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18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Definitions and Solutions of Social Problem
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Sometimes society changed its defintion about what is a problem
Solutions: Overcome socialization and adjust their behavior U.S. is now gender equality - sexual harassment, marital rape now are social problems Federal laws now protect individuals against discrimination |
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Conflicting definitions and solutions
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Abortion is a controversial social issue: wheter abortion constitutes murder depends on what defintion of life you accept.
Even if it is agreed that taking another life is wrong how she we punish the offender? |
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Four Elements of a Social Problem: Individual or Social Damage
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Causes physical or mental damge to individuals or society.
A) present suffering (embarassment) B)Loss of future opportunities (exclusion from education and early job opportunities) |
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Four Elements of a Social Problem: Offense to a Powerful Group's Standards
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All societies have degrees of power in prestige
Higher status means having the most power and influence in determining problems May not be considered a problem until a powerful group perceives it as a one. |
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Four Elements of a Social Problem: Persistence: 3 forces
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1) Interconnectivity - built into society and becomes a natural part of everyday life
2) Profiting: many solutions have resistance b/c they threaten to upset societies traditional structure 3) Desire for Quick Cure - many people give up if solutions do not demonstrate |
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Four Elements of a Social Problem: Overabundance of Proposed Solutions
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When problem persists, generated discussion; some solutions based on prejudice, cultural orientation, or rationalizations
Society conception of what can cannot be understood or solved is a part of its culture |
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Role of the Social Scientist
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Views of social problems intertwine with out personal values and beliefs
Policy decisions on problems should be based on objective evidence - accurate statistics |
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Research Thinking
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Researchers use hypotheses to structure their investigations
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Guidelines for Developing Usable Hypotheses?
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1) Inductive or Deductive
2) Must use empirical referents 3) Concepts in hypotheses must be expressed clearly ( how you will measure) 4) Condidtions of hypothesis-testing should be stated and repeatable (honest about research procedure) |
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Functionalist Viewpoint: Herbert Spencer
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Society is a integrated system; each class plays a part in perserving the whole society
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Functionalist Viewpoint: Emile Durkheim
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founder of Functionalist Orientation
Importance of sentiments among people |
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Functionalist Method: Robert Melton
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Why are some laws violated more than others?
Theory of differential access to the means of achievement assumes members of US society value achievement leading to success most members tak approved route higher education some cannot due to race, class etc. |
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Robert Meltons greatest contribution and basic flaw
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distinguishing manifest and latent function
Flaw - each social unit has own special needs, not whole society |
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Conflict Viewpoint
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Sees most social problems from disorganization due to group differences.
Dominant importance of systems competition and success values is responsible |
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Interactionist Viewpoint
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Social psychological approach concentrates on how people perceive and define the events that influence their lives
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Interactionist Viewpoint: Symbolic Interaction
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Society rules are millions of separate interpretations made by individuals facing problems together
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Feminist Viewpoint
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Suggest women need a voice and female values and perspectives into the research process.
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Postmodernist Viewpoint
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Society is an age dominated by confusion and demands new theories and methods to understand world.
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