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Define social problem
a social condition that part of a society views as harmful and in need of a remedy
Private troubles
are personal and a result of an individual’s choices. it is up to them to solve it.
Public issues
a problem shared by multiple people in a society. caused by any elements of the social structure and its solution lies in changing society’s social institutions and culture.
The Sociological Imagination
awareness of the connection between our own personal lives and the history and social structure of the society that we live in. term coined by C. Wright Mills.
Objective component of social problems
awareness of the existence of a negative social condition through the media, personal experiences, education, etc.
Subjective component of social problems
the shared belief that a social condition is harmful to society and thus should be addressed.
The Natural History of a Social Problem
how social problems are commonly addressed and defined by society (its usual pathway)
Functionalist perspective on social problems
views social problems as both functional (promotes social cohesion) and dysfunctional (disrupts social stability). can also be seen as a “sickness” in a social institution (social pathological view) or the result of rapid social change that disrupts societal norms (social disorganization). solution lies in slowing down the pace of social change and strengthening social norms.
Conflict perspective on social problems
seen as a competition over power and resources caused by high inequality in a capitalistic system. Solution is to change this inequality in society’s structure.
Symbolic perspective on social problems
social problems are seen as social problem as long as individuals label it as problematic. the solution lies in changing the meanings and definitions of social problems.
How does social inequality contribute to social problems?
Inequalities in race, class, and gender contribute to social problems because they reinforce that some individuals benefit more than others.
Social stratification
the unequal ranking of individuals that perpetuates inequality in the distribution of rewards and chances in a society. It’s embedded in society, generational, universal, and it also involves beliefs.
How is poverty measured?
Absolute: a lack in basic-everyday necessities
Relative: a lack of material and economic resources in comparison to other populations
Extreme: individuals that make less than $2.15 per day at a global level
Poverty line
Created by the SSA to measure poverty based on data indicating that families spent 1/3 of their income in food.
Feminization of poverty
Women are more likely to live in poverty than men
Key factors about poverty in the U.S.A
most typical poor people in the US are white
US is one the richest countries with the highest poverty and child poverty rates
COVID 19 may have contributed to rising poverty rates in the US
Nearly 34 million Americans lived under the poverty line
Who are the poor?
Individuals that earn less than or live on a minimum wage. They live below the poverty line, can’t afford basic necessities. Includes the working poor, poor class, and the underclass.
Social patterns of poverty
Race & ethnicity: Blacks and Latinos are more likely to have higher poverty rates than whites
Gender: Feminization of poverty
Age: children less than 18 years old and people older than 65 have higher poverty rates
Region: people living in the suburbs have higher rates of poverty than people living in cities
Family structure: single mother headed households are more likely to live in poverty
7 myths about poverty in the U.S.A
Majority of poor are Blacks and Hispanics
People are poor because they do not want to work
The poor are trapped in a cycle of poverty
Welfare programs strain the federal budget
Majority of poor live in inner-cities
Poor people live off government welfare
Most of the poor are single mothers and their children
Conflict theory on poverty
poverty is the result of the bourgeoisie (the rich) exploiting proletariat (working class) labor
Structural functionalist theory on poverty
poverty is the result of structural breakdown that has both functional and dysfunctional purposes.
Symbolic functionalist theory on poverty
poverty is the consequence of ones actions. the rich are labeled as hard workers while the poor are seen as lazy or unmotivated.
Social structural factors of poverty
Government: those with the most wealth have more control over political decisions, often choosing those that favor them
Poverty & the economy: capitalism works for the rich and encourages accumulation of wealth. poor people are trapped in a cycle because they may not have the resources they need to advance in social class.
Patterns of family life: children of the well do better than children with poor parents. family size is also a major factor.
Education of the poor: poor students are less likely to pursue a higher education, may lack superior or parental guidance than students from high income families and communities.
Why does poverty persist? (Individual explanation)
They lack the ambition and motivation to work hard
Why does poverty persist? (structural explanation)
unequal opportunities (discrimination, education, health care) and a lack of jobs in US society (deindustrialization, foreign manufacturing)
Why does poverty persist? (Cultural explanation)
a culture of poverty is shared throughout generations who have experienced extended periods of economic depravation.
The Racial Wealth Gap
Absolute difference in wealth between the median households grouped by race and ethnicity. The typical white household owns more wealth than Black and Latino households.
Racial income inequality
Income inequality is exacerbated along racial and ethnic lines in the US. Asians have the highest median earnings, followed after Whites, Blacks, and Latinos at the end.
Gendered income inequality
income inequality between men and women. Women make on average $0.82 for every $1 a man earns.
Ethnic income inequality
Differences in income earnings among ethnic groups that is exacerbated by cultural differences and socioeconomic factors.
Dimensions of racial disparities in the labor market
Income inequality can be related to unemployment rates among racial groups, unequal promotion practices, and unequal opportunities for stable employment.
Individual explanations for income and labor market inequality
differences in human capital among racial groups or the practice of discrimination onto racial groups in the labor force (implicit bias, categorical exclusion, shifting standards)
Cultural explanations for income and labor market inequality
a shared lack of value in meritocracy, lack of strong family ties, or a lack of willpower, essentially victim-blaming.
Structural explanations for income and labor market inequality
decline in manufacturing, deindustrialization and a shift to service economy, decline in unionized jobs.
Land ownership after slavery
Residential segregation was carried out through violence and intimidation led by whites against non-whites. The real estate industry and the FHA would often exclude minorities from homeownership opportunities.
The creation of residential segregation
Practice of redlining by the FHA, creation of Vanilla suburbs
How was the racial wealth gap created?
slavery
Jim Crow Laws and segregation
Housing policies: GI Bills
Some families were able to accumulate wealth while others not
Explaining the wealth gap in the 21st century
Years of homeownership (accounts for 27%)
Household income (20%)
Years of unemployment (9%)
College education (5%)
Inheritance/financial support (5%)
How can we reduce racial and ethnic inequality?
increasing federal aid for the poor, invest and expand intervention programs, invest in school improvement, better nutrition and health services, strict enforcement of anti-discriminatory laws, eliminate residential segregation
Why does policy matter?
policy matters because it is easier to change the root of the problem. through policy making, barriers to achievement can be easily eliminated while simultaneously challenging loopholes in the system that disproportionately benefit white households.
Emergency and claim-making
crowd calls attention to a problem to authorities and the media. if crowd fails to gain attention, the social problem does not emerge.
Legitimacy
convincing the government that the claims are based and that action through policy making or spending is necessary
Renewed claims making
if an action is too ambitious or the problem goes unsolved, claims are recited and the lack of action by the larger figure is critized.
Development of alternative strategies
realizing the claims are not being responded to, thus supporters create their own strategies to solve the problem.
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