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