Understanding Social Problems

A series of vocabulary flashcards designed to help students understand key terms and concepts related to social problems as discussed in the lecture.

Social Problem

Any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers of people and is generally recognized as something that needs to be addressed.

Objective Component

The measurable, observable aspects of social problems that cause real harm to a significant portion of the population.

Subjective Component

How society collectively interprets, defines, and emotionally responds to a condition or behavior as a social problem.

Natural History of a Social Problem

The typical stages through which a social problem develops over time, including emergence, legitimacy, renewed claims making, and alternative strategies.

Emergence and Claim Making

The stage where a social problem begins to be recognized as harmful due to attention drawn by social movements, advocacy groups, or media.

Legitimacy Stage

The stage where a social problem is recognized publicly and attempts are made to persuade the government to act on it.

Renewed Claims Making

Occurs when social change groups press their demands again due to belief that government response is inadequate.

Development or Alternative Strategies

The stage where social change groups create their own initiatives to address social issues, rather than relying solely on government action.

Logical Fallacies

Errors in reasoning that distort understanding and analysis of social problems.

Non Sequitur

A fallacy where a conclusion does not logically follow from the premises or evidence.

Composition Fallacy

The fallacy of assuming that what is true for a part must also be true for the whole.

Dramatic Instance Fallacy

Overgeneralizing based on one or a few vivid cases that do not accurately represent the broader situation.

Retrospective Determinism

Assuming outcomes were inevitable based on past events, while ignoring the complexity of historical contingencies.

Misplaced Completeness

Treating abstract social forces as if they were complete intentional actors, oversimplifying complex social dynamics.

Appeal to Prejudice

An argument that relies on stereotypes or biased assumptions rather than evidence.

Circular Reasoning

An argument that uses its conclusion as evidence for its premise, creating an illusion of proof without real reasoning.

Illegitimate Appeal to Authority

Accepting a claim as true based solely on who said it, rather than the evidence supporting it.

Personal Attack Fallacy

Discrediting an argument by attacking the person making it instead of engaging with the argument itself.

Collective Recognition

The shared societal agreement that a condition is harmful and needs to be addressed.

Persistence of Social Problems

The tendency of social problems to exist over long periods of time, even when interventions are made.

Interconnectedness of Social Issues

The recognition that social problems often link to one another, complicating solutions and responses.