survey process.
Available from Insight Media.
Making Sense of Sociological Theory, DVD, VHS, 57 minutes, 1997. This multi-section
program explains the role of sociological theory, distinguishes between structure and
action, and sheds light on three major perspectives in sociology. Available from Films
for the Humanities & Sciences.
Constructing Public Opinion, DVD, 32 minutes, 2001. In this program, the argument is
made that political polls do not simply reflect what Americans think but construct public
opinion. Available for the Media Education Foundation.
Review Questions
1.
What is the sociological imagination?
2.
What are the essential elements of a social problem?
3.
What are the four stages of a social movement?
4.
Which theories are emerging paradigms?
5.
What is triangulation?
6. Describe the core tenants of functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic
interactionism.
7
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
Why is it important to study social problems?
2.
How can awareness lead people to start social movements?
3.
Why is it important to understand a social problem from all three theoretical
paradigms?
4.
Why is objectivity important when conducting research?
5.
How are causation and correlation different from one another?
Discover Solutions to Social Problems
Students can use the six steps of social research to design a project about a contemporary
social problem. For example, they can design a survey with up to 10 questions that can
be completed by 10-15 individuals. They can do a review of the literature to obtain some
background information prior to constructing their questionnaire. They can tabulate the
results and present their hypotheses and research findings to the class as well as
highlighting each step and explaining what they did for each one. They can even offer
some possible solutions to the social problem that they have chosen to study.
8
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.