Approaches to the Study of Social Problems

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1 Chapter 1 Approaches to the Study of Social Problems

Chapter Outline

What is a Social Problem?Personal Troubles, Public Issues, and Social Problems The Social Context of Social Problems The Sociological Imagination

Theoretical Perspectives on Social Problems The Functionalist Perspective The Conflict Perspective The Interactionist Perspective Using the Theoretical Perspectives

Constructing Social Problems: The Mass Media and Other Influences

Research on Social Problems The Scientific Method Conducting Research

Applied Research: Untangling Myths and Facts about Social Problems

Values, Interest Groups, and Objectivity

Assessing Data: Problems and Pitfalls

Sampling Problems Assessing Causality Measuring Social Problems Assessing Claims

Applied Research: Untangling Myths and Facts about Social Problems

Future Prospects: Solving Social Problems

What Can We Do About Social Problems?The Interplay of Social Policy and Research Who Provides Solutions?Policy Issues: Domestic Violence: How to Intervene?Should We Solve the Problem?

International Perspectives: Social Problems in Other Societies

Chapter 1 At-A-Glance

Detailed Instructor Print Media Professor (Introduction to Social Problems 10e Thomas Sullivan) (Instructor Manual all Chapters) 1 / 4

Instructor’s Manual for Sullivan, Introduction to Social Problems, 10/e

Copyright ©2016 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2 Outline Resources Supplements Supplements Notes What is a Social Problem?

Learning Obj.:

1

Teach. Sugg.:

6, 7, 9

Test Bank for Chapter 1 PPT for Chapter 1

Theoretical Perspectives on Social Problems

Learning Obj.:

2

Teach. Sugg.:

2, 4, 12

Test Bank for Chapter 1 PPT for Chapter 1

Research on Social Problems

Learning Obj.:

3

Teach. Sugg.:

1, 3

Test Bank for Chapter 1 PPT for Chapter 1

Future

Prospects:

Solving Social Problems

Learning Obj.:

4

Teach. Sugg.:

4, 5, 8, 9, 10,

11, 13, 14

Test Bank for Chapter 1

PPT for Chapter 1

Changes in the Tenth Edition

• The introduction to the interventionist and laissez-faire approaches to attacking

problems has been expanded by discussion of the Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party movements as examples of each position, respectively.

Learning Objectives

• Define when a condition is and is not a social problem, identify the social context

of social problems, and explain what the sociological imagination is.

• Define the three theoretical perspectives on social problems, compare them with

one another, and explain how social problems are socially constructed.

• Describe how the scientific method and research are used to understand social

problems, elaborate on the different types of research that are used, and characterize the problems and pitfalls of scientific research.

• Identify the things that sociologists do to address social problems, discuss the

role of social policy in this process, compare and contrast the interventionist and laissez faire approaches to this process, and analyze why this process benefits by focusing on social problems in other societies and cultures.

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Chapter 1: Approaches to the Study of Social Problems

Copyright ©2016 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

3 Suggestions for Teaching and Discussion

• The “Myths and Facts” inserts that open each chapter highlight the distinction

between sociological knowledge and common sense. A number of articles published in Teaching Sociology focus on the relationship between sociology and common sense and the implications of this linkage for the classroom. Instructors may find these articles useful for their own consideration of the

sociology/common sense distinction: James A. Mathisen, “A Further Look at

‘Common Sense’ in Introductory Sociology,” Teaching Sociology, 17, (July, 1989: 307–315); William F. Bengston and John W. Hazzard, “The Assimilation of

Sociology into Common Sense: Some Implications for Teaching,” Teaching

Sociology, 18, (January, 1990: 39–45). Instructors might also want to emphasize the uniqueness of the sociological method, especially as it compares with tradition, experience, and common sense as sources of knowledge about social problems and their solutions. These issues are well developed in Chapter 2 of Duane R. Monette, Thomas J. Sullivan, and Cornell R. DeJong, Applied Social Research: A Tool for the Human Services, 8th ed. (Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole— Cengage Learning, 2011).

• Consistent with one of the themes in this text, it can be useful to stress teaching

and learning through the use and analysis of various aspects of media and popular culture. One approach to this is to use contemporary music as a vehicle for teaching sociological content. Jarl Ahlkvist describes one approach to this by

teaching students sociological analysis through the study of heavy metal music:

“Music and Cultural Analysis in the Classroom: Introducing Sociology through

Heavy Metal,” Teaching Sociology, 27 (April 1999: 126–144). For material on the sociological significance of popular music, Andy Bennett has published two

interesting articles based on his research among youth in England and Germany:

“Rappin’ on the Tyne: White Hip Hop Culture in Northeast England: An

Ethnographic Study,” The Sociological Review, (1999: 1-24), and “Hip Hop am

Main: The Localization of Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture,” Media, Culture &

Society, 21 (1999: 77–91). Benjamin D. Albers and Rebecca Bach provide a

rationale and a method for using popular music and popular culture to introduce specific sociological concepts to students in their article: “Rockin’ Soc: Using Popular Music to Introduce Sociological Concepts,” Teaching Sociology, 31 (April 2003: 237–245). Students tend to pay more attention to sociological issues when they see it applied to aspects of their own lived experience.

• The Applied Research inserts throughout the text emphasize how sociological

information is a valuable source of knowledge for practical applications in solving social problems. In the past, most introductory sociology and social problems courses were taught using “academic sociology”. Today, more emphasis is placed on the applied dimension in sociology, and many departments across the 3 / 4

Instructor’s Manual for Sullivan, Introduction to Social Problems, 10/e

Copyright ©2016 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

4 nation have created programs or academic majors that mirror this new specialization. Laurence A. Basirico’s article, “Integrating Sociological Practice into Traditional Sociology Courses,” Teaching Sociology, 18, (January, 1990: 57– 62) may be helpful to integrate an applied sociological focus into a social problems course. Also, refer to these two books for additional approaches and lecture material: Robert A. Dentler, Practicing Sociology: Selected Fields (Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2002) and Thomas J. Sullivan, Applied Sociology:

Research and Critical Thinking (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1992). For lecture

material on applying sociological approaches to a wide range of substantive areas, refer to Roger A. Straus’s book Using Sociology: An Introduction From the

Applied and Clinical Perspectives, 3rd ed (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield

Publishers, 2002). There is also some useful material on different orientations toward applied sociology in an article by Jan Marie Fritz, “Teaching Sociological Practice: Starting with Something Special,” Sociological Practice, 4 (June 2002:

103–111).

• Many college courses now stress on a service-learning approach in which

students receive partial credit for a course by working in an agency or organization in the community. This gives students an opportunity to observe social process in action as well as participate in the social process and social change. The American Sociological Association has materials that can help a professor design a service-learning component for sociology and social problems

courses. These ASA materials should be particularly useful: JoAnn DeFiore,

Morten G. Ender, and Brenda Marsteller Kowalewskiand (eds.), Service Learning

and Undergraduate Sociology: Syllabi and instructional Materials, 3d ed (2005).

• For more ideas on how to do service learning, Patricia Corwin suggests ways in

which this can be done in large introductory sociology courses in her article “Using the Community as a Classroom for Large Introductory Sociology

Classes,” Teaching Sociology, 24 (July 1996: 310–315). Tammy L. Lewis also

provides insight into how to incorporate service learning into a variety of courses in the sociology curriculum: “Service Learning for Social Change? Lessons From a Liberal Arts College,” Teaching Sociology, 32 (January 2004: 94–108). Service learning is viewed from the perspective of clinical and applied sociology by C.Margaret Hall in her article “Clinical Sociology in Service-Learning,” Clinical

Sociology Review, 16 (1996: 147–153). The journal Sociological Practice has a

full issue devoted to service learning as an educational strategy (vol. 4, March 2002). Linda Mooney and Bob Edwards discuss the range of activities that can be incorporated in a service-learning approach and the benefits that each provides in their article: “Experiential Learning in Sociology: Service Learning and Other Community-Based Learning Initiatives,” Teaching Sociology, 29 (April 2001:181–194). If this is an appealing direction, then these materials will provide course content and lecture material that can integrate service learning with the themes of this text.

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