Social Construction and Target Populations

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What characterizes an advantaged target population?

They receive the most burdens.

They have weak social power.

They are negatively socially constructed.

They are positively socially constructed and have strong social power. (correct)

Which group is classified as dependents?

Elderly individuals

Students and children (correct)

Big businesses

Low-income workers

How are contenders primarily viewed in society?

As dependents in need of public assistance.

As negatively socially constructed with strong social power. (correct)

As positively socially constructed groups.

As victims of negative social constructs.

Which of the following examples best represents a burden for a target population?

Harsher sentencing for drug offenses Signup and view all the answers

What role does social power play in the distribution of benefits?

It determines if a group is seen as deserving benefits. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main motivation for governments to support advantaged groups?

To enhance their own political image. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true about dependents?

Dependents may be oversubscribed burdens due to weak social power. Signup and view all the answers

What defines the social construction of a group?

It is an idea widely accepted and shaped by societal values. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of the deviant target population in terms of social perception?

They are negatively socially constructed Signup and view all the answers

Which group is seen as oversubscribed with burdens according to the social construction framework?

Deviant Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a reaction described in Robert Merton's Strain Theory?

Recursion Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the 'Ritualism' reaction within Strain Theory?

Acceptance of means but rejection of goals Signup and view all the answers

How do deviant individuals generally fare in terms of benefits according to the social construction theory?

They are undersubscribed with benefits Signup and view all the answers

What drives individuals toward deviant behavior according to Strain Theory?

Pressure from social factors Signup and view all the answers

Which reaction to strain involves adopting unapproved means to achieve accepted goals?

Innovation Signup and view all the answers

What is a common perception about ethnic minorities as mentioned in the discussion of perceptions?

They are viewed strictly as dependents Signup and view all the answers

What happens to target populations with strong social power and negative social construction?

They often receive oversubscribed benefits despite being negatively perceived by society. Signup and view all the answers

How do governments typically respond to groups they perceive positively?

Governments usually provide benefits and support to positively socially constructed groups. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the relationship between social power and benefits for dependent target populations.

Dependent populations have weak social power, leading to undersubscribed benefits and potentially oversubscribed burdens. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the advantaged target population in terms of societal perception?

Advantaged groups are positively socially constructed and possess strong social power. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how social construction contributes to the burdens faced by deviant groups.

Deviant groups are negatively constructed, leading to the imposition of more burdens upon them by society. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes dependent target populations from advantaged ones?

Dependents are positively constructed but lack social power, unlike advantaged groups who have both social power and positive construction. Signup and view all the answers

Why might governments be reluctant to support groups that are negatively socially constructed?

Governments may aim to be seen as opposing these groups due to their negative perception in society. Signup and view all the answers

What impact does the concept of social construction have on the distribution of resources to target populations?

Social construction influences which target populations receive benefits or burdens based on their perceived value in society. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by deviant individuals being described as undersubscribed in benefits?

Deviant individuals are seen as having less access to social benefits due to their negative social construction and weak social power. Signup and view all the answers

In Strain Theory, what does the reaction of innovation entail?

Innovation involves accepting approved goals while rejecting or finding new, unapproved means to achieve those goals. Signup and view all the answers

How do perceptions affect the classification of ethnic minorities according to the material provided?

Perceptions can lead to conflicting views, with many seeing ethnic minorities as dependents while others view them as contenders. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the 'Ritualism' response in the context of Merton's Strain Theory?

Ritualism is characterized by individuals who continue to conform to societal means without belief in achieving their goals. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'oversubscribed burdens' mean in reference to the deviant population?

Oversubscribed burdens refer to the heavy societal criticisms and penalties deviant individuals face, outweighing any benefits. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between social power and burden distribution among deviant populations?

Deviant populations possess weak social power, leading to a greater distribution of burdens and fewer benefits. Signup and view all the answers

How does Strain Theory explain the pressure that can lead to deviant behavior?

Strain Theory posits that social pressures like lack of status, income, or education can push individuals towards deviance. Signup and view all the answers

What outcome can arise from the pursuit of the American Dream according to Strain Theory?

Pursuing the American Dream can lead to various reactions, including conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Target Populations

Advantaged: Positively socially constructed and have strong social power. They receive the most benefits. Example: The elderly.
Contenders: Negatively socially constructed but have strong social power. They receive a mixture of benefits and burdens due to their powerful position. Example: Big businesses.
Dependents: Positively socially constructed but have weak social power. They receive few benefits and often face burdens due to their lack of power. Example: Students.
Deviants: Negatively socially constructed and have weak social power. They receive few benefits and face many burdens due to their negative social construction. Example: Drug addicts.

It refers to an idea created and accepted by society.
Groups can be constructed positively or negatively.
Government aims to appear supportive of positively constructed groups and harsh towards negatively constructed groups.
Social power plays a role in how benefits and burdens are distributed.

Strain Theory

Created by Robert Merton, it suggests social pressure can drive individuals towards deviant behavior if they lack social status, income, or education.
It's based on the American Dream: belief that hard work will lead to material wealth.
Individuals are expected to accept societal goals and use approved means to achieve them.
Strain Theory predicts five reactions to this pressure:

Reactions to Strain

Conformity: Accepting both goals and means. Example: Working a traditional 9-5 job.
Innovation: Accepting goals but rejecting the means. Example: Engaging in criminal activity to gain wealth.
Ritualism: Giving up on goals but continuing to conform to the means. Example: Staying in a job without ambition for advancement.
Retreatism: Rejecting both goals and means. Example: Abandoning societal expectations.
Rebellion: Rejecting both goals and means but seeking to replace them with new ones. Example: Revolutionaries who aim to overthrow the existing system.

Target Populations

A target population is a group of people that social policy is aimed at.
Social construction influences the target population.
Example: The elderly are positively socially constructed, and thus often receive benefits, while drug addicts are negatively socially constructed, and therefore often receive burdens.
Benefits can include tax breaks, welfare credits, and exemptions.
Burdens can include tax increases, targeted law restrictions (harsher sentencing for drugs).

Social construction involves ideas that are created and accepted by society.
Target populations can be either positively or negatively socially constructed by society.
Governments strive to be seen as supporting groups with positive social construction and punishing groups that have negative social construction.
However, social power impacts who receives benefits and burdens more than social construction alone.

Advantaged Target Population

This group is both positively socially constructed and has strong social power.
They are oversubscribed benefits because the government wants to be seem as supporting them.
Example: The elderly.

Contender Target Population

This group is negatively socially constructed but has high social power.
Contenders are oversubscribed benefits due to their social power.
Governments try to be seen as opposing this group despite their strong social power.
Example: Big businesses.

Dependent Target Population

This group is positively socially constructed but has weak social power.
Dependents receive undersubscribed benefits and are likely to be oversubscribed burdens because of their weak social power.
Governments try to appear as supporting this group.
Example: Students and children.

Deviant Target Population

This group is negatively socially constructed and has weak social power.
Deviants are oversubscribed burdens and undersubscribed benefits.
Governments want to be seen as tough on these groups.
Example: Drug addicts.

Perception

Perception towards groups can be different within society and can impact how individuals are categorized.
Example: Some see ethnic minorities as dependents, while others categorize them as contenders.

Strain Theory

Strain theory explains how social factors like a lack of social status or income drive individuals towards deviant behavior.
It is rooted in the idea of the American Dream where hard work and following societal rules leads to success and material wealth.
Individuals are expected to accept the American Dream as a cultural goal and utilize socially accepted means to achieve it.
Merton's strain theory proposes five reactions to this social strain: Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, and Rebellion.

Conformity

The most common response, accepting both social goals and means.
Individuals conform to the cultural goals and follow approved means to achieve those goals.
They typically do not feel strain.
Example: Working a 9-5 office job.

Innovation

Acceptance of social goals but rejection of socially accepted means.
Individuals resort to unapproved means to achieve societal goals.
Example: Drug trafficking or organized crime.

Ritualism

Individuals have given up on achieving the cultural goal but continue to conform to the means.
Despite feeling they will never achieve their goal, they continue to follow the same processes as those who conform.
Example: Continue in a job they feel they will never advance in, going through the motions.

Schneider and Ingram Model overview

Target Population	Social Construction	Power	Result
Advantaged	Positive	Strong	Oversubscribed Benefits
Contender	Negative	Strong	Mostly Benefits, Occasional Burdens (Perception)
Dependent	Positive	Weak	Mostly Burdens, Occasional Benefits (Perception)
Deviant	Negative	Weak	Oversubscribed Burdens

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

This quiz explores the concept of social construction, focusing on different target populations like Advantaged, Contenders, Dependents, and Deviants. Understand how societal perceptions impact the benefits and burdens these groups experience. Test your knowledge on the dynamics of power and social construction.

Social Construction and Target Populations

Choose a study mode

Podcast

Questions and Answers

What characterizes an advantaged target population?

Which group is classified as dependents?

How are contenders primarily viewed in society?

Which of the following examples best represents a burden for a target population?

What role does social power play in the distribution of benefits?

What is the main motivation for governments to support advantaged groups?

Which of the following statements is true about dependents?

What defines the social construction of a group?

What is the primary characteristic of the deviant target population in terms of social perception?

Which group is seen as oversubscribed with burdens according to the social construction framework?

Which of the following is NOT a reaction described in Robert Merton's Strain Theory?

What distinguishes the 'Ritualism' reaction within Strain Theory?

How do deviant individuals generally fare in terms of benefits according to the social construction theory?

What drives individuals toward deviant behavior according to Strain Theory?

Which reaction to strain involves adopting unapproved means to achieve accepted goals?

What is a common perception about ethnic minorities as mentioned in the discussion of perceptions?

What happens to target populations with strong social power and negative social construction?

How do governments typically respond to groups they perceive positively?

Describe the relationship between social power and benefits for dependent target populations.

What is a key characteristic of the advantaged target population in terms of societal perception?

Explain how social construction contributes to the burdens faced by deviant groups.

What distinguishes dependent target populations from advantaged ones?

Why might governments be reluctant to support groups that are negatively socially constructed?

What impact does the concept of social construction have on the distribution of resources to target populations?

What is meant by deviant individuals being described as undersubscribed in benefits?

In Strain Theory, what does the reaction of innovation entail?

How do perceptions affect the classification of ethnic minorities according to the material provided?

What characterizes the 'Ritualism' response in the context of Merton's Strain Theory?

What does the term 'oversubscribed burdens' mean in reference to the deviant population?

What is the relationship between social power and burden distribution among deviant populations?

How does Strain Theory explain the pressure that can lead to deviant behavior?

What outcome can arise from the pursuit of the American Dream according to Strain Theory?

Study Notes

Target Populations