Final Exam Study Guide SYG2010 Sociology Studying Social Problems Claims making the process of convincing the public and important public officials that a particular issue or situation should be defined as a social problem An act of communication a type of political action an essential tool for creating defining a social problem Sources of claims making media public leaders officials official announcements publications and social movements 5 steps to claims making 1 Define a problem 2 Gather data 3 Frame the claim 4 Publicize problem 5 Suggest solutions Claims making usually prompts counterclaims from opponents laws mark success in claims making 3 factors to help promote claims visibility of power opposition to social problem and something that strongly resonates with peoples values or norms Typification characterizes a problem as a specific type such as a moral problem a medical problem an economic problem etc Grabber horror story form of claims making naming teen promiscuity to create an image How do we know a problem is on the radar screen Public outrage publicity resources directed toward it organizations formed institutionalized Social Constructionist approach the assertion that social problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change Results in claims making Objective does it cause harm to people 3 General Theoretical Approaches 1 Structural functional approach sees society as a system of many interrelated parts problems as dysfunctions of various social patterns Social conflict approach sees society as divided by inequality and conflict class conflict theory multicultural theory feminist theory Symbolic interaction approach a theoretical framework that sees society as the product of individuals interacting with one another the learning approach and labeling approach How do we know whether something is a social problem 1 Objective date new terms resources directed media coverage social movements or programs and laws or lawsuits Many issues that are objectively harmful are not perceived as serious social problems The point of the MJ and PB box was to show that society perceives decides whether something is a social problem Other issues that are not a social problem now may be viewed as on in the future Missing numbers Crime don t explain crime Crime is defined socially therefore biological factors Why are biological explanations of crime limited in their utility Genes together with social influences may explain some types of criminality However for example a muscular build may not be the cause of criminal behavior because people may expect muscular boys to act like bullies self fulfilling prophecy How is crime measured Iceberg arrest date only measured the tip of the iceberg the offenders who remain in the hidden part of the iceberg may be different to what is known to police Aggravated Assault is the most common violent crime Violent Crime trends in the past 20 years there has been a drop in crime rate Analysts point to a strong economy during the 1990 s Also the drop in the use of crack cocaine the hiring of more police and tougher sentences for criminal convictions However they expect it will go up again because of the economic recession Social characteristics of street criminals Age people aged fifteen to twenty four make up 41 of arrests for violent crime men account for 67 of arrests for property crimes 82 of all rests in general However women show up more often for certain arrests like larceny theft embezzlement runaway youth and prostitution Social Bias in sentencing White collar crime illegal activities conducted by people of high social position during the course of their employment or regular business activities occurs in banks Corporate crime an illegal act committed by a corporation or by persons acting on its behalf ex Gross negligence knowingly producing faulty products The losses due to corporate crime in the US run into the hundreds of billions of dollars both crimes are the heart of this country s crime problem Why is it Hate Crime considered a problem It does not only just cause property damage and its not just a crime against someone it harms an individual and threatens degrades and entire group C Henry Kempe was treating children for injuries and soon he began to wonder if some children s injuries did Sex Sexuality males not exist His research helped society to define violence against children as a social problem Sex is the biological distinction between females and Sexuality is no simple biological process it is socially constructed through meanings What behavior is considered sexual who engages in sex with whom etc varies with different places Different ways of doing sex are likely to be contested During the sexual revolution sexism became part of our society s vocabulary Feminists demanded equal pay for equal work condemning pornography and taking a stand against sexual violence Also demanded access to contraception and abortion By 1970 s sexual counterrevolution started Wanted a return to family values however it did not succeed in really turning back the clock Today the sexual revolution continues They are carrying it into old age with drugs that treat erectile dysfunction Currently companies are working to create a new pink pill for older women Alfred Kinsey conducted a study that interviewed men and women about their sexual practice in 1942 showed that many subjects broke many cultural taboos The bias of his study is he used too many college students and people in prison ignoring those who were older rural or poor Cultural variation of homosexuality among the Chukchee Eskimo of Siberia a man may take the role of dressing and acting like a woman etc a study shows opposite sex twins found a higher likelihood of homosexual orientation among people raised in a gender neutral environment than among those raised according to conventional ideas of masculine and feminine behavior American Psychiatric Association in 1960 homosexuality was considered to be a sickness and part of the list of mental disorders In 1973 the APA removed homosexuality from its list and people became more accepting In 2004 Massachusetts ruled gay men and lesbians had right to marry June 1969 when police raided Stonewall Inn a bar in New York s Greenwich Village At the time police were raiding gay bars and these people openly resisted the police The Gay Rights Movement the term homophobia surfaced to describe an aversion to or hostility toward people