Social Problems, Conflict Theory and Symbolic interaction, Slides of Conflict Management

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Social Problems

Definition of a Social Problem

 Social problems have two

components

1. an objective component

2. a subjective component

Awareness of Social Problems

 Our own experience

 The Media

 social movements

Sociological Imagination

C. Wright Mills (1959)

An awareness of the relationship between an individual

and the wider society

 The ability to view one's own society as an outsider

would, rather than from the limited perspective of personal experiences and cultural biases

 our experiences are influenced by social forces

 Mills argued that the Sociological Imagination

enables us to understand the relationship between “private problems” and “public issues”

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS

 Sociological perspective tend to focus on one of

two different levels

1. Theories of society ( macro theories )

2. social psychological theories ( micro theories )

Structural

Functionalism

Macro Theories

Conflict Theory

Micro Theories Symbolic Interaction

 Societies represent an intricate system of

interrelated parts (social structures) whose

activities have consequences (social functions)

 Functionalists see a common set of norms and values as the glue that holds groups, institutions, and whole societies together.

 Thus, one of the major sources of contemporary social problems is the weakening of the social consensus

 Functionalists theorists assume that human beings work together through common consensus to collectively preserve society.

Conflict Theory

 This perspective is associated with the writings of

Karl Marx

 Conflict perspective assumes that social behavior

is best understood in terms of conflict or tension among competing groups

 It views societies as being composed of diverse

groups with conflicting values and interests

Conflict Theory - continued

 Conflict theorists see a diverse collection of social groups all struggling for wealth, power and prestige

 Marx stressed that there are two social classes with competing interest:

1. The bourgeoisie and 2. the proletariat

 Conflict sociologists see social problems as the inevitable byproducts of power

Value Conflict Theory

Value Conflict Theorists define social problems as

conditions that are incompatible with group values.

 According to this theory, social problems occur

when groups with different values meet and compete.

 From this perspective social problems need to be

understood in terms of which groups hold which values and have the power to enforce them against the wishes of other groups.

Feminist Theory

 not really a single theory but a group of theories

that share a concern with the same basic questions

 Many feminists believe that the exploitation of

women by their male counterparts is the original and most basic form of social exploitation

 A symbol is something representing something

else; symbols range from words and language to nonverbal gestures and signs

 According to symbolic interaction, people attach meanings to each others words and actions

 To understand individual behavior, the interactionist tries to look at the world though the eyes of the actors involved

 This understanding of the of the conditions in

which we find ourselves, known as the definition

of the situation

 Symbolic interactionism explains our behavior in

terms of the patterns of thoughts and beliefs we have, and in terms of the meaning we give our lives