Social Problems 1 & 2 Conlon
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Sociological Imagination
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A point of view that highlights how society affects the experiences that we have and the choices we make.
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Sociology
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The systematic study of human societies.
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Society
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People who live within some territory and share many patterns of behavior.
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Culture
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A way of life including widespread values, beliefs, and behavior.
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Social Policy
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formal strategies that affect how society operates.
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Social Problem
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A condition that undermines the well-being of some or all members of a society and is usually a matter of public controversy.
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Social-Constructionists Approach
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The assertion that social problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change.
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Claims Making
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The process of convincing the public and important public officials that a particular issue of situation should be defined as a social problem.
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Social Movement
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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.
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Stages of Social Movement
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1) Emergence 2) Coalescence 3) Formalization 4)Decline
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Stages of Social Movement 1-Emergence
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Initial claims are made about the need for change. Example proposing a gathering of the people
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Stages of Social Movement 2-Coalescence
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Claims are publicized. Like a rally or camping out.
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Stages of Social Movement 3-Formalization
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Claims are recognized as part of political debate.
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Stages of Social Movement 4-Decline
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Public interest in claims goes down.
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Eight Assertions of Social Problems
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1) Social Problems result from the ways in which society operates. 2) Social Problems are not caused by bad people. 3) Problems are socially constructed as people define a condition as harmful and in need of change. 4) People see Problems Differently. 5) Definitions of problems change over time. 6) Problems involve subject values as well as objective facts. (people have opinions). 7) Many- yet not all- social problems can be solved. 8) Various social problems are related.
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Theory
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A statement of how and why specific facts are related.
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Theoretical Approach
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A basic image of society that guides theory and research.
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The Structural-Functional Approach (Macro-level)
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Theoretical framework that sees society as a system of many interrelated parts. For example, this approach might explore how the family is a system to ensure the care and raising of children, how schools provide young people with skills they need for adult life. how the economy produces and distributes materials and goods etc.
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Social Pathology
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a model that treats social problems as a disruption in society;s normal operation, in the same way that a disease upsets the operation of the human body.
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Social Institutions
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Many spheres of social life, or social subsystems, organized to meet a basic human need.
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Social-Conflict Approach (Macro-level)
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Is the theoretical framework that sees society as divided by inequality and conflict. Groups competing with one another within the same social system. Social problems arise because our society is divided into \"haves\" and \"have nots\"
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Feminism
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The political movement that seeks the social equality of men and women.
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Symbolic- Interaction Approach (Micro-level)
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A Theoretical framework that sees society as the product of individuals interacting with one another.
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Learning Theory
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Claims that people learn troublesome attitudes and behaviors from others around them
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Labeling Theory
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States that the reality of any particular situation depends on how people define it. For example, the spirited consumption of alcohol that young people view as normal parting may be labeled by college officials as dangerous binge drinking.
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Research Methods
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1) Survey- A research method in subjects respond to items on a questionnaire or in an interview. 2) Field Research (Participant Observation)- A research method for observing people while joining them in their everyday activities. 3) Experiment- A research method that investigates cause-and-effect relationships in a controlled environment. 4) Secondary analysis- making use of data that was originally collected by others
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Political Spectrum
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A continuum representing a range of political attitudes.
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Social Issues
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Political debates involving moral judgments about how people should live.
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Economic Issues
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Political debates about how a society should distribute material resources.
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Social Stratification
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Society's system of ranking categories of people in a hierarchy.
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Social Classes
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Categories of people who have similar access to resources and opportunities.
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Income
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salary or wages from a job plus earnings from investments or other sources.
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Wealth
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Value of all economic assets owned by a person or a family, minus any debts.
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5% and 60%
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The wealthiest ___ of families in the U.S. own___of all wealth.
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Progressive Taxation
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A policy that raises the tax rates as income increases.
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Poverty Line
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An income level set by the US government for the purpose of counting the poor.
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Poverty Gap
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The difference between the actual income of the typical poor household and the official poverty line
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Feminization of Poverty
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the trend of women making up an increasing share of the poor
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Underclass
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poor people who lice in areas with high concentrations of poverty and limited opportunities for schooling or work
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Homelessness
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the plight of poor people who lack shelter and live primarily on the streets
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Social Welfare Programs
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Organized efforts by Government, Private Organizations, or Individuals to assist needy people considered worthy of assistance.
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Culture of Poverty
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Cultural patterns that encourage poverty as a way of life.
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Working Poor
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18% of the heads of poor families work full time Remain below poverty line
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Intersection Theory
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Multiple Disadvantages Investigation of the interplay of race, class, and gender
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Welfare Reform Act of 1996
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Replaced federal AFDC program with a new state related program -Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). New rules require able-bodied people receiving benefits to find a job Or enroll for job retraining within two years.
