Social Problems What is a social problem Social

Social Problems

What is a social problem? • Social condition or pattern of behavior that harms some individuals or all people in a society – Raises public concern and collective action to bring about change • Examples: violence, crime, poverty, substance abuse, environmental pollution, inadequate access to health care, weakening economy, inadequate schools, etc. • What constitutes a “social problem” changes over time

Social problems • Some social problems are viewed as conditions that affect all members of society, while others are viewed as conditions that affect only some members of society • ALL SOCIAL PROBLEMS MAY BE HARMFUL TO ALL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY WHETHER THEY REALIZE IT OR NOT

How do personal problems relate to the larger society? • Sociological imagination- the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society – Enables us to connect our private problems to public issues

Sociological Imagination Example: violence • It is easy for a victim of violence and their families to see themselves as individual victims rather than placing the attack within a larger context • Micro level- focuses on small group relations and social interactions among individuals • Macro level- focuses on social processes occurring at the societal level especially in social institutions like government and economy

Sociological perspective • Allows us to move beyond myth and common sense notion • Things are not always what they seem- social problems are multifaceted • By taking a global perspective on social problems we realize that the lives of all people are intertwined – Any other nation’s problems are part of a larger global problem

Social theories • Theory- set of logically related statements that attempt to describe , explain or predict social events • Perspectives- an overall approach or viewpoint toward some subject • 3 major perspective: – Functionalist – Conflict – Interactionist

Functionalist • Society is a stable, orderly system composed of a number of interrelated parts, each which performs a function that contributes to the overall stability of society • Compare society to a living organism – Just as muscles, tissues, and organs of the human body perform specific functions, the various parts of society contribute to its maintenance and preservation

Manifest v. latent function • Manifest functions- intended and recognized consequences of an activity or social process – Example: Education • Provide students with knowledge, skills, and cultural values • Latent functions- unintended consequences of an activity or social process that are hidden and unacknowledged by participants – Education- keeps kids off streets and provide opportunities for students to meet and socialize

Dysfunctions of society • Undesirable consequences of an activity or social process that prevents society from adapting or adjusting

Conflict perspective • Based on the assumption that groups in society are engaged in continuous power struggle for control of scare resources • Certain groups of people are privileged while others are disadvantaged

Symbolic interactionist perspective • Focuses on micro level analysis of how people act toward one another and how they make sense of their daily lives • Views society as the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups • Analyze how certain behaviors come to be defined as a social problem • How people interpret the messages they receive from others influences their behavior