Exam 1 Study Guide SYG 2010 07 The following list of course concepts from the readings videos and class is designed to assist you to study for your first exam This study guide is meant to guide you through the course material and IS NOT a substitute for course readings and videos lectures PowerPoint presentations and your notes Happy studying Note Course Readings are highlighted in BOLD text General exam information 35 40 questions worth 2 points each mostly multiple choice with some true false 2 3 short answer essay worth 10 points each FOR EACH SOCIAL PROBLEM we have discussed you should be prepared to discuss the problem and its solutions from the various perspectives along the political spectrum ex radical left liberal conservative Ex How would a liberal discuss poverty its causes and possible solutions How would a conservative discuss poverty Use the tables in your book to study this Applying Theory and Left to Right and Making the Grade at the end of each chapter Introduction to Social Problems and Sociology as a Discipline Sociology Sociology the systematic study of human societies Culture social institutions other terms Society Culture people who live within some territory and share many patterns of behavior a way of life including widespread values about what is good and bad beliefs about what is true and behavior what people do everyday meet a basic human need a major sphere of social life or a societal subsystem organized to Social institutions Durable over time though various aspects may change due to cultural shifts Structures created through interactions Ex families schools banks churches corporations governments the military The Sociological Imagination C Wright Mills You should be able to use your sociological imagination to explain social problems Sociological imagination a point of view that highlights how society affects the experiences we have and the choices we make The ability to look beyond one s own everyday life Being aware of the ideas beliefs norms and values that we tend to take for granted we make Recognizing that society affects the personal experiences we have and the choices Ability to use the connections between our personal lives and others and the social 1 world C Wright Mills Allows people to connect their own lives to that of wider society Allows people to look beyond their individual environment Question our own beliefs and assumptions Rejecting the status quo What Is a Social Problem How do issues develop into social problems Describe how various techniques are used to construct the image of a social problem Conditions PERCEIVED to undermine the WELL BEING of a society that are usually a matter of PUBLIC CONTROVERSY Two Elements of Social Problems OBJECTIVE the existence of a social condition SUBJECTIVE condition is perceived harmful to society Significant of people widely accepted of significant people power dynamics Five characteristics of social problems how do you know if something is a social problem OBJECTIVE Factual and concrete data for support SUBJECTIVE Socially defined based on values and norms AGREED to be harmful WITH or WITHOUT objective facts DYNAMIC Change over time vary across time RELATIVE A problem for some is a solution for others VISIBLE Publicized and on the radar for most in society This characteristics MAKES or BREAKS a social problem Social Problems aren t problems unless people know about them hear about them get angry etc How do we know if an issue is on the radar as a social problem Public Outrage Publicity Resources are directed towards it Organizations are formed Institutionalized by government no argument here Objectivist vs Constructionist Subjective orientations o What are they o How does each view something as a social problem o Shortcomings o Review the peanut butter vs Marijuana comparison 2 o o Joel Best s Typification Flaws of Objectivist Definitions Joel Best Minimize or even ignore the subjective nature of social problems Objectivist would consider Peanut Butter a social problem because of the health concern 3 Flaw not all harmful conditions are regarded as social problems The objective conditions that people define as social problems have relatively little in common Peanut butter rape ozone layer thinning out Constructionism Joel Best Subjectivist perspective on social problems NOT TWO SIDES OF COIN objectivist v constructionist Groups social problems through PROCESS NOT KIND Reasoning It does not matter whether the conditions exist it matters only that people make claims about them Look at what social problems have in common VIA CLAIMSMAKING PROCESS Typification Joel Best Characterizes a problem as a particular type e g a moral medical economic etc problem Naming creates a desired image or focus teen promiscuity v teen pregnancy moral v medical welfare queen Grabber or Horror Story Horror Stories Dramatic accounts either real or fabricated that are offered as typical cases Horror stories take on a reality repetition elaboration E g Poisoned Halloween candy Define a Problem Presence and Scope Assemble Claims gather data Organize the claims into a frame o Package ideas to make sure they seem like a problem o raiding the land v exploring for energy o partial birth abortion v third term Publicize the Problem Suggest Solutions 4 a statement of how and why specific facts are related Sociological Theories Theory Building a theory depends on Theoretical approach Framework ideas standpoint Theoretical approaches in sociology basic image of society that guides theory and research Macro level Structural Functionalist Society is comprised of interrelated parts looks broadly at the social world as influencing individual behavior o Social institutions are essential to society in order to meet basic human needs Social Conflict Micro level Symbolic Interaction examines individual behavior as influencing larger society How do these theories view individuals and society Structural Functionalism o Manifest function intended outcome o Latent function unintended consequence harder to observe o Social pathology society is like a living organism Social problems are a disease that affect the function of the organism aka society o Social Darwinism survival of the fittest Poor are poor and rich are rich because of weakness vs strength Herbert Spencer 1820 1903 Not a popular viewpoint with many current sociologists No scientific basis Social disorganization Conflict Theory and Social Problems Class conflict and Marxism Non
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