Theorizing Justice - Chapter 2

Week 2 Chapter 2 Introduction Understanding that social problems are linked to personal problems is necessary for effectively eliminating injustice in society and achieving substantive justice. Justice studies links the social problems of poverty and inequality to both personal health...

Week 2 Chapter 2 Introduction Understanding that social problems are linked to personal problems is necessary for effectively eliminating injustice in society and achieving substantive justice. Justice studies links the social problems of poverty and inequality to both personal health issues and the issues of individuals and their involvement in the criminal justice system. This allows for an understanding that all people are not similarly situated Social Problems We study not only an individual’s case proceeding through the justice system, but also how the individual case represents a wider social issue. Not only the individual circumstance studied, but also how it is connect to a “social problem” A social problem is one in which the causes and solutions lie outside of the individual and that individual’s immediate environment: it is rooted in our society’s social structures and institutions. Sociological Imagination Studying and analyzing individualized “problems” as social problems involves the concept and method of the “sociological imagination” This allows us to see the relationship between an individual’s experiences and the larger society in which the experiences are contextualized, that is, relating private troubles of individual people to the public issues of a society in a particular time and place. The goal is to be able to assess how social structures contribute to a particular circumstance and how to change life changes or opportunities in the future. If problems are only seen as “personal” then the most vulnerable groups of individuals in society who need assistance in order to achieve a just society can’t be identified. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Problems - Overview A theory provides an explanation of a behavior using some sort framework of understanding and is not simply describing the behavior but explaining it. Can also be referred to as schools of thought No one perspective/theory is necessarily superior to the others; no perspective is wrong They should be evaluated on how well they can explain what happens in the world. Structural Functionalism This theory looks at society as if it were a system of parts (or structures) that are interconnected, each of which perform various functions for the system. Society is envisioned as a living organism with particular parts to fulfill particular functions and maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium. It includes the study of: Norms (shared expectations about behavior) Roles (behavior associated with a particular position in the social structure) Institutions (government, the economy, family, education) Values (things preferred because they are defined as having worth) All of these parts of society interrelate and work to maintain society as a functioning system. Structural Functionalism Continued…. There are two types of functions in society: Manifest Function: those that society intends are often formally set out as institutional goals (schools educating youth) Latent functions: are unintended and almost always informal (incarceration promoting gang involvement) Social problems arise when social institution do not fulfill their functions; thus dysfunction occurs. Crime would be viewed as a social problem resulting from rapid change in society that has weakened social solidarity and social institutions like the family so that insufficient order is maintained. Structural Functionalism – Theories of Crime 1) Deviance functions to maintain society – by criminalizing behavior that is inconsistent with social norms, social cohesion and stability is endorsed and expressed when those who do not conform are stigmatized. 2) Focuses on norm violations as a disruption of natural order and equilibrium. Sees disruption as a natural occurrence and an indication of social change. Anomie: a condition where an absence of social regulation results in a state of normlessness. The overemphasis on ends (being wealthy) and under emphasis on means (ensuring equality of opportunity) produces anomie. Anomie produces strain which is felt more by those who have lower status. Overarching Goal: have a harmonious society where all people have equal opportunity to society’s resources and opportunity and meaningfully participate in society. Conflict Theory Focuses on power, oppression and exclusion. Views society as a struggle between particular groups and interests competing for power and resources which is a result of capitalism. Capitalism: an economic system characterized by private ownership of the “means of production” – the elements that contribute to production such as buildings, machines, labor, raw material etc. The goal is profit making. Society is divided into two broad and unequal “classes”: the workers and the business/corporation owners. Capitalists have control of the economy but also have advantage in other institutions of society (eg. media, politics). From this perspective capitalism is fundamentally, at its very core, an unjust society. Conflict Theory continued… In relation to justice, the powerful groups in society – particularly the economically powerful – have the means to define, then disproportionately influence, the kind of behavior that is considered criminal. Other conflict theorists focus less on social class and more on conflict arising from groups with opposing values and interests. Oppression: entails the domination of subordinate groups by more powerful groups and their exclusion from full participation in society. Symbolic Interactionism Focuses on the individual in society and how the individual, particularly the identity, is shaped and influenced by the society he/she is living in. Identity is shaped by social interaction – social behavior based on the meanings that are created and attached to the behaviour – actual behavior is less important than the meaning attached to the behaviour. Social problems are studied and analyzed from the aspect of how certain behaviours come to be defined as social problems and how individuals and groups come to engage in activities that a significant number of people, or a number of significant people, view as major social concerns. Symbolic Interactionism continued…. The way that people conceive of themselves, their society, and their specific situations, affects their behaviour. Labelling theory: A social group or a behaviour is problematic if it is viewed or labelled as such. A behaviour is labelled as deviant by the dominant group that does not like or condone the appropriateness of another group’s behaviour. In relation to crime: after an individual commits a criminal act and is caught and convicted, that person is labelled/stigmatized as a criminal. Being labelled a deviant/criminal may then deny that person opportunities for engaging in non-deviant behaviour and causes the person to develop a deviant self-concept and act accordingly. Feminism Aims at “denaturalizing” beliefs, thoughts and behaviour patterns about gender. Feminists analyze all issues from a gendered power analysis Gender relations are patriarchal – those that give male privileged access to society’s resources and social attitudes that see males and masculinity as superior to females and femininity. Feminism can be understood as both a body of knowledge and a political movement aimed at understanding and alleviating the inequality of women, feminists argue that male dominated societies are fundamentally unjust. Feminism continued… Patriarchy: is the domination of women by men; the power of men over women. This domination occurs in two key and inter-related ways. 1) through their privileged access to the public institutions of social power – men occupy the key positions in the economy and politics. 2) through the attitudes that privilege masculinity – that is the attributes of men (strength, aggressiveness, etc.) are seen to be superior to those of women (relational, cooperative, etc.) Post-Structuralism Privilege is a key element of society. It is embedded and replicated in all our social structures and social interactions through the exercise of power, which is everywhere. Power: regulation (control of people’s behaviour) exists outside the formal purview of the state or government. This power over people exists in all aspects of our lives. Mechanisms of control can be exposed through what post- structuralists call “deconstruction” Post-structuralists often use “discourse analysis” to deconstruct social interactions. Discourses are forms of language use or ways of making sense of the world and its social practices Post- Structuralism continued…. By critically engaging an deconstructing structures in society, post structuralists expose mechanisms of power through which groups of people are oppressed. Often these mechanism are thought of as “natural” and not questioned. When this occurs the “discourse of denial” is at work, making structures of oppression and domination appear quite natural. Without exposure, these structures of oppression would continue to oppress and marginalize. In order to assist the marginalized and least well off in society and achieve social justice, discourses of denial have to be questioned and replaced with practices that can achieve justice. This questioning and exposure of structures of oppressions is an ethical practice of justice. Neo-Liberalism and Justice - Summary Inequity is built into the social structures in society and creates doubt on the social justness of our society. Viewing problems as social problems (as opposed to only viewing them as individual problems) allows for a richer policy response to assist people in alleviating them and also focuses the discussion on strengthening community or social cohesion, making our society more socially just. Discourse analysis is one method employed to expose and de- centre the privilege embedded in the meaning of the language we use represented in texts. Often this privilege is subtle, hidden and not even fully understood (especially by those with privilege) until exposed through the standpoint of another perspective.