Chapter 1 Flashcards
Social Problem
a social condition or pattern of behaviour that is believed to warrant public concern and collective action
ie; very, food insecurity, racism etc.
Sociology
the systematic study of society
- sociologists apply theories and research methods to understand society and its social problems
Intersectionality
is used to understand inequalities
- describes how inequalities based on social class, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and many other factors can converge to increase the inequalities people experience
Activism and Social Media on Social Problems
- activism increases attention to a social problem
- social media makes activism more accessible to everyone
ie; social media drawn attention to the problem of police Violence e against black men and women
Power and Social Problems
Power is important in drawing attention to social problems
- individuals and groups with greater economic and political resources are better positioned to identify social problems and illicit collective action
Karl Marx
- concerned about poverty, inequality, and the harsh working conditions during industrialization
- raised influential ideas in social class and capitalism
Emile Durkheim
known for his study in suicide
- discovered that suicide rates varied by social factors like gender, marital status, and religiosity
- argued that the more integrated a person was to society, the lower their risk of suicide
Max Weber
studied about work and the rise of capitalism
- linked the rise of capitalism to Protestant faith
- raised awareness in the advantages and problems in modern bureaucracies including governments, corporations, and larger institutions
- published “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”
Objective Elements
are the measurable features of a harmful societal condition
- using these to study social problems is based on the philosophical premise of positivism
Positivism
a systematic attempt (scientific approach) to find and test natural laws through measurements of the reality
Subjective Elements
are beliefs and evaluation of sensed reality that influence peoples behaviour
- people apply moralistic labels to acts or situations based on personal beliefs and values, which are shaped by the wider society and may change overtime
- subjective elements are important because it shows the public opinions about social problems
Social problems can be defined as both a _________ and a _________
condition, process
Social Problem as a Condition
is empirically observed issues that threatens the well-being of a society
Social Problem as a Process
is the sequence of events by which members of society comes to see a condition as a social problem that warrants collective action
Sociological Imagination
the ability to connect ones own life (micro-events) with the social world in which one lives (macro-events)
- coined by C. Wright Mills
Closed Society
society that doesn’t support upward social mobility
- No opportunity to move up the socioeconomic ladder
- Lack of social programs to support those in need
Open Society
society support upward social mobility
- Canada is an example
Language and Social Problems
language shapes how social problem are defined and viewed
example
- phrases like “drug-use” and “overdose” displays drug deaths as the result of individuals consuming excessive opioids
- more modern phrases like “opioid toxicity” or “mass poisoning crisis” suggest that deaths are a result of drug supply that is toxic and life-threatening
Denotation
the root meaning of a word
Connotation
the meaning that word has acquired overtime
Technology and Social Problems
technology drew attention to social problems, but has also created new social problems
ill cyberbullying, financial crimes, romance scams, sextortion
Sextortion
an individual shares a sexually explicit image of themselves to another person, who threatens to publicize the photo if money is not paid
Micro-Level Analysis (Microsociology)
focuses on the interactions between individuals in small groups
ie; substance abuse, relationship conflicts, and mental health issues
Macro-Level Analysis (Macrosociology)
studies how changes in major organizations and institutions affect society as a whole
ie; negative experience in foster care, child welfare system
August Comte
followed positivism
Social Reality
how people perceive the world around them
- it is flexible and subjected to interpersonal influence
- imaginary accounts of reality can lead to real effects
ie; health of consumers is compromised by food corporations who are motivated to produce profits rather than producing healthy food
Thomas Theorem
when people define a situation as real, the situation will be real in it’s effects
- coined by W.I. Thomas
Social Constructionism
a sociological approach that examines the way people interact to create a shared social reality
- proposed by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann
- the meaning of anything, including a social problem, is the product of dominant cultural and symbolic practices in a group or society
- it is important to be skeptical to distinguish something is a real problem or a social construction
Moral Entrepreneurs
interest groups, stakeholders, public relations experts, or even community leaders who classify some situations as problems
Claims-Making
the framing of social problems that explains the problem in a particular way and blames some people as wrong-doers
Whistle-Blowers
employees who speak out about an organization’s wrongdoings or illegal activities, against their employers interests
Moral Panics
brief yet intense periods of concern often based on false or exaggerated perceptions
Folk Devils
the people responsible for the threats of moral panics
Structural Functionalism
views society as interconnected elements that work together to preserve stability and efficiency in society
- macrosociological approach
- it views characteristics of societies, such as inequality, as functional for society
- Davis and Moore argue that inequality encourages people to work harder to achieve higher incomes
Critiques of Structural Functionalism
- it ignores the reality that many inequalities are based on inherited wealth
- some jobs important to society does not necessarily come with very high salaries
- it assumes that economic rewards are the only effective motivators for people, ignoring factors like self-fulfillment
- it does not consider the people who are unable to maximize their talents and skills because they were born in impoverished circumstances
Structural Functionalism: Cause of Social Problems
failure of institutions to fulfill their roles
- common during times of rapid social change
- results in social disorganization
Anomie
coined by Durkheim
- a condition of disorder that causes norms to be weak or uncertain
Structural Functionalism: Social Problems Solution
strengthening of social norms and slow the pace of social change
Conflict Theory
views society as a collection of varied groups struggling over unequally distributed wealth and power
- criticize SF’s for ignoring inequalities
- rooted in the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Conflict Theory: Cause of Social Problems
proposes that social problems stem from the economic and political inequalities between social classes
- the struggle for power between capitalists and workers
Alienation
workers in a capitalist system feel distanced from the processes and products of their labour
- they are unable to change the condition of their work
- caused by the capitalism exploiting the workers by denying them fair payment for this value they produce through their labour
Criticisms of Conflict Theories
overlooking other forms of inequality such as those baed on gender, ethnicity, race, disability, and sexual orientation
Symbolic Interactionism
sees a society as actively created by people who interact and share meaning, definitions, and interpretations with one another
- focuses on micro-level interactions
- both verbal and non-verbal communication
- analyzes how people come to frame certain situations as social problems and how people learn to engage in such “framing” activities
Critiques of Symbolic Interationism
- over-emphasizing micro-level interactions and neglects how larger social structures have our interactions
- a focus on micro-level interactions is not conductive to creating social policies to address social problems and inequalities
Labeling Theory
something is a social problem mainly if groups of people define it as such
Howard Becker
contributed to labeling theory
- argued that moral entrepreneurs can translate their personal beliefs into social rules and norms
- people who violate these rules are labeled as deviant
Herbert Blumer
proposes that people construct social problems in stages
1. Social Recognition
2. Social Legitimating
3. Mobilization for Action
4. Developing and Carrying out an Official Plan
Social Recognition
a given behaviour is identified by moral entrepreneurs as a social concern
Social Legitimating
a person in authority recognizes the activity as a serious threat to social stability
Mobilization for Action
social organizations begin planning ways to deal with the problem
Developing and Carrying out an Official Plan
official policy changes
George Herbert Mead (1934)
proposed that children learn to interact with others by acquiring a shared system of rules and symbols that allows them to share meanings
- the children can this relate to the social group, known as the generalized other
- for mead, the shared rules and meaning contribute to the cooperative construction of social reality
Generalized Other
the broader social group
Berger and Luckmann (1966)
proposed that the purpose of sociology is to understand “the reality of everyday life”- how it’s experienced, coordinated, and organized
- everyday world is inter-subjective and taken for granted
- all knowledge in everyday life is created, preserved, and spread by social interaction
Intersubjective
based on communication that establishes common or shared understanding
Critiques of Social Constructionism
social problems may even exist when people fail to recognize them as problems
Feminist Theory
systematically examines gender inequalities in society to eliminate them
- focuses on both micro and macro levels of society
- focuses on understanding women’s social reality and experiences
ie; caregiving, unpaid labour, violence against women
Patriarchy
a form of social organization in when men are the rulers of the household, community, and society
1st Wave Feminism
early 20th century
- focused on women’s right to vote
2nd Wave Feminism
1960s
- focused on establishing legal, cultural, and social equalities for women, including reproductive rights and the right to equal pay
3rd Wave Feminism
1990s
- focused on redefining feminism to be more inclusive and address intersectionality
Critiques of Feminist Theory
- early feminist scholarship focused on concerns and interests of the most advantaged women in society; white, middle class, heterosexual, educated women
- early feminism did not address other kinds of inequalities based on race, class, disability, age, or sexual orientation
Post-modernism
a school of thought that denies the validity of universal, sweeping statements about the world or groups of people within the world, and analyzes the motives behind such statements and the consequences of people believing them
- rejects the idea of objective truth
- there is no singular factor that could explain our social world
- knowledge and truth is situation specific, and contested, reshaped through discourse
- truth often reflects power relations as those with power can shape discourse
Critiques of Post-Modernism
- the theory has no clear explanatory factors, making it difficult to explain society and solve social problems
- not conductive for directing social policy
Post-structuralism
a concept related to postmodernism that takes analytical deconstruction
- helps us to think of new ways to solve old problems, and it makes finding the truth seem impossible
- helps sociologists recognize the biases and perspectives reflected in their work
Population Health Perspective
aims to improve the health of society and reduce health inequalities between social groups
Social Determinants of Health
include social support networks, education, employment, working and living conditions, health practices, health services, stress, coping skills, gender, and culture
- suggests that population health is a sensitive global measure of how well a society is functioning
Individual Solutions
- individuals can reach out for support
Formal Sources of Assistance
- agencies and institutions such as police, the health care system, food banks, etc.
Informal Sources of Assistance
- family and friends for financial help or caregiving
- use of online resources
- taking out loans
- pursuing higher education or training
Collective Solutions
social movements and activism that create awareness and support for a social problem
