JC

Lecture 1 Notes: Social Problems, Sociological Imagination, and Inequality

I. What are social problems?

  • Leon-Guerrero defines a social problem as “a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world.” (2018:4)
  • However, what counts as a social problem is contested and depends on:
    • who is negatively impacted by the problem,
    • how prevalent the problem is,
    • who benefits directly or indirectly from the problem and their ability to control the framing.
  • Five important dimensions of a social problem (Puttman, 2024):
    1) A social problem goes beyond the experience of an individual.
    2) A social problem results from a conflict in values.
    3) A social problem arises when groups of people experience inequality.
    4) A social problem is socially constructed but real in its consequences.
    5) A social problem must be addressed interdependently, using both individual agency and collective action.
  • Example: The massive increase in the cost of housing in Australia, with young people particularly priced out of home ownership; identified by young people as a primary social problem for them.
  • Consequence: Housing crises become contested social problems; policymakers push for moderate solutions while resisting radical changes that could reduce property values due to political economic interests (voters/constituent groups who benefit from property ownership).
  • Outline of Week One: I. What are social problems II. Why Study Social Problems III. Social Problems, Inequality, and Crime

II. Why Study Social Problems?

  • The idea that social problems are “other people’s problems” is misleading: all people are affected to some degree, and problems are interconnected.
  • Examples of interconnections:
    • Rapid rise in property prices affects marriage timing and family formation (e.g., delaying marriage and children) which feeds broader wealth inequality since many assets are tied to home value.
    • Greater wealth inequality reduces opportunities for those with fewer resources and increases the state’s burden to compensate, or leads to greater individual risk and debt.
  • Australia context: one of the highest rates of consumer debt in the western world; wealth concentration in housing underscores broader inequality.
  • Household indebtedness and debt-to-income dynamics:
    • Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratios have risen over the past 40 years, both in Australia and globally.
    • The Australian DTI rise has been more pronounced than in many other countries, moving from the bottom half of advanced economies in the late 1980s to the top quartile by 2018.
    • Global trends show the rise accelerated around the mid-1980s.
  • Mathematical note: Define
    ext{DTI}= rac{ ext{Debt}}{ ext{Income}}.
    The observed trend shows DTI increasing over time for many economies, with Australia reaching the upper quartile by 2018.
  • The study of social problems through CW Mills’ sociological imagination provides more insight into questions about debt and life chances by linking personal troubles to larger social forces.
  • Key claim: personal finances, education, transport, and other public goods have become relatively more expensive or less accessible, reshaping earning power and debt needs over the life cycle.
  • Important framing: sociologists distinguish between personal agency and structural factors; choices are real but constrained by history and social structures.

III. Social Problems, Inequality, and Crime (Outline Week One)

  • The course links social problems to crime but emphasizes that the problems extend beyond crime and will be unpacked later.
  • Core idea: social problems are shaped by inequality, policy, and the ways in which society constructs and responds to collective needs.

IV. The Sociological Imagination and Agency (CW Mills)

  • Mills argues that people do not typically interpret their troubles as products of historical change or institutional contradictions.
  • Quote: "People do not usually define the troubles they endure in terms of historical change and institutional contradiction. The well-being they enjoy, they do not usually impute to the big ups and downs of the societies in which they live. They do not possess the quality of mind essential to grasp the interplay of individuals and society, of biography and history, of self and world."
  • We DO have biographies. We DO have agency. But always within the interplay of history and larger forces.
  • This implies that individuals can act, but their options are shaped by social structures and historical context.

V. Those [bleeping] Kids! vs. Those [bleeping] Boomers! (Media Frames and Reality)

  • Media frames often portray youth as troublesome and out of control, while political messages may sensationalize youth crime, vaping, and moral failings.
  • Data reality shows different trends: youth crime is near historical lows; youth misuse of drugs and alcohol is lower; teen pregnancy is lower; part-time job participation is higher.
  • The apparent gap between media narratives and data highlights the influence of framing and the need for sociological analysis.

VI. No, the Kids Aren’t OK (Ambiguities in outcomes)

  • While agency among young people shows upward trends toward more responsible and prosocial behavior, there are costs:
    • High school graduation rates are decreasing, correlated with growing wealth inequality.
    • Gaps in graduation rates are larger among Aboriginal students, recent immigrants, and students from poorer families.
  • Despite positive behavioral shifts, there are consequences: rising depression and anxiety among youth; increasing suicide rates; more pessimism about future prospects.

VII. Where Now? What to Take Away

  • The importance of applying the sociological imagination to your own life: identify personal problems that connect to larger historical or structural factors.
  • Not all problems are structural, but many are connected to broader forces beyond individual control.
  • Consider not only your own needs but also those of others who share common fundamentals: safety and security, connection and belonging, opportunity to have a say in one’s life and communities.
  • A century of sociological research shows all societies share these needs, though approaches to achieving and ensuring them differ; divisions can create perceived ineligibility for equal opportunities.

VIII. Pluralism, Social Facts, and the Roadmap of the Course

  • The course advocates pluralistic democracy and free debate as a path toward more equitable and sustainable advancement for everyone.
  • Distinction between opinions and social facts (Durkheim): opinions are personal beliefs; social facts are the objective structures shaping behavior.
  • This course uses the textbook as a basis for foundational knowledge, but lectures build on and assume that knowledge; both textbook and lectures are examinable materials.
  • Weekly content folders provide learning objectives that form the basis for quiz questions.
  • Readings and lectures should be approached with the weekly learning goals in mind.

Key figures and references to remember

  • Leon-Guerrero (definition of social problems) – 2018 edition, p. 4.
  • Puttman, 2024 – five dimensions of social problems.
  • CW Mills – sociological imagination; interplay of biography and history; personal troubles vs public issues.
  • Durkheim – social facts vs opinions; importance of social forces in shaping behavior.
  • Empirical data points mentioned:
    • Housing affordability in Australia as a central social problem example.
    • Australia’s high consumer debt rates within the Western world.
    • DTI trends: rise over 40 years; Australia’s ascent to the top quartile by 2018; global acceleration around mid-1980s.
    • Figure 1: Global Household Debt-to-income Ratios, 1983–2018; 22 advanced economies; backcast adjustments; notes about sample and data sources.

Note: Throughout, remember that the content emphasizes that social problems are both socially constructed and normatively contested, with real material consequences, and that understanding them requires connecting personal experiences to larger social structures and histories. The course encourages critical examination of evidence, awareness of framing, and the use of the sociological imagination to analyze problems and consider inclusive, pluralistic solutions.