Social Problems : A Brief Introduction,9780321012494

Social Problems : A Brief Introduction

by
ISBN13: 9780321012494
ISBN10: 0321012496
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 1997-11-01
Publisher(s): Pearson College Div
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Summary

This text's logical organization - essential concepts, troubled institutions, inequality, deviance, and global problems - in a concise, paperback format, helps students gain a coherent understanding of social problems. There are strongly worded debates in each chapter on controversial topics that make the text more interesting and encourage critical thinking. "Personal Perspectives" boxes give first person accounts of experiences such as single motherhood and "Signs of Hope" boxes show progress and solutions to problems.

Table of Contents

Preface xvii
Chapter 1 Sociology and Social Problems
1(24)
What Is a Social Problem?
2(2)
Foundations of the Sociological Approach
4(2)
Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems
6(9)
Perspectives on Society
7(4)
Social Psychological Perspectives
11(3)
Applying the Sociological Perspectives: An Example
14(1)
Doing Sociological Research
15(4)
Public Records and Statistics
16(1)
The Case Study
16(1)
The Survey
17(1)
The Experiment
18(1)
Interpreting Claims About Social Problems
19(2)
The Author
19(1)
The Support
20(1)
The Distribution
20(1)
The Content
20(1)
Summary
21(1)
Key Terms
22(1)
Further Readings
23(1)
Notes
23(2)
Part I Troubled Institutions 25(96)
Chapter 2 Problems in the Political Economy
27(35)
The Global Political Economy
27(3)
Understanding Our Political Economy
30(14)
The Corporations
30(4)
The Government
34(6)
Signs of Hope: Letting More People In
39(1)
Small Business
40(1)
The Workers
41(3)
The Economic Malaise
44(4)
Democracy, Power, and Corruption
48(2)
Responding to the Problems in the Political Economy
50(4)
Being More Democratic
50(2)
Investing in the Future
52(1)
Adjusting to Economic Change
52(2)
Debate: Is Freer World Trade the Way to Economic Prosperity at Home?
53(1)
Sociological Perspectives on Problems of the Economy
54(3)
The Functionalist Perspective
55(1)
The Conflict Perspective
55(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
56(1)
Summary
57(1)
Key Terms
58(1)
Further Readings
58(1)
Notes
59(3)
Chapter 3 Problems of the Family
62(31)
The Nature of the Family
62(1)
Understanding Family Diversity
63(5)
Changing Family Patterns
64(2)
Class and Ethnic Differences
66(2)
Family Problems
68(11)
Divorce
68(2)
Births Outside of Marriage
70(2)
Debate: Is the Modern Family Decaying?
71(1)
Violence
72(2)
Child Rearing
74(4)
Personal Perspectives: A Single Mother
76(2)
Work and Family Inequality
78(1)
Responding to the Problems of the Family
79(4)
Better Preparation
80(1)
Reducing Family Conflicts
81(1)
Helping Parents
82(1)
Sociological Perspectives on Problems of the Family
83(3)
The Functionalist Perspective
83(1)
The Conflict Perspective
84(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
85(1)
Summary
86(2)
Key Terms
88(1)
Further Readings
88(1)
Notes
88(5)
Chapter 4 Problems of Education
93(28)
Equal Educational Opportunity for All?
94(6)
Social Class and Achievement
94(3)
Minority Education
97(2)
Gender Bias
99(1)
The Quality of Education
100(5)
Authority and Rebellion
100(1)
Declining Achievement?
101(4)
Debate: Is the Quality of Public Education Deteriorating?
103(1)
Signs of Hope: Rising Achievement Among Minorities
104(1)
Responding to the Problems of Education
105(8)
Toward Equal Educational Opportunity
106(3)
Improving the Schools
109(4)
Sociological Perspectives on the Problems of Education
113(2)
The Functionalist Perspective
113(1)
The Conflict Perspective
114(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
115(1)
Summary
115(1)
Key Terms
116(1)
Further Readings
116(1)
Notes
117(4)
Part II The Problems of Inequality 121(132)
Chapter 5 The Poor
123(28)
The Rich and the Poor: A Widening Gap
124(3)
Measuring Poverty
127(2)
Who Are the Poor?
128(1)
Signs of Hope: Poverty Drops Among the Elderly
128(1)
The Trends in Poverty
129(1)
The Life of Poverty
129(5)
The Homeless
130(3)
Debate: Should the Government Provide Free Housing for the Homeless?
132(1)
The Underclass
133(1)
The Working Poor
134(1)
Understanding the Welfare System
134(4)
The History of the Welfare System
135(1)
The Structure of the Welfare System
136(1)
The Attack on Welfare
136(2)
Explanations of Poverty
138(3)
Economic Explanations
138(2)
Political Explanations
140(1)
Cultural Explanations
140(1)
Responding to the Problems of Poverty
141(3)
More and Better Jobs
141(1)
Improving Welfare
142(1)
Organizing the Poor
143(1)
Sociological Perspectives on the Problems of the Poor
144(2)
The Functionalist Perspective
144(1)
The Conflict Perspective
145(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
145(1)
Summary
146(1)
Key Terms
147(1)
Further Readings
148(1)
Notes
148(3)
Chapter 6 The Ethnic Minorities
151(32)
Ethnic Groups
151(4)
Patterns of Ethnic Relations
153(2)
Ethnic Minorities in North America
155(12)
Institutional Inequality
155(4)
Problems and Prospects
159(6)
The Impact of Immigration
165(2)
Explaining Ethnic Inequality
167(4)
Conflict and Competition
167(1)
Prejudice and Discrimination
167(3)
Class
170(1)
Responding to the Problems of Ethnic Minorities
171(5)
Political Activism
172(1)
Signs of Hope: Marriage Barriers Weaken
173(1)
Reforming Education
173(2)
Debate: Are Affirmative Action Programs Fair?
174(1)
Fair Employment
175(1)
Economic Justice
176(1)
Sociological Perspectives on Problems of Ethnic Minorities
176(3)
The Functionalist Perspective
177(1)
The Conflict Perspective
177(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
178(1)
Summary
179(1)
Key Terms
180(1)
Further Readings
180(1)
Notes
181(2)
Chapter 7 Gender
183(30)
Gender Roles
183(7)
Nature or Nurture?
184(3)
Gender Socialization
187(3)
Sexual Orientation
190(4)
Nature or Nurture?
191(1)
The Gay and Lesbian Community
192(2)
Discrimination and Inequality
194(7)
Discrimination Against Women
194(5)
Men's Problems
199(1)
Signs of Hope: Men Are Getting More Involved with Their Kids
199(1)
Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians
200(1)
Responding to Problems of Gender
201(4)
Political Activism
201(3)
Debate: Should Federal Legislation Be Enacted to Require That Women Be Given Comparable Pay for Comparable Work?
202(2)
Social Change
204(1)
Sociological Perspectives on Gender
205(2)
The Functionalist Perspective
205(1)
The Conflict Perspective
206(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
206(1)
Summary
207(2)
Key Terms
209(1)
Further Readings
209(1)
Notes
209(4)
Chapter 8 Health and Illness
213(40)
What Is Good Health?
213(1)
Physical Illness
214(6)
Unhealthy Lifestyles
214(2)
Physical Injuries: Suicide, Accidents, and Violent Crimes
216(1)
Environmental Hazards
216(1)
Contagious Disease
217(2)
Poverty
219(1)
Mental Disorders
220(7)
What Are Mental Disorders?
220(3)
Classifying Mental Disorders
223(1)
The Distribution of Mental Disorders
223(2)
The Causes of Mental Disorder
225(2)
Health Care in the United States
227(6)
Doctors and Nurses
222(7)
The Hospitals
229(1)
Paying the Bills
230(3)
Personal Perspectives: Losing Your Health Insurance
231(2)
The Crisis in American Health Care
233(4)
Failing the Patients: Unequal Access
233(2)
Runaway Costs
235(2)
National Health Care: The Canadian System
237(1)
Ethical Dilemmas
238(2)
Debate: Should Abortion Be Legal?
239(1)
Responding to Problems of Health and Illness
240(1)
Preventive Medicine
240(1)
Restructuring the Health Care System
241(2)
Community Mental Health Treatment
243(1)
Sociological Perspectives on Problems of Health and Illness
243(3)
The Functionalist Perspective
243(1)
The Conflict Perspective
244(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
245(1)
Summary
246(1)
Key Terms
247(1)
Further Readings
247(1)
Notes
248(5)
Part III Conformity and Deviance 253(66)
Chapter 9 Drug Use
255(29)
Drugs and Drug Addiction
256(10)
Alcohol
257(2)
Tobacco
259(2)
Marijuana
261(1)
Opiates and Other Illicit Depressants
262(1)
Personal Perspectives: A College Heroin User
263(1)
Psychedelics
263(1)
Cocaine and Other Illicit Stimulants
264(1)
Steroids
265(1)
Why Use Drugs?
266(2)
Biological Theories
266(1)
Personality Theories
266(1)
Interactionist Theory
267(1)
Drug Control in North America
268(4)
Debate: Should Smoking Be Outlawed?
270(2)
Responding to the Drug Problem
272(5)
Prevention
272(1)
Treatment
273(1)
Legal Repression
274(1)
Increased Social Tolerance
275(2)
Sociological Perspectives on Drug Use
277(2)
The Functionalist Perspective
277(1)
The Conflict Perspective
278(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
278(1)
Summary
279(1)
Key Terms
279(1)
Further Readings
280(1)
Notes
280(4)
Chapter 10 Crime and Violence
284(35)
The Nature of Crime and Violence
284(9)
Murder and Assault
285(1)
Rape and Child Molestation
286(1)
Property Crime
287(2)
Signs of Hope: A Steep Decline in Property Crime
288(1)
Victimless Crimes
289(1)
Syndicated Crime
289(1)
White-Collar Crime
290(2)
Juvenile Delinquency
292(1)
Measuring Crime and Violence
293(5)
Is There a Crime Wave?
294(1)
Who Commits Crime?
294(3)
America: Land of the Violent?
297(1)
The Causes of Crime and Violence
298(4)
Biological Theories
298(1)
Personality Theories
299(1)
Sociological Theories
300(2)
Criminal Justice
302(3)
The Police
302(1)
The Courts
303(1)
Corrections
304(1)
Responding to Crime and Violence
305(3)
Increasing Punishment
306(1)
Focusing on Violence
306(2)
Debate: Would Putting More Police on the Streets Help Solve the Crime Problem?
307(1)
Attacking the Roots of Crime
308(1)
Sociological Perspectives on Crime and Delinquency
308(3)
The Functionalist Perspective
308(1)
The Conflict Perspective
309(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
310(1)
Summary
311(1)
Key Terms
312(1)
Further Readings
312(1)
Notes
313(6)
Part IV Problems of a Changing World 319(70)
Chapter 11 The Global Divide: Inequality and Conflict
321(37)
Global Inequality
321(8)
Wealth and Poverty
322(2)
Health and Nutrition
324(2)
Education
326(1)
Women and Children
326(2)
Social Structure
328(1)
Explaining the Global Divide
329(6)
Modernization Theory
330(1)
World System Theory
331(3)
Debate: Are the Rich Nations Exploiting the Poor Ones?
332(2)
Evaluation
334(1)
Warfare and International Conflict
335(8)
The Escalation of Military Violence
335(1)
Terrorism
336(3)
Personal Perspectives: A Victim of Repressive Terrorism
338(1)
The Causes of Warfare
339(1)
Revolutionary Warfare
339(2)
International Warfare
341(2)
Responding to the Problems of International Inequality and Conflict
343(7)
Feeding the Hungry
343(2)
Economic Development
345(2)
Political Reform
347(1)
Encouraging Global Cooperation
348(2)
Sociological Perspectives on the Global Divide
350(2)
The Functionalist Perspective
350(1)
The Conflict Perspective
350(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
351(1)
Summary
352(2)
Key Terms
354(1)
Further Readings
354(1)
Notes
354(4)
Chapter 12 Environment and Population
358(31)
The Human Impact on the Environment: Population and Technology
358(10)
Air Pollution
360(3)
Water Pollution
363(1)
The Deteriorating Land
364(1)
Chemicals and Radiation
365(2)
Biological Diversity
367(1)
Dwindling Resources
368(3)
Origins of the Environmental Crisis
371(4)
The Population Explosion
371(3)
Debate: Are We Headed for an Environmental Disaster?
372(2)
Exploitative Technology
374(1)
Culture
375(1)
Responding to the Problems of the Environment
375(6)
Political Action
375(1)
Conserving Resources
376(1)
Better Technology
377(1)
Limiting Growth
378(3)
Signs of Hope: A Successful Birth Control Program
379(2)
Sociological Perspectives on the Environment
381(2)
The Functionalist Perspective
381(1)
The Conflict Perspective
382(1)
Social Psychological Perspectives
382(1)
Summary
383(1)
Key Terms
384(1)
Further Readings
384(1)
Notes
385(4)
Glossary 389(6)
Credits 395(2)
Index 397

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