American Social Problems

Ch 1: Sociology and Social Problems

Chapter OverviewI. Introductory “Quiz”II. What is a Social Problem?III. Social Problems and Social MovementsIV. Foundations of the Sociological ApproachV. Sociological Perspectives on Social ProblemsVI. Doing Sociological ResearchVII. Interpreting Claims About Social ProblemsVIII. Review for Test MondayIX. What about next week’s lesson?

I. Introductory Quiz

1. A social problem is one that harms one’s own interests.

False

2. What remains the same about social issues is that the topics

remain the same.

False

3. It is through publicity that the problem of a particular group becomes a social problem.

True

4. All deviants are bad.

False

5. When the social rules lose their power to control our behavior, people become lost and confused and more

susceptible to suicide, mental disorders, and drug problems.

True

6. Feminists hate men.

False

7. If people define situations as real, they are real in their

consequences.

According to W. I. Thomas, it’s true.

8. Public records and statistics are very reliable sources of data.

False

9. An experiment is the only research method that can validly

imply causality.

True

10. It is best to question the conclusions of an expert.

Y.J.U.

II. What is a Social Problem?

A. You Tell Me

III. Social Problems and Social Movements

What is the relationship between a social movement and a social problem?

IV. Foundations of the Sociological Approach

A. Lots of Vocabulary1. Role2. Norm3. Deviant4. Social institutions5. Social class6. Culture7. Subculture(cont. next slide)

IV. Foundations of the Sociological Approach

A. Vocabulary (cont.)8. Society

9. Social structure

10.Social psychological theories ►

But first a little “Self-Referencing Effect”

V. Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems

Rate Yourself: On a piece of scrap paper, write down which of the following answers (“a” or “b”) best describe your beliefs.

1. Society is more of:

a. an integrated whole working to maintain itself and promote the common good.

Orb. a diverse collection of social groups, all struggling

for wealth, power, and prestige.

2. The things that hold society together are:

a. shared values, attitudes, and norms.

Or

b. authority backed by the use of force.

3. Most people obey the law:

a. because they believe that it is the right thing to do.

Or

b. because they are afraid of being arrested, jailed, or even killed if they don’t.

4. A lot of social change is:a. bad because it is disruptive. However, society

has a natural tendency to regain its balance whenever it is disrupted.

Or

b. inevitable because society is dynamic due to constant struggles for power. One individual or group will gain power only to be defeated in later struggles.

5. Our most serious problems arise from:

a. a weakening of social values or the unintentional problems created when an important social institution becomes disorganized.

Or

b. the intentional or unintentional exploitation of weak groups by powerful ones.

6. The subdominant status held by Latinos and African Americans in the U.S. are due to:

a. the disorganization of our social system that makes it difficult to fully integrate them into the mainstream of society.

Or

b. exploitation by whites who profit from their economic and political subordination.

7. When all is said and done:

a. Capitalist nations do a much better job of dealing with their social problems than other kinds of societies do.

Or

b. Socialistic nations are on the right track. It is just a matter of time before they get it right.

8. When all is said and done:

a. if there were as much conflict as some theorists claim, society would have collapsed long ago.

Or

b. it is just a matter of time before conflict between the “haves” and “have nots” erupts and brings about a new and better social order.

Count your number of “a” and “b” responses.

If “a” > “b”, then you tend to be a Functionalist.

If “b” > “a”, then you tend to favor Conflict Theory.

If “a” = “b”, then you are an ambi-theorist. (I made

that term up).

A. Vocabulary (cont.)10. Social psychological theories

a. Functionalism1. Function

2. Dysfunction

3. Social disorganization

b. Conflict Theory1. Class conflict

2. World system theory

3. Globalization

IV. Foundations of the Sociological Approach

A. Vocabulary (cont.)c. Feminist Perspective

1. Patriarchy

2. Sexism

d. Symbolic Interactionism (see chart p. 17)1. Definition of the situation

2. Socialization

3. Self concept

e. Other Theories• Behaviorism• Personality theories

• What is a “personality”?• Biosocial perspective

VI. Doing Sociological Research

A. MethodologyA. Public Records and Statistics

B. Case Studies

C. The Survey

D. The Experiment

VII. Interpreting Claims About Social Problems

A. The Author

B. The support

C. The Distribution or Publication

D. The ContentA. Does it make sense?

B. Style of Speaker (Role play)

C. Is it consistent with others’ findings?

E. A departure: Watch out for propaganda.

Propaganda: Art of Persuasion

VIII. Review for Test Monday

IX. What about next week’s lesson?

A. Possible methods of presentation1. Lecture2. Student reports3. Long Reaction paper4. Puzzle and short reaction paper5. “News paper critique”6. Debate7. Journals8. Videos/music9. Anything else?

B. Possible Methods of Evaluation1. Test with brief news article

2. Five articles that relate to the chapter

3. Long reaction paper

4. Puzzle and short reaction paper

5. Anything else?