Transcript lecture_ch01 - rivier.instructure.com.

Chapter 1
Sociology: Studying
Social Problems
Seeing Patterns:
The Sociological Perspective
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Sociology is the systematic study of
human societies.
Society is a term referring to people who
live within a territory and share many
patterns of behaviors.
Culture refers to a way of life including
widespread values, beliefs, and behavior.
Further:
 People
experience social problems in very
personal ways
 Sociology shows that the problems we
face are not only the results of personal
choices but reflect the operation of
society itself
 C. Wright Mills used the sociological
imagination to show that our personal
troubles are really social issues that affect
many people – ourselves included
Defining Social Problems
A
social problem
 is a condition that undermines the wellbeing of some or all members of society
 is usually a matter of public controversy
 Determining social problems can be
controversial
 subjective and objective realities may
actually end up being quite different
 what people identify as the most serious
social problems varies over time
Social Constructionist Approach
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Social problems arise as people define
conditions:
 As undesirable
 In need of change
Claims Making
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Process of convincing the public that a
particular issue or situation should be
defined as a social problem
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Defining Social Problems
One
indication that people recognize an
issue as a social problem is the formation
of a social movement
 an
organized effort at claims making
that tries to shape the way people think
about an issue in order to encourage or
discourage social change
Stages in Social Movements
 Social
movements progress through
four distinct stages:
 Emergence
 Coalescence
 Formalization
 Decline
Eight assertions that form the foundation
for the analysis of social problems:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Social problems result from the ways in
which society operates.
Social problems are not caused by bad
people.
Social problems are socially constructed
as people define a condition as harmful
and in need of change.
People see problems differently.
Further:
5.
6.
7.
8.
Definitions of problems change
over time.
Problems involve subjective
values as well as objective facts.
Many – but not all – problems
can be solved.
Various social problems are
related.
Looking Beyond Ourselves:
A Global Perspective
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A global outlook shows
 Harmful conditions often cross national
boundaries
 Many of the problems that we in the
U.S. face are more serious elsewhere
Analyzing Social Problems:
The Role of Theory
Theory:
a statement of how and why specific
facts are related
Theoretical Approach:
a basic image of society that guides
thinking and research
The Structural-Functional Approach
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A theoretical framework that sees society as
a system of many interrelated parts
Social Institutions: the main parts of this
system (organized to meet basic human
needs)
 education
 family
 economics
 politics
 religion
The Structural-Functional Approach
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Early Functionalism: Problems as Social
Pathology
The “Chicago School”: Problems as
Disorganization
More Recent Functionalism: Problems as
Dysfunctions
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Manifest versus Latent Functions
Eufunctions versus Dysfunctions
The Social Conflict Approach
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A theoretical framework that sees society
as divided by inequality and conflict
Social problems arise because our society
is divided into “haves” and “have-nots”
The Social Conflict Approach
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Marxism: Problems and Class Conflict
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Capitalists
Proletarians
Multiculturalism: Problems of Racial
and Ethnic Inequality
Feminism: Problems and Gender Conflict
The Symbolic-Interaction Approach
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A theoretical framework that sees society
as the product of individuals interacting
with one another
The Symbolic-Interaction Approach
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Learning Theory: Problems and the
Social Environment
Labeling Theory: Problems and Social
Definitions
Survey Research:
Asking Questions
A researcher asks subjects to respond to
items in a questionnaire or interview.
 A questionnaire is a series of items a
researcher presents to subjects for
their response
 In an interview, the researcher meets
face to face with respondents to
discuss a particular issue
 While questionnaires offer a chance
for greater breadth of opinion,
interviews can provide greater depth
of understanding
Field Research: Joining In
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Also called participant observation
Involves researchers observing people
while joining in their everyday activities
Experimental Research:
Looking For Causes
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Experiment: a method by which a
researcher investigates cause-and-effect
relationships under highly controlled
conditions
Most experiments are carried out in
specially designed laboratories
Secondary Analysis:
Using Available Data
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A common major research method that is
based on collection of data originally
collected by others
Truth, Science, and Politics
o Max Weber’s “value-free” approach
o The “value commitment” approach
o Is “objective” research even possible?
Truth and Statistics
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Check how terms are defined
Numbers are subject to error
People often “spin” their statistics
Responding to Social Problems:
Social Policy
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Social policy refers to formal strategies
to affect how society operates.
Responding to Social Problems:
Social Policy
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The evaluation of social policy:
How is success defined?
 What are the costs?
 Whom should get the help?
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Policy and Culture
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Social policy tends to be shaped by
existing cultural values
Policy and Politics
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Conservatives: seek to limit the scope of
societal change (focus is on shortcomings
of individuals, not society)
Liberals: favor more sweeping change in
society (see problems in the organization of
society)
Radicals: support policies that go beyond
mere reform
 can be either ultra liberal or ultra
conservative
Politics: Constructing Problems
and Defining Solutions
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The Political Spectrum: a continuum
representing a range of political attitudes
from “left” to “right”
Social Issues: political debates involving
moral judgments about how people should
live
Economic Issues: political debates about
how a society should distribute material
resources
Who Thinks What?
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Two good predictors of political attitudes
are education and wealth – both of which
are elements of social class
The fact that social class affects social and
economic attitudes differently means that
most people have some combination of
liberal and conservative attitudes