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Chapter 1
Studying Social Problems in the
Twenty-First Century
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
What is Sociology?


Academic and scholarly
Systematic study of human behavior
Studies the issues that affect society and culture
 Society: large number of people who share
same geographic territory
 Same
political authority
 Share dominant cultural expectations
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What is a Social Problem?
It is a . . .
 Social condition (e.g., poverty, discrimination, crime,
pollution, etc.)
 Behavioral pattern (e.g., substance abuse, domestic
violence, etc. ).
AND….
 Disadvantages or harms a large number of people
 Causes, consequences, and sources of possible
resolution are social
 Warrants public concern and action
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Hate Crimes as a Social Problem

The social condition


Hate crimes
Who does it disadvantage?
 Hate
crimes are attacks on people because of
assumptions regarding race, sex, ethnicity,
religion, disability, etc.

What can we do to prevent it?
 Federal
and state laws have been enacted to
increase the penalties
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Sociological Imagination
Coined by Sociologist C. Wright Mills (1959)
Is the ability to . . .
 Connect personal problems to public
issues
 Social
problems are often matters beyond a
person’s control

Shift focus to a larger social context
 Recognizing
that the loss of a job is due to
economic trends, such as downsizing
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Sociological Perspectives on
Social Problems

Move beyond myths and commonsense
 “Things

are not what they seem.”
Move between a micro and macro analysis
 Fear
of unemployment affects workers’ personal lives
 Loss of millions of jobs directly affects the US economy

Look for the social causes and consequences of
social problems
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Subjective Awareness of Social
Problems
Social problems are subjective by nature
 Not everyone agrees on what is
considered “objective” reality

 Some
“objective” conditions may not be
consider social problems


Environmental pollution, war, health care, abortion
Sociologists strive to view social problems
objectively
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Theory and Social Problems

Theory
 Explain
relationships between social concepts
 Interpret social reality by providing a
framework

Theoretical perspective
 Overall
approach toward a particular social
condition
 Sociology has three major perspectives

Functionalism, conflict perspective, and the
interactionist perspective
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
The Functionalist Perspective

Macro-level analysis

Draws from Auguste Comte (1798–1857)

Society is an orderly system composed of a
number of interrelated parts
 Social
institutions

Each part functions for stability

Problems arise when parts do not function
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Functions of Social Institutions
Manifest functions: Intended and
recognized consequences (e.g., education
provides knowledge and skills).
 Latent functions: Unintended or hidden
consequences (e.g., education keeps
youth off the street).
 Dysfunctions: Undesirable consequences
that inhibit a society’s ability to adjust

 Leads
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to social disorganization
The Conflict Perspective



Macro-level analysis
Views society in a struggle over scarce resources
Some groups benefit & maintain their privileges
while other groups are disadvantaged
Attributes social problems to contradictions in
society:
 Social class (Karl Marx) – Class inequality
 Exploitation of people of color – Racial inequality
 Patriarchy (feminism) – Gender inequality
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
The Interactionist Perspective
Micro-level analysis
 Society is interactions between people


Social problems occur when:
 Social
interaction is disrupted
 People are labeled deviant
 People’s perception of reality is different
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Sociological Explanations of
Violence

Functionalist: Social institutions are not
providing social stability
 Anomie

creates moral decay and violence increases
Conflict: Response to inequalities
 Economic

and racial exploitation leads to violence
Symbolic Interactionist: Learned attitudes and
values
 Violence
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results from “situational transactions”
Sociological Solutions of
Violence

Functionalist: Social institutions (family,
schools, religion) must be strengthened

Conflict: Changes needed in political and
economical arenas to bring about equality

Symbolic Interactionist: Change societal
values that encourage excessive competition
and violence
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Social Research Methods:
Field Research

Study of life in a natural setting

Observing and interviewing people in many
settings
 Participant
observations

Provides complete understanding of
environment

Requires strong interpersonal skills
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Survey Research

Series of questions on a specific topic
 Used

Self administered or face-to-face
interviews
 UCR

frequently by social scientists
and NCVS
Allows study of large population
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Secondary Analysis
of Existing Data

Data is already collected
 Unobtrusive
research

Sources include the U.S. Census

No direct contact with subjects

Can include content analysis
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007