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9780205285532

Contemporary Social Problems

by ; ;
  • ISBN13:

    9780205285532

  • ISBN10:

    0205285538

  • Edition: 4th
  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 1998-08-01
  • Publisher: Pearson College Div
  • View Upgraded Edition

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Summary

Parrillo uses an eclectic and comprehensive blend of theoretical viewpoints to analyze contemporary problems, shows how social problems are socially constructed, and provides many cross-cultural examples of problems in other societies. Brief sociohistorical perspectives at the beginning of each chapter show how the extent of problems in the U.S., as well as our perception of them, have changed over time.

Table of Contents

Preface xv
PART I SOCIOLOGY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS 1(52)
Chapter 1 Definitions and Perspectives
3(26)
The Four Elements of a Social Problem
6(6)
Individual or Social Damage
6(1)
Offense to a Powerful Group's Standards
6(1)
Persistence
7(2)
Overabundance of Proposed Solutions
9(3)
The Role of the Social Scientist
12(4)
Research Thinking
13(1)
Research Observation
14(2)
The Importance of Theories
16(1)
Sociological Perspectives
16(8)
The Functionalist Orientation
16(4)
The Conflict Orientation
20(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
21(1)
The Feminist Orientation
22(2)
The Postmodernist Orientation
24(1)
Guiding Principles for Studying the Future
24(3)
We Can't Always Predict the Future, But We Do Invent It
25(1)
What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: Latent Effects
25(1)
"Plan or Be Planned For"
25(1)
Examine the Taken-For-Granted
26(1)
Use Scenarios to Examine Alternative Futures
26(1)
Summary
27(1)
Key Terms
28(1)
Suggested Readings
28(1)
Chapter 2 The Individual in Modern Society: Alienation, Anomie, and Postmodernism
29(24)
Functionalists: Social Situations Create Individuals' Problems
30(5)
Shyness and Culture
31(1)
The Loss of Community
31(3)
Anomic Situations
34(1)
Conflict Theorists: Alienation and Powerlessness
35(5)
Powerlessness
35(3)
Political Alienation
38(1)
The Human Commodity
39(1)
Interactionists: Searching for Meaningful Identities
40(5)
Individual Negotiation and Social Change
40(1)
Loss of Individualism: Society Packages Your New Identity
41(2)
Secularization and the Search for Meaning
43(2)
Postmodernism: A Break with the Past
45(1)
Adolescent and Young Adult Suicide
46(3)
Motivations for Suicide
46(2)
Media Influences
48(1)
Alternative Futures
49(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
49(1)
Optimistic Scenario
50(1)
Summary
51(1)
Key Terms
52(1)
Suggested Readings
52(1)
PART II CHALLENGES TO INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING 53(106)
Chapter 3 Alcohol and Drug Abuse
55(36)
The Sociohistorical Context
56(1)
Alcohol and Drug Use in International Context
57(1)
Alcohol
58(5)
Dangers
59(1)
Youth and Alchohol Consumption
60(1)
Gender-and Alcohol Consumption
61(2)
Cocaine and Crack
63(2)
Use
63(1)
Cocaine and Public Policy
63(2)
Marijuana
65(1)
Dangers
66(1)
Use
66(1)
Narcotics
66(2)
Dangers
67(1)
Use
67(1)
Tobacco
68(4)
Why Smoke?
69(1)
Anti-Smoking Campaign
70(2)
Social Consequences of Drug Use
72(4)
Crime
72(1)
Automobile Accidents
73(1)
III Health
74(1)
Economic Losses
75(1)
Drug Abuse in Sports
76(1)
Social Control and Solution Attempts
76(6)
Preventive Programs
77(1)
Treatment Programs
78(4)
Sociological Perspectives
82(4)
The Functionalist Orientation
82(1)
The Conflict Orientation
83(2)
The Interactionist Orientation
85(1)
Alternatives Futures
86(3)
Pessimistic Scenario
87(1)
Optimistic Scenario
87(2)
Summary
89(1)
Key Terms
89(1)
Suggested Readings
90(1)
Chapter 4 Sexual Behavior
91(32)
The Cross-Cultural Context
92(1)
Past and Preliterate Societies
93(1)
Social Control of Sexual Intercourse
93(1)
Changing U.S. Patterns of Sexual Behavior
93(6)
The Rise and Decline of Casual Sex
94(1)
Casual Sex Not Personally Fulfilling
94(1)
Premarital Sex
95(1)
Extramarital Sex
96(1)
Safe Sex
97(1)
International Comparisons
97(2)
Homosexuality
99(6)
Homosexuality in Sociohistorical Context
100(1)
Homosexuality in the United States
101(1)
The Extent of Homosexuality
102(2)
Public Attitudes About Homosexuality
104(1)
Pornography
105(4)
The Victims of Pornography
106(1)
Pornography and Violence
107(1)
Pornography and The Internet
108(1)
International Comparisons
109(1)
Prostitution
109(5)
The Sexual Career of a Prostitute
110(2)
Is Prostitution a Social Problem?
112(1)
International Comparisons
113(1)
Child Molestation
114(1)
The Extent of Child Molestation
114(1)
Responding to the Problem
114(1)
Sociological Perspectives
115(3)
The Functionalist Orientation
115(1)
The Conflict Orientation
116(1)
The Feminist Orientation
116(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
117(1)
Alternative Futures
118(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
118(1)
Optimistic Scenario
119(1)
Summary
120(1)
Key Terms
121(1)
Suggested Readings
122(1)
Chapter 5 Crime and Violence
123(36)
Crime, Laws, and Prosecution
124(1)
Laws and Norms of the Society
124(1)
Differential Enforcement of Laws
124(1)
Measuring the Extent of Crime
125(4)
Index Crimes and the Uniform Crime Report
125(1)
Victims and the National Crime Victimization Survey
126(3)
Violence in the United States
129(3)
Violence in Sociohistorical Context
130(2)
Violent Crime
132(5)
Homicide
132(2)
Rape
134(3)
Organized Crime
137(1)
White-Collar Crime
138(1)
Property Crime
138(1)
Juvenile Delinquency
138(3)
What is Juvenile Delinquency?
139(1)
Gangs
139(2)
Rethinking Juvenile Crime
141(1)
The Criminal Justice System
141(4)
The Police
142(1)
The Prisons
142(3)
Terrorism
145(5)
Terrorism in Sociohistorical Context
145(2)
Dealing with Terrorists
147(1)
Political Terrorism
148(1)
How Effective is Terrorism?
149(1)
Sociological Perspectives
150(3)
The Functionalist Orientation
150(1)
The Conflict Orientation
151(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
152(1)
Alternative Futures
153(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
153(1)
Optimistic Scenario
154(1)
Summary
155(1)
Key Terms
156(1)
Suggested Readings
157(2)
PART III CHALLENGES TO SOCIAL EQUALITY 159(96)
Chapter 6 Race and Ethnic Relations
161(29)
The Sociohistorical Context
162(1)
International Comparisons
162(2)
Dimensions of the Problem
164(1)
Institutional Discrimination
164(13)
Education
165(4)
Employment
169(4)
Housing
173(2)
Justice
175(2)
Specific Problem Areas
177(5)
Native Americans
177(1)
African Americans
178(1)
Hispanic Americans
178(1)
Asian Americans
179(1)
Illegal Aliens
180(1)
Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
180(2)
Sociological Perspectives
182(3)
The Functionalist Orientation
182(1)
The Conflict Orientation
183(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
184(1)
Alternative Futures
185(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
185(1)
Optimistic Scenario
186(1)
Summary
187(1)
Key Terms
188(1)
Suggested Readings
189(1)
Chapter 7 Poverty
190(34)
Poverty in Sociohistorical Context
191(2)
International Comparisons
193(1)
Blaming the Poor
193(3)
Intelligence as an Explanation
194(1)
The Culture of Poverty
195(1)
The Nature of Poverty
196(2)
Absolute Deprivation
196(2)
Relative Deprivation
198(1)
Who are the Poor?
198(5)
Minority Status
198(3)
Family Structure
201(1)
Age
202(1)
Locale
203(1)
The Impact of Poverty
203(3)
Health
203(1)
Housing
204(1)
Family Life
205(1)
Attitudinal Responses
205(1)
Education
205(1)
Work
206(1)
Work and Welfare
206(4)
The Welfare Poor
206(1)
Public Welfare Programs
207(1)
Welfare as a Way of Life
208(1)
Income Distributions
209(1)
Eliminating Poverty
210(4)
The "Trickle Down" Approach
210(1)
The "Robin Hood" Approach
211(1)
The Interventionist Approach
211(3)
Sociological Perspectives
214(5)
The Functionalist Orientation
214(2)
The Conflict Orientation
216(2)
The Interactionist Orientation
218(1)
Alternative Futures
219(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
219(1)
Optimistic Scenario
220(1)
Summary
221(1)
Key Terms
222(1)
Suggested Readings
223(1)
Chapter 8 Gender Inequality
224(31)
The Biological Argument
225(2)
"Support" for the Biological Argument
225(1)
Weakness of the Biological Argument
226(1)
Socialization and Sexism
227(3)
Family Influence
227(1)
Media Influence
228(2)
Sexism in Sociohistorical Context
230(1)
Gender Inequalities in an International Context
230(2)
Newer Identified Forms of Sexism
232(6)
Genital Mutilation and Female Sexuality
232(2)
Women as Disposable Property
234(1)
Sexual Harassment
235(3)
Arenas of Change
238(5)
Education
238(2)
The Workplace
240(2)
Political Representation
242(1)
The Social Construction of Maleness
243(2)
Sociological Perspectives
245(4)
The Functionalist Orientation
245(1)
The Conflict Orientation
245(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
246(2)
The Feminist Orientation
248(1)
Alternative Futures
249(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
250(1)
Optimistic Scenario
251(1)
Summary
251(1)
Key Terms
252(1)
Suggested Readings
253(2)
PART IV CHALLENGES TO SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS 255(134)
Chapter 9 The Family
257(36)
Family in Sociohistorical Context
258(2)
Recent Changes
258(2)
The Scope of Family Problems
260(2)
Divorce
262(5)
Factors Contributing to the High Rate of Divorce
263(1)
The Impact of Divorce on Adults
264(1)
The Impact of Divorce on Children
264(3)
Changes in Family Structure
267(5)
Remarriages and Reconstituted Families
267(1)
Single-Parent Families
268(3)
Teenage Pregnancy
271(1)
Violence and Abuse
272(5)
Incidence of Family Violence
272(3)
Social Factors Linked to Violence
275(2)
Sexual Violence and Victimization in the Family
277(2)
Marital Rape
277(1)
Incest
278(1)
The Need for Societal Intervention
279(1)
Services for Battered Wives
279(1)
Intervention in Child Abuse
279(1)
The Police
279(1)
Prevention of Family Violence
280(1)
Family in an International Context
280(2)
Why Are Families in Trouble?
282(1)
Individual Faults
282(1)
The Growing Emphasis on Individual Rights
282(1)
Deviant Families and Sick Individuals
283(1)
Sociological Perspectives
283(5)
The Functionalist Orientation
283(2)
The Conflict Orientation
285(2)
The Interactionist Orientation
287(1)
Alternative Futures
288(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
288(1)
Optimistic Scenario
289(1)
Summary
290(2)
Key Terms
292(1)
Suggested Readings
292(1)
Chapter 10 Problems in Education
293(31)
Education in Sociohistorical Context
294(1)
Social Promotions
294(1)
Grade Inflation
295(1)
Curriculum Change
295(1)
Education in an International Context
295(1)
The School is a Bureaucracy
296(2)
Conformity and Obedience
297(1)
Hierarchy of Authority
297(1)
Education and Social Class
298(5)
Dominance of Middle-Class Values
298(1)
Ability Grouping or Tracking
299(4)
Education Problem Areas
303(5)
School Dropouts
303(1)
Adult Illiteracy
303(3)
School Funding
306(2)
A Question of Quality
308(3)
Subject Matter
309(1)
Academic Standards
309(1)
Teacher Competency
310(1)
How Else Can We Improve Education?
311(5)
Equitable School Districts
312(1)
Voucher Plans
313(1)
Learning Environment
314(2)
Sociological Perspectives
316(4)
The Functionalist Orientation
316(1)
The Conflict Orientation
317(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
318(2)
Alternative Futures
320(1)
Pessimistic Scenario
320(1)
Optimistic Scenario
320(1)
Summary
321(1)
Key Terms
322(1)
Suggested Readings
322(2)
Chapter 11 The Corporate United States and Work
324(34)
Work in Sociohistorical Context
325(1)
The Corporate United States
326(4)
Who Owns the Corporations?
326(1)
Engulf and Devour
327(1)
Corporate Technostructure
328(1)
Market Manipulation
329(1)
Consumer Manipulation
329(1)
Government-Corporate Alliances
330(4)
The Military-Industrial Complex
330(4)
Multinational Corporations
334(3)
International Impact
335(2)
Work in the Corporate United States
337(8)
Occupational Trends
337(2)
Unemployment and Underemployment
339(4)
Job Satisfaction
343(2)
Occupational Health and Safety
345(4)
Government Regulation
345(1)
Health Hazard Occupations
346(3)
Sociological Perspectives
349(4)
The Functionalist Orientation
349(1)
The Conflict Orientation
350(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
351(2)
Alternative Futures
353(2)
Passimistic Scenario
353(1)
Optimistic Scenario
354(1)
Summary
355(2)
Key Terms
357(1)
Suggested Readings
357(1)
Chapter 12 Health Care
358(31)
Health Care in an International Context
359(1)
Health Care in Sociohistorical Context
360(2)
Dominance of Modern Medicine
361(1)
The Social Organization of Health Care
362(9)
Unevern Health-Care Delivery Systems
363(1)
Health Care for Profit
364(2)
Malpractice
366(1)
The Hospital Industry and Its Expenses
367(1)
Medical Insurance
368(1)
Rise of Managed-Care Programs
369(2)
Bioethics: Life and Death Discussions
371(3)
Abortion
371(3)
Keeping the Dying Alive
374(1)
The Aids Epidemic
374(3)
Scope of the Problem
376(1)
Impact on Health Care
377(1)
Mental Health
377(3)
The Nature of Mental Disorders
377(1)
Socioeconomic Factors
378(2)
Sociological Perspectives
380(3)
The Functionalist Orientation
380(1)
The Conflict Orientation
381(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
382(1)
Alternative Futures
383(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
383(1)
Optimistic Scenario
384(1)
Summary
385(1)
Key Terms
386(1)
Suggested Readings
386(3)
PART V CHALLENGES TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE 389(62)
Chapter 13 Urban Decline and Growth
391(27)
U.S. Cities in Sociohistorical Context
392(1)
Urban Change in the United States
393(4)
Urban Sprawl
393(3)
Traffic Congestion
396(1)
Housing Problems and Solutions
397(8)
Redlining and Abandonment
397(1)
Urban Renewal
398(1)
Public Housing
398(1)
Housing Subsidies
399(1)
Gentrification
400(2)
Homelessness
402(3)
Political Fragmentation
405(1)
Can Snowbelt Cities Compete with Sunbelt Cities?
405(3)
The Bos Wash Megalopolis
406(2)
Urban-Suburban Interdependence
408(2)
The Central Cities
408(1)
The Outer-Ring Suburbs
408(1)
The Inner-Ring Suburbs
409(1)
Thinking Regionally
410(1)
Cities in an International Context
410(1)
Sociological Perspectives
411(3)
The Functionalist Orientation
411(1)
The Conflict Orientation
412(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
413(1)
Alternative Futures
414(1)
Pessimistic Scenario
414(1)
Optimistic Scenario
415(1)
Summary
415(2)
Key Terms
417(1)
Suggested Readings
417(1)
Chapter 14 Population and Ecology
418(33)
Population in Sociohistorical Context
419(4)
Malthusian Pessimism
419(2)
Earth as a Lifeboat
421(1)
Demographic Transition Theory
422(1)
Population Pressure on the World
423(7)
Continuing Growth
423(1)
Population Size and Resource Depletion
424(1)
Destruction of the Rain Forests
424(4)
Hunger in Developing Nations
428(2)
The Ecosystem
430(7)
Ecosystem Thinking
430(1)
Current Ecosystem Problems
431(6)
The Persistence of Ecological and Population Problems
437(7)
Positions that Deny the Need for Action
438(2)
The Role of Culture
440(1)
The New Environmentalism
441(2)
Beyond Voluntary Planning
443(1)
Policy Proposals for Population Reduction
444(1)
Sociological Perspectives
444(3)
The Functionalist Orientation
445(1)
The Conflict Orientation
445(1)
The Interactionist Orientation
446(1)
Alternative Futures
447(2)
Pessimistic Scenario
447(1)
Optimistic Scenario
448(1)
Summary
449(1)
Key Terms
450(1)
Suggested Readings
450(1)
Notes 451(40)
Glossary 491(8)
Index 499

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