Public Reaction to Social Problems

Public Reaction

Public Reaction to Claims in the Media

  • The public primarily receives secondary claims through the media.
  • Reactions can include:
    • Contributing to a social movement organization.
    • Participating in demonstrations.
    • Writing to legislators.
    • Sharing views with acquaintances.
    • Remaining passive.

Measuring Public Opinion: Key Terms

  • Sample Survey: A poll administered to a sample group to generalize opinions or characteristics of a larger population.
  • Population: The entire group described by a statistic.
  • Sample: A subgroup selected from a population to make statistical generalizations.
  • Representative Sample: A sample that accurately reflects the diversity within the population.

Measuring Public Opinion: The Impact of Polling Methods

  • Relying on cell phones for surveys makes obtaining representative samples more difficult.
  • Certain groups are less likely to be reached via telephone surveys.
  • The wording of survey questions can significantly impact the survey's validity.
  • Advocacy organizations may exploit question wording to their advantage.
  • Examples of potentially biased question wording:
    • Leading Questions: Questions that prompt a specific answer (e.g., "Don’t you think crime is a serious problem?").
    • Loaded Words: Using emotionally charged words (e.g., comparing "expansion of programs that temporarily help people who are out of work" vs. "expansion of welfare programs").
    • Double-Barreled Questions: Combining multiple issues into a single question (e.g., "Do you support food assistance and job training programs for struggling families?").

Complications in Gauging Public Opinion

  • Measuring opinions on complex issues is challenging with a limited number of questions.
  • Respondents may provide socially desirable answers rather than their genuine opinions.

Constructing the Meaning of Public Opinion

  • People are not passive recipients of information.
  • The media influences the topics people discuss (agenda-setting) but has less influence on shaping opinions on those topics.
  • Demographic characteristics influence opinions on various issues.

The Impact of Public Opinion

  • Surveys provide early feedback in the social problems process, which can validate or redirect claimsmaking.
  • Policymakers monitor poll results, which can influence action, although they are considered alongside other factors.

Focus Groups and Other Interviews

  • Focus Group: A selected group of people discussing specific topics to reveal public thinking.
  • Advantages of focus groups over surveys:
    • Greater flexibility for participants to express and expand on their views.
    • Ability to respond to comments from other participants.
  • When discussing issues in focus groups, people use:
    1. Popular wisdom/commonsense
    2. Personal experiences
    3. Media messages
      • These are used to construct public definitions of social problems and adjust claimsmaking.
  • Limitations of focus groups:
    • Can be expensive.
    • Difficult to ensure the group's views represent the larger population.
    • Success depends on a skilled moderator.

Social Media as an Index of Public Opinion

  • Methods of measuring public opinion on social media:
    • Selective quoting.
    • Measuring the frequency that certain terms are used.
    • Semantic Polling: Using computer technology to classify and interpret the meaning of online content.

Legends, Jokes, and Other Folklore

  • Folklore: Information disseminated informally among ordinary people.
  • All people have folklore, which spreads in a variety of ways.
  • Folklore expresses ordinary people’s reactions to social problem claims.

Legends, Jokes, and Other Folklore: Contemporary Legends

  • Contemporary/Urban Legends: Stories believed to be true by both the teller and the listener, spread from person to person.
  • Characteristics of Contemporary Legends:
    • Typically lack supernatural elements.
    • The teller provides “evidence” of the story's authenticity.
    • Legends can persist over decades, disappearing and reappearing.
    • Details change as the legend spreads, with new versions called Variants.
    • Legends are entertaining and create intense feelings.
    • Stories often warn that the world is more dangerous than it seems.
  • Many legends respond to current claims, exaggerating them to be more dramatic, disturbing, and memorable.
    • Legends involve Motifs, which are recurring thematic elements.
  • Legends often reflect social conflict:
    • Gender conflict
    • Racial conflict
    • Ethnic conflict
  • Many legends suggest that ordinary activities are dangerous and people need to be careful.

Legends, Jokes, and Other Folklore: Joke Cycles

  • Joke Cycle: A set of jokes sharing a form or topic that are popular for a limited time.
  • Jokes reflect views on social issues.
  • Stereotypes often depict groups as having undesirable qualities (e.g., "lazy, stupid, dirty, sexually promiscuous").

The Public's Role in the Social Problems Process

  • Claimsmakers make claims that are covered by the media.
  • The public gives feedback (support, indifference, opposition).
  • Policymakers implement policies and react.