Constructing Social Problems

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology
Cover of the book Constructing Social Problems by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse ISBN: 9781351526326
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 5, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
ISBN: 9781351526326
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 5, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

There is no adequate definition of social problems within sociology, and there is not and never has been a sociology of social problems. That observation is the point of departure of this book. The authors aim to provide such a definition and to prepare the ground for the empirical study of social problems. They are aware that their objective will strike many fellow sociologists as ambitious, perhaps even arrogant. Their work challenges sociologists who have, over a period of fifty years, written treatises on social problems, produced textbooks cataloguing the nature, distribution, and causes of these problems, and taught many sociology courses. It is only natural that the authors' work will be viewed as controversial in light of the large literature which has established a "sociology of" a wide range of social problems-the sociology of race relations, prostitution, poverty, crime, mental illness, and so forth. In the 1970s when the authors were preparing for a seminar on the sociology of social problems, their review of the "literature" revealed the absence of any systematic, coherent statement of theory or method in the study of social problems. For many years the subject was listed and offered by university departments of sociology as a "service course" to present undergraduates with what they should know about the various "social pathologies" that exist in their society. This conception of social problems for several decades has been reflected in the substance and quality of the literature dominated by textbooks. In 'Constructing Social Problems', the authors propose that social problems be conceived as the claims-making activities of individuals or groups regarding social conditions they consider unjust, immoral, or harmful and that should be addressed. This perspective, as the authors have formulated it, conceives of social problems as a process of interaction that produces social problems as social facts in society. The authors further propose that this process and the social facts it produces are the data to be researched for the sociology of social problems. This volume will be of interest to those concerned with the discipline of sociology, especially its current theoretical development and growth.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

There is no adequate definition of social problems within sociology, and there is not and never has been a sociology of social problems. That observation is the point of departure of this book. The authors aim to provide such a definition and to prepare the ground for the empirical study of social problems. They are aware that their objective will strike many fellow sociologists as ambitious, perhaps even arrogant. Their work challenges sociologists who have, over a period of fifty years, written treatises on social problems, produced textbooks cataloguing the nature, distribution, and causes of these problems, and taught many sociology courses. It is only natural that the authors' work will be viewed as controversial in light of the large literature which has established a "sociology of" a wide range of social problems-the sociology of race relations, prostitution, poverty, crime, mental illness, and so forth. In the 1970s when the authors were preparing for a seminar on the sociology of social problems, their review of the "literature" revealed the absence of any systematic, coherent statement of theory or method in the study of social problems. For many years the subject was listed and offered by university departments of sociology as a "service course" to present undergraduates with what they should know about the various "social pathologies" that exist in their society. This conception of social problems for several decades has been reflected in the substance and quality of the literature dominated by textbooks. In 'Constructing Social Problems', the authors propose that social problems be conceived as the claims-making activities of individuals or groups regarding social conditions they consider unjust, immoral, or harmful and that should be addressed. This perspective, as the authors have formulated it, conceives of social problems as a process of interaction that produces social problems as social facts in society. The authors further propose that this process and the social facts it produces are the data to be researched for the sociology of social problems. This volume will be of interest to those concerned with the discipline of sociology, especially its current theoretical development and growth.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Trauma-Informed Practices With Children and Adolescents by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Self-Knowledge by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Freudian repression, the Unconscious, and the Dynamics of Inhibition by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Urban Living Labs by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Neoliberalism and the Global Restructuring of Knowledge and Education by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Private Sphere to World Stage from Austen to Eliot by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book The Politics of AIDS Denialism by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Nursing Children and Young People with ADHD by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Nationalism and Architecture by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Full and Productive Employment in Developing Economies by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Still Here by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book An Outline of International Price Theories by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Study Skills for Psychology Students by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Supporting Schools by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
Cover of the book Transnationalism, Migration and the Challenge to Europe by Malcolm Spector, John I. Kitsuse
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy