Important points
Social Problem
When enough people in a society agree that a condition exists that threatens the quality of their lives and their most cherished values, and they also agree that some- thing should be done to remedy that condition, sociologists say that the society has defined that condition as a social problem. In other words, the society’s members have reached a consensus that a condition that affects some members of the population is a problem for the entire society, not just for those who are directly affected. We will see, however, that for every social problem, there are arguments about the nature of the problem, its severity, and the best remedies—laws, social programs, or other policies— to address it. There must be enough consensus among people in a society that a problem exists for action to take place, but this does not mean that the consensus is general. In fact, we will also see that not all people count equally in defining social problems and seeking remedies.
Important Points
When many people in a society agree that a condition exists that threatens the quality of their lives and their most cherished values, and they also agree that some- thing should be done to remedy it, sociologists say that society has defined that condition as a social problem.
• Sociologists who study social problems ask questions about the social rather than the individual aspects of a problem. The primary sociological approaches to the study of social problems are the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives.
• The functionalist perspective looks at the way major social institutions actually operate. From this perspective, the main reason for the existence of social problems is that societies are always changing; failure to adapt successfully to change leads to social problems.
• In the early 1900s, functionalist theorists saw social problems like criminal deviance as a form of social pathology. Later, they tended to emphasize the effects of immigration, urbanization, and industrialization; this emphasis formed the basis of social-disorganization theory. Modern functionalists often conduct institutional research designed to show how people and societies reorganize their lives and institutions to cope with new conditions.
• The conflict perspective is based on the belief that social problems arise out of major contradictions in the way societies are organized, which lead to large-scale conflict. This perspective owes a great deal to the writings of the German social theorist Karl Marx.
• Marxian conflict theory attributes most social problems to underlying patterns of class conflict. A broader view is taken by value conflict theorists, who believe social problems occur when groups with different values meet and compete. Along these lines, it is sometimes argued that there is a “culture war” in the United States.
• Research based on the interactionist perspective looks at the processes whereby different people become part of a situation that the larger society defines as a social problem. It focuses on the ways in which people actually take on the values of the group of which they are members.
• According to labeling theory, social problems are conditions under which certain behaviors or situations become defined as problems. In this view, the cause of a social problem is simply society’s awareness that a certain behavior or situation exists. The labels applied to certain behaviors act as self-fulfilling prophecies because people who are so labeled accept society’s definition of themselves and behave accordingly
. • The most frequently used research methods in the study of social problems are demographic studies, survey research, field observation, and social experiments. People who conduct research with human subjects must guarantee the rights of privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent. • Social policies are formal procedures designed to remedy a social problem. They are formulated by officials of governments at all levels as well as by voluntary associations, corporations, and nonprofit foundations. Much of the research conducted by sociologists is designed to pro- vide information to be used in formulating and evaluating social policies.
• The natural history approach to the analysis of social problems focuses on public perception of conditions that come to be defined as problems. In this view, there are four stages in the development of a social problem: problem definition, legitimacy, reemergence of demands, and rejection and institution building.