Social Problems

by Kornblum, William; Julian, Joseph; Smith, Carolyn D.

• ISBN13: 9780136084808
• ISBN10: 013608480X
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-08-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

This proactive book probes the nature and causes of major social problems and delves into the social control and social action issues inherent to each particular problem. Offering a theoretically balanced perspective, it covers topics in a micro to macro format, pointing out the interrelationships among today's social problems and the possibility of approaching them from several perspectives. The book describes many of the serious challenges facing our society, demonstrates the human ability to innovate and improve social conditions, and emphasizes social policy and its intended and unintended effects. It supports material with current statistics, cross-cultural examples, and numerous charts and tables. The book incorporates many new and interesting topics, including worldwide efforts to improve health, the impact of the growing elderly population on our social security system, and juggling work and family responsibilities.

Table of Contents

BOX FEATURES	xiv	(2)
PREFACE	xvi
1 SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS	2	(26)
WHAT IS A SOCIAL PROBLEM?	4	(2)
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS	6	(8)
The Functionalist Perspective	6	(1)
Other Approaches to the Study of Social Problems	7	(4)
The Conflict Perspective	11	(1)
The Interactionist Perspective	12	(2)
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL PROBLEMS	14	(3)
RESEARCH ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS	17	(5)
Demographic Studies	17	(1)
Survey Research	18	(1)
Field Observation	19	(1)
Social Experiments	19	(3)
SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND SOCIAL POLICY	22	(3)
The Natural History of Social Problems	23	(2)
The Media and Social Problems	25	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	25	(1)
SUMMARY	26	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	26	(2)
2 PROBLEMS OF PHYSICAL HEALTH	28	(36)
HEALTH CARE AS A GLOBAL SOCIAL PROBLEM	30	(4)
THE SCOPE OF HEALTH-CARE PROBLEMS IN AMERICA	34	(14)
Unequal Access to Health Care	34	(2)
The High Cost of Health Care	36	(5)
Inadequate Protection	41	(3)
Women and Health Care	44	(2)
The Disabled and Handicapped	46	(2)
AIDS--A MODERN PLAGUE	48	(4)
EXPLANATIONS OF HEALTH-CARE PROBLEMS	52	(4)
Class and Class Conflict	52	(2)
Institutions and Health Care	54	(1)
Health and Social Interaction	55	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	56	(5)
Managed Care	57	(1)
Insurance Reform	58	(1)
The Disabled and Handicapped	58	(2)
Social Policy and AIDS	60	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	61	(1)
SUMMARY	62	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	62	(2)
3 MENTAL ILLNESS	64	(28)
MENTAL ILLNESS AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM	66	(2)
THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MENTAL ILLNESS	68	(5)
Defining Mental Illness	68	(3)
Classification of Mental Disorders	71	(1)
Diagnosis or Label?	71	(2)
INEQUALITY, CONFLICT, AND MENTAL ILLNESS	73	(6)
Social Class and Mental Disorder	74	(2)
Mental Disorder and Urban Life	76	(2)
Other Factors	78	(1)
INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS OF TREATMENT AND CARE	79	(10)
Methods of Treatment	79	(1)
Changes in Mental-health Professions	80	(1)
Treatment Institutions	81	(5)
Deinstitutionalization and Homelessness	86	(3)
SOCIAL POLICY	89	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	90	(1)
SUMMARY	90	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	91	(1)
4 SEX-RELATED SOCIAL PROBLEMS	92	(32)
SEX AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM	95	(4)
Tolerated Sex Variance	96	(1)
Asocial Sex Variance	97	(2)
Structured Sex Variance	99	(1)
HOMOSEXUALITY	99	(7)
Social-Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality	99	(2)
Who Becomes a Homosexual?	101	(2)
Lesbianism	103	(1)
The Homosexual Subculture	104	(2)
PROSTITUTION	106	(7)
Social-Scientific Perspectives on Prostitution	106	(1)
Norms of Prostitution	107	(2)
Prostitution as Functional Deviance	109	(1)
Why Do People Become Prostitutes?	110	(1)
The Prostitute Subculture	111	(1)
The Impact of AIDS	112	(1)
PORNOGRAPHY	113	(4)
Social-Scientific Perspectives on Pornography	114	(1)
Pornography and Censorship	115	(1)
Research on Pornography	116	(1)
Pornography and Public Opinion	117	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	117	(5)
Homosexuality	117	(2)
Prostitution	119	(1)
Pornography	120	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	122	(1)
SUMMARY	122	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	123	(1)
5 ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS	124	(32)
THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM	126	(3)
Drug Abuse	127	(1)
Abuse, Addiction, and Dependence	128	(1)
ALCOHOL USE AND ABUSE	129	(11)
Problem Drinkers and Alcoholics	131	(1)
Who Drinks?	131	(3)
Drinking among Young People	134	(1)
Alcohol-related Social Problems	134	(3)
Treatment of Alcoholism	137	(3)
ILLEGAL DRUG USE AND ABUSE	140	(11)
Commonly Abused Drugs	140	(3)
Patterns of Drug Abuse	143	(4)
Drug Use and Crime	147	(1)
Drug Use and AIDS	148	(1)
Treatment of Drug Abuse	149	(2)
SOCIAL POLICY	151	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	153	(1)
SUMMARY	154	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	155	(1)
6 CRIME AND CRIMINALS	156	(40)
THE NATURE OF CRIME	161	(5)
Police Discretion	163	(1)
Problems of Accuracy	164	(2)
TYPES OF CRIME AND CRIMINALS	166	(7)
Violent Personal Crime	166	(1)
Occasional Property Crime	166	(1)
Occupational (White-collar) Crime	167	(1)
Corporate Crime	168	(1)
Public-order Crime	169	(1)
Conventional Crime	169	(1)
Organized Crime	170	(1)
Professional Crime	171	(1)
Juvenile Delinquency	172	(1)
CONDITIONS AND CAUSES OF CRIME	173	(8)
Biological Explanations of Crime	173	(1)
Gender and Crime	174	(1)
Age and Crime	175	(1)
Sociological Explanations of Crime	176	(5)
CONTROLLING CRIME	181	(7)
Retribution-Deterrence	182	(3)
Rehabilitation	185	(2)
Prevention	187	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	188	(5)
Conventional Crime	190	(1)
Occupational and Corporate Crime	191	(1)
Organized Crime	192	(1)
Public-order and Juvenile-justice Reforms	192	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	193	(1)
SUMMARY	194	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	194	(2)
7 VIOLENCE	196	(30)
THE CONCEPT OF VIOLENCE	199	(2)
EXPLANATIONS OF VIOLENCE	201	(4)
The Biological Viewpoint	201	(1)
Frustration-Aggression and Control Theories	202	(1)
Violence as a Subculture	202	(1)
Violence as Rational Choice	203	(1)
The Influence of the Mass Media	204	(1)
CRIMINAL VIOLENCE	205	(5)
Criminal Homicide	205	(2)
Assault and Robbery	207	(1)
Rape	208	(2)
FAMILY VIOLENCE	210	(3)
Child Abuse	210	(2)
Spouse Abuse	212	(1)
Elder Abuse	213	(1)
GANGS, GUNS, AND VIOLENT DEATH	213	(4)
SOCIAL POLICY	217	(6)
Gun Control	217	(3)
Media Violence	220	(1)
Dealing with Family Violence	221	(1)
Race, Poverty, and Violence: The Unfinished Agenda	222	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	223	(1)
SUMMARY	224	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	225	(1)
8 POVERTY AMID AFFLUENCE	226	(34)
THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-NOTES	229	(6)
The Rich	230	(1)
The Poor	231	(4)
POVERTY AND SOCIAL CLASS	235	(2)
THE NATURE OF POVERTY	237	(8)
The Poverty Line	237	(2)
Who Are the Poor?	239	(6)
CONCOMITANTS OF POVERTY	245	(3)
Health Care	245	(1)
Education	246	(1)
Housing and Homelessness	247	(1)
Justice	247	(1)
EXPLANATIONS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY	248	(4)
Structural Explanations	248	(2)
Cultural Explanations	250	(2)
SOCIAL POLICY	252	(6)
Reform of "Welfare as We Know It,"	252	(3)
Dependency, Work, and Responsibility	255	(2)
Single Mothers: A Special Case	257	(1)
Moving to Opportunity	257	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	258	(1)
SUMMARY	258	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	259	(1)
9 PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION	260	(32)
THE MEANING OF MINORITY	264	(1)
DEFINING PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION	265	(1)
ORIGINS OF PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION	266	(4)
Prejudice and Bigotry in the Individual	267	(1)
Prejudice and Bigotry in Social Structures	267	(1)
Cultural Factors: Norms and Stereotypes	268	(2)
INSTITUTIONAL DISCRIMINATION	270	(10)
Education	271	(3)
Housing	274	(2)
Employment and Income	276	(3)
Justice	279	(1)
SOME CONSEQUENCES OF PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION	280	(3)
SOCIAL POLICY	283	(7)
Job Training	283	(1)
Affirmative Action	284	(2)
Education for Equality	286	(2)
Some Trends and Prospects	288	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	290	(1)
SUMMARY	290	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	291	(1)
10 SEX ROLES AND INEQUALITY	292	(26)
TRADITIONAL SEX ROLES	295	(3)
THE NATURE OF SEXISM	298	(6)
Stereotyping	298	(1)
Sexism and Employment	299	(2)
Sexual Harassment	301	(2)
Homemaking	303	(1)
The Women's Movement	303	(1)
SOURCES OF SEXISM	304	(6)
Socialization	305	(1)
Education	305	(1)
The Family	306	(1)
Language and the Media	307	(1)
Organized Religion	308	(1)
Government	308	(1)
The Legal System	309	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	310	(5)
Changes in Child-rearing Practices	310	(1)
Changes in the Educational System	311	(1)
Changes in the Legal System	312	(1)
Reproductive Control	313	(1)
Social Policy and the Women's Movement	314	(1)
Changes in Men's Roles	314	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	315	(1)
SUMMARY	316	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	316	(2)
11 AN AGING SOCIETY	318	(28)
PERSPECTIVES ON AGING	321	(1)
THE ELDERLY IN AMERICA TODAY	322	(8)
Age Stratification	323	(2)
Who Are the Elderly?	325	(2)
Ageism	327	(3)
DIMENSIONS OF THE AGING PROCESS	330	(4)
Physiological Aspects of Aging	330	(1)
Psychological Dimensions of Aging	331	(1)
Social and Cultural Dimensions of Aging	332	(2)
CONCOMITANTS OF AGING	334	(4)
Victimization of the Elderly	334	(1)
Elder Abuse	334	(1)
Health Care and the Aged	334	(1)
Economic Discrimination	335	(2)
Family Problems	337	(1)
RETIREMENT	338	(1)
DEATH	338	(2)
SOCIAL POLICY	340	(4)
Housing	340	(1)
Health Care	341	(1)
Retirement and Social Security	342	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	344	(1)
SUMMARY	344	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	345	(1)
12 THE CHANGING FAMILY	346	(28)
THE NATURE OF FAMILIES	349	(8)
Adequate Family Functioning	350	(1)
Effects of Women's Employment	351	(4)
The Black Family	355	(2)
DIVORCE	357	(4)
Stepfamilies	358	(1)
Explanations of Trends in Divorce Rates	359	(1)
The Impact of Divorce	359	(2)
Cohabiting Couples	361	(1)
POSTPONEMENT OF MARRIAGE	361	(1)
CHANGING NORMS OF PARENTHOOD	362	(2)
Births to Unmarried Women (Illegitimacy)	362	(1)
Teenage Pregnancy	363	(1)
Gay and Lesbian Families	364	(1)
HOMELESS FAMILIES	364	(2)
REPRODUCTIVE ISSUES	366	(2)
Advances in Reproductive Technology	366	(1)
Surrogacy	367	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	368	(3)
Divorce Law	368	(1)
Efforts to Reduce Teenage Pregnancy	369	(1)
Child Care and Family Support	369	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	371	(1)
SUMMARY	372	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	372	(2)
13 PROBLEMS OF EDUCATION	374	(30)
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION	378	(2)
Functionalist Approaches	378	(1)
Conflict Approaches	379	(1)
Interactionist Approaches	379	(1)
EDUCATION: AN INSTITUTION UNDER FIRE	380	(13)
Education and Equality: The Issue of Equal Access	381	(4)
The Great Achievement Controversy	385	(1)
Problems of Institutional Change	386	(7)
SOCIAL POLICY	393	(8)
Educational Conservatism and "Back to Basics,"	395	(2)
Humanism and "Open Education,"	397	(1)
Preschool Programs	398	(1)
Access to Higher Education	399	(2)
Trends and Prospects	401	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	401	(1)
SUMMARY	402	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	402	(2)
14 PROBLEMS OF WORK AND THE ECONOMY	404	(32)
BIG BUSINESS AND CORPORATE POWER	407	(10)
The Shrinking Marketplace	407	(2)
Conglomerates	409	(1)
Multinational Corporations	410	(2)
The Global Factory	412	(1)
Effects on American Workers	413	(1)
Corporate Power and Wealth	414	(3)
WORK IN CORPORATE AMERICA	417	(10)
From Manufacturing to Services	417	(1)
Problem Aspects of Work	418	(9)
CONSUMERS AND CREDIT	427	(4)
Problems of Debt Entanglement	429	(1)
Possessions and Self-expression	429	(2)
SOCIAL POLICY	431	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	433	(1)
SUMMARY	433	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	434	(2)
15 URBAN PROBLEMS	436	(32)
AN URBANIZING WORLD	438	(2)
THE AMERICAN CITY	440	(3)
Urban Growth and Social Problems	440	(1)
Management Problems	441	(1)
Antiurban Bias	441	(1)
The Composition of Urban Populations	442	(1)
THEORIES OF URBANISM	443	(3)
Wirth's Theory	443	(1)
Compositionalism	444	(1)
Subcultural Theory	445	(1)
METROPOLITAN GROWTH	446	(6)
The Transportation Boom	447	(3)
The Impact of Suburban Growth	450	(2)
PROBLEMS OF CITIES	452	(5)
Deconcentration	453	(2)
Relocation of Manufacturing	455	(1)
Financial Problems	455	(1)
Government	456	(1)
SHELTER POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRESS	457	(4)
Shelter Poverty	457	(2)
Homelessness	459	(1)
Distressed Neighborhoods	460	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	461	(4)
Housing	463	(1)
Homelessness	463	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	465	(1)
SUMMARY	465	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	466	(2)
16 POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION	468	(24)
THE WORLD'S POPULATION	470	(6)
Measures of Population Growth	470	(2)
The Demographic Transition	472	(2)
Rising Expectations	474	(2)
THE U.S. POPULATION	476	(1)
POPULATION CONTROL	476	(4)
Family Planning	477	(1)
ZPG	478	(1)
Population Control in LDCs	478	(2)
IMMIGRATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES	480	(7)
Immigration to the United States: A Brief History	481	(2)
Recent Trends in Immigration to the United States	483	(1)
Urban Concentration of Immigrants	484	(2)
Undocumented Immigrants	486	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	487	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	489	(1)
SUMMARY	490	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	490	(2)
17 TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT	492	(30)
DEFINING TECHNOLOGY	494	(1)
TECHNOLOGICAL DUALISM	495	(1)
CONTROLLING TECHNOLOGY	496	(5)
Autonomous Technology	496	(2)
Automation	498	(1)
Whistle-blowers	499	(1)
Bureaucracy and Morality	500	(1)
TECHNOLOGY AND INSTITUTIONS	501	(3)
TECHNOLOGY AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT	504	(1)
ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS	505	(9)
Origins of the Problem	505	(2)
Air Pollution	507	(2)
Water Pollution	509	(1)
Solid-waste Disposal	510	(2)
Other Hazards	512	(2)
THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT	514	(1)
SOCIAL POLICY	515	(5)
Futures Studies	517	(1)
Appropriate Technology	517	(1)
Technology Assessment	517	(1)
Environmental Action	518	(2)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	520	(1)
SUMMARY	520	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	521	(1)
18 WAR AND TERRORISM	522	(23)
THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM	524	(4)
Direct Effects of War	524	(1)
Indirect Effects of War	525	(1)
Effects of Nuclear War	526	(2)
MILITARY TECHNOLOGY AND THE CONDUCT OF WAR	528	(1)
Controlling Warfare	529	(1)
THEORIES ABOUT WAR AND ITS ORIGINS	529	(8)
Ethological and Sociobiological Theories	531	(1)
Clausewitz: War as State Policy	532	(1)
Marx and Lenin on War	533	(1)
Institutional and International Perspectives	533	(4)
TERRORISM: UNDECLARED WAR	537	(2)
SOCIAL POLICY	539	(3)
Arms Control: A Promise Unfulfilled	539	(1)
Alternatives to the Arms Race	540	(1)
Dealing with Terrorism	541	(1)
BEYOND LEFT AND RIGHT	542	(1)
SUMMARY	542	(1)
SUGGESTED READINGS	543	(2)
GLOSSARY	545	(4)
REFERENCES	549	(18)
PHOTO CREDITS	567	(1)
NAME INDEX	568	(3)
SUBJECT INDEX	571