Social Problems : A Brief Introduction

by James William Coleman

• ISBN13: 9780321012494
• ISBN10: 0321012496
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-11-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

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