Social Problems in Sociology PDF

SOCIAL PROBLEM A social condition or pattern that people believe causes harm and needs to be addressed by collective action. Social change: sociology was born during the industrialization, a time of flux and growth of many social problems Elements: Objective: measurable and observable elements o...

SOCIAL PROBLEM A social condition or pattern that people believe causes harm and needs to be addressed by collective action. Social change: sociology was born during the industrialization, a time of flux and growth of many social problems Elements: Objective: measurable and observable elements of a social problem (like scientific data on climate change) Subjective: something perceived as harmful and as being a problem that needs to be addressed Sociological imagination -​ Proposed by Mill -​ The ability to see connections between the life and the social world you live in -​ Private issues = public issues * People are often individually blamed and stigmatized for having problems that are routed in larger social structures Social constructionism Our behavior is shaped by a subjective view of reality (not reality itself) -> Thomas theorem: “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences." ​ People’s perception of reality shapes their actions and, in turn, creates real effects (regardless of whether their perception is really true) Ex.: A student believes they are bad at math, so they avoid studying. Because they didn’t study, they do bad at math, reinforcing the belief. Moral panic: A brief but intense period of concern -​ based on false or exaggerated perception -​ are focused on cultural behavior or on a particular group of people as “dangerous” Theoretical perspectives Structural functionalism -​ society is made up of interconnected parts that work together -​ society is similar to a body  -​ social disorganization can be the result of periods of sudden social change when institutions don’t fulfill their roles OBS.: institutions = family, education, religion, government, etc Manifest: intended, obvious functions (school educates students) Latent: unintended, hidden effects (school builds social network) Durkheim (functionalist theorist) -> when traditional norms and relations break down, social control declines. People feel less attached to each other, experience alienation and then deviant behavior increases. Critics of structural functionalism: -​ overlooks social change and conflict as it ignores inequalities of gender, class, race, etc -​ assumes all parts of the society contribute positively, even if some create harm like poverty or discrimination Conflict theory Rejects the idea of society as being based on stability and cohesion, argues that: -​ conflict and change are the base of social life -​ wealthy people use their power to maintain their status -​ social problems arise out of conflict -> unequal access to economic resources leads to conflict Karl Marx (conflict theorist): in the industrialized capitalist societies there are 2 groups: -​ Bourgeoisie: elite owners of the means of production -​ Proletariat: who sell their labor in exchange of a wage The bourgeoisie uses its power to ensure that it remains in a position of dominance over workers Symbolic interactionism & Social constructionism -​ sees society as a product of social interaction -​ it seeks to understand how certain social problems come to be defined as social problems -​ how people are socialized and labeled shapes divergence -​ problematic behaviors are learned socially and practiced in social settings OBS.: critics argue that social problems may exist even when they’re not recognized as problems Howard Becker argues that people become “moral entrepreneurs” when they translate their personal beliefs into social rules Blumer’s stages of constructing a social problem He believes that social problems are not just “discovered”, but actively constructed through human interaction and societal influence. 1)​ Emergence -​ recognition of a problem -​ issues start to get attention when individuals or groups recognize a condition as problematic -​ ex.: rising opioid overdoses concerns the community 2)​ Legitimization -​ gaining social recognition -​ the problem must be defined and recognized as legitimate by institutions and experts -​ research, public discussions, official reports -​ ex.: government agencies and health experts acknowledge opioid addiction as a public health crisis 3)​ Mobilization of action -​ public and political response -​ advocacy groups, activists, and org push for solutions to address the problem -​ protests, awareness campaigns, etc -​ ex.: activists push for harm reduction policies, like supervised injection sites 4)​ Formation of an official plan -​ policy creation and implementation -​ authorities develop and implement policies or laws to address the issue -​ legal reforms, funding initiatives -​ governments pass legislation to regulate opioid prescriptions and expand treatment centres 5)​ Transformation or decline -​ reevaluation or loss of interest -​ the issue may evolve into new policies, cultural shifts, or alternative solution -​ but inf the interest fades, the problem lose priority -​ as awareness grows, harm reduction strategies become widely accepted, ot attention shifts to other crisis Feminist theory Focuses on the notion of gender inequality -​ an extension of the conflict theory -​ conflict between men and women is a basic feature of all societies, based on a social system of patriarchy Post-modernism & post-structuralism -​ challenge traditional structures of knowledge 1)​ Post-modernism -​ questions the validity of universal statements about the world or groups of people -​ truth is relative and socially constructed -​ deconstruction -​ relativism -​ ex in society: fake news and media manipulation challenges the objective truth 2)​ Post-structuralism -​ critique of structuralism -​ meaning is unstable -​ identity is fluid and socially constructed -​ ex in society: gender and identity fluidity Population health perspective -​ population health is a sensitive global measure of how well a society is working -​ social problems are revealed by declines in population health -​ all social inequalities have significant health consequences -​ Determinants of health: 1)​ social and economic factors 2)​ physical environment 3)​ healthcare access 4)​ community networks 5)​ political determinants 6)​ lifestyle shaped by social context